Most people fear that the developing of stained glass artwork is a complex undertaking. The main reason for this is because such great artists as Louis Comfort Tiffany are associated with the art. You may have come across great stained glass artwork pieces in old church buildings
or after paying a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. But the truth of the matter is that stained glass artwork is something that even you, an untrained artist, can develop given the correct tools and instructions. The main reason why it appears like such a difficult concept is because of the many misconceptions about what stained glass artwork entails. The following guidelines will help you understand the art more clearly.
The Concept and pattern selection
The main aim of stained glass artwork is to be able to create a representation of a person or object using blocks of solid colors. After finding the desired pattern for the artwork that you want to develop, the colored shapes are cut from pieces of glass and fastened together. There are many books which can guide you on the common patterns in case you are stuck on where to begin. An important tip to remember is that your pieces should be large enough to avoid narrow pieces. The reason for this is because the pieces are often fastened by metal strips and they may obscure the pieces.
The Concept and pattern selection
The main aim of stained glass artwork is to be able to create a representation of a person or object using blocks of solid colors. After finding the desired pattern for the artwork that you want to develop, the colored shapes are cut from pieces of glass and fastened together. There are many books which can guide you on the common patterns in case you are stuck on where to begin. An important tip to remember is that your pieces should be large enough to avoid narrow pieces. The reason for this is because the pieces are often fastened by metal strips and they may obscure the pieces.
Joining the pieces
Developing a great pattern is not worth it if the joining process is done haphazardly. Therefore, plasticizing the pattern would be a great idea. This is done by cutting out a strip of paper between the glass pieces using a special pair of scissors. The reason for this is to create a thin space between the pieces for flexibility of the pieces. Of course this space will be covered up by metal strips used to join the pieces. Remember to mark your pieces with a marker pen by tracing the shape of the pieces on the glass surface.
Tools used
There are different types of tools required in the creation of a stained glass artwork piece. Glass cutters, grinders and several pairs of special pliers can be obtained cheaply in any local hardware store. If money is no object, you could buy a special glass cutting band saw which works so much more efficiently than the glass cutters.
Assembly and Fastening
The metal used to fasten the pieces is usually made of foil that is sticky on one side and it comes in different sizes. You should place and stick these strips of foil carefully along the edges of the assembled glass. Make sure that the overlap on adjoining pieces of glass is the same to achieve even bonding. The metal foils are then soldered so that the pieces can be held permanently together. You should note that the creation of three dimensional shaped stained glass artwork follows the same steps except in this case, the edges of the glass pieces are ground at an angle so that they fit into each other. |
