Oak Tree
The first step in iconography is to select the board that the icon will be painted on. Given the icon is used as a liturgical object, it needs to be robust, stable and durable; hence why wooden boards are used rather than canvas.
There are many factors to consider when selecting the right wood for your icon board such as, is the wood prone to warping or splitting? Does it contain too many knots, natural oils, resins or moisture? Has it been well seasoned, kiln-dried? Etc.
You want your icon to last for centuries, hence why all these factors play an instrumental role, for the icon will only last as long as the surface that it is painted on.
Recommended woods include (but not limited to) oak, poplar, birch, beech and linden.
Once the icon board has been selected, the complex preparatory process begins.
~Joanne