Monthly Archives: June 2011

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Glass Painters – Would You Like to Dance?

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In the studio this week, we’re painting column after column for the tycoon’s stained glass skylights.

Our sequence is:

  1. Undercoat
  2. Trace
  3. Strengthen
  4. Flood
  5. Highlight
  6. Etc. etc.

In other words, the lines are put down in two layers – steps 2 and 3 – not in one go.

A column from the tycoon's skylights - undercoat and (copy-)traced only

A column from the tycoon’s skylights – undercoat and (copy-)traced only (strengthening comes next)

Now it isn’t mandatory to do this. It’s certainly possible to do the lines just in one go. Sometimes that’s what you must do.

And right now I just want to have a brief discussion with you about how to think about this question: whether to trace (with the glass on top of the design) and then strengthen (with the design on one side), or whether to trace and strengthen in one go …

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“A Most Defective Book …”

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Nine stained glass heads

A tale of techniques, crutches, card tricks, King David and – nine heads for you to copy

Yes, I do want to make you an offer – it’s a good one. But I also want to share an important insight. Here it is:

Techniques make good walking sticks but bad crutches.

Give me three minutes and I’ll explain …

And you’ll also find out how to get this useful guide to painting stained glass heads:

Stained glass heads - designs and techniques

Stained glass heads – designs and techniques

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Live from the Studio – Day #5

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Tracing – how to hide the evidence …

This morning with our students, it was Gothic Revival / medieval faces.

After lunch – by way of contrast – gargoyles and other monsters.

And with all this detailed line-work, the following conversation was inevitable.

Be sure to read to the climax of this tale, because you’ll find a really useful tip.

Problem #1: “When your glass is on top of your design – as it is with tracing – it’s so difficult to judge the darkness of your lines. – And it’s also really difficult to register them precisely with the lines on the design beneath …”