My first icon - Christ Pantocrator
I'm not Orthodox, so I hope this doesn't come across as disrespectful to the tradition or the art form. I've just found myself really drawn to religious iconography lately.
I grew up very nominally Catholic, but we rarely went to Mass, even on Christmas or Easter. I loved art as a kid and young adult, but for a lot of reasons I eventually fell out of love with it. Iconography is what finally made me want to pick up a brush again.
This is my first fully finished icon in egg tempera, aside from a few watercolor sketches. I know there are certain standards and traditions around creating icons in Orthodoxy, so I'm not really sure how I should treat or think about this piece now that it's finished.
I wanted to share it anyway, and I'd really appreciate any thoughts or guidance from people who know the tradition better than I do.