The Techniques of Kiln-Fired Stained Glass Painting – 3 Films
Watching will improve your mastery
Imagine this conversation …
Suppose you and I are talking about all the different ways there are of highlighting your painted glass.
OK, highlights: you already know the basics.
So I say, “Right, what about softening?”
“Softening?” you reply. “Softening my highlights? Whatever do you mean?”
“It’s like this,” I say. And I explain:
“You rub your hands together and get them dry. Then gently – oh so gently – you use your middle finger (and sometimes your index finger or the fleshy part beneath your thumb) to brush your unfired paint. Very, very gently. At first, nothing much will happen. But little by little, you’ll start to pick up dust. And when this happens you must proceed more gently than ever. If you’re too rough, you’ll ruin everything. But it’s really very easy. Just be gentle …”
“You make it sound so easy,” you say. “Go on, show me what you mean.”
And so I show you.
And this is what you see and hear …
Click and watch
- Opens in a Separate Window -
Do you see what I mean? – It helps to watch. It’s why we made these technique-packed films for you. It’s because watching us will teach you far more than reading on its own. Certainly, you must read: there’s a lot of detail you must master. But – when you also watch – it all makes sense.
Watch and learn
Whether you work alone or with others in a class or studio, everyone learns more when they see clearly what it is they must copy:
“Your videos are wonderful. If a picture paints a thousand words then a video paints a million. You see the consistency of the paint – see the friction of the brush through it. You can see the paint flowing off the brush. You can see the pressure you are using or the lightness of touch. This cannot be conveyed in a still image. I could also see exactly what you were doing on the palette. This was all so helpful and has increased my confidence” (Louise Clarkson)
Yes, books are excellent for theory, and you’ll find these films are wonderful for real practice:
“I love your written guides. But seeing the procedures performed on television, I understood much more” (Scott Russell, Brampton, Canada)
“I was practically glued to the video from start to finish. Lots of tips and details. An excellent teaching medium” (Ivan Lieu)
These films make it far easier for you to understand and copy the skills you want to learn:
“They should teach like this in schools and universities – the world would look a whole lot brighter! (Saskia Lupini-Klute, Brussels, Belgium)
“It’s amazing how seeing something on video has actually given me a much better understanding of what I need to do. I’ve had so many problems with cracking and I’ve tried all kinds of things with gum Arabic and mixing to resolve it. But now, seeing it on video, I’ve just been laying it on far too thickly and I hadn’t understood how brush must actually move the paint around. Brilliant: can’t wait to have another go now” (Angela Townsend Watford, England)
Watch real projects
These films show you glass painting in the real world. There’s nothing make-believe or simplified. These are real projects which went through our studio. That’s why glass painters testify they are so very helpful to the work they do:
“I was at art college for many years and never learned as much about brush work as I’ve learned just from [The Diamond Lights]. I found the pacing and the recapping, covering different aspects of the process, so inspiring and motivating” (Daniel Grundy)
“These films are so well done and truly amazing to watch. What I found incredibly useful was the narrative explaining the thoughts and approach the glass painter has to the work – especially in relation to the tracing work (which always makes me feel really nervous)” (Anna Brostromer)
Informative, and also fascinating
They’re so useful, don’t be surprise how you’ll want to watch them again and again:
“I found them chock-full of fascinating suggestions, ideas, illustrations and procedures. One thing was obvious: that they need viewing several times, because there’s too much to be absorbed in just one viewing” (Jay Marsden, California, USA)
“I watch them over and over and see something new each time” (Jumelle Daniel)
Time and experience
There’s nothing in these films that you can’t learn on your own – I’m just offering you time and experience. You could spend your valuable days and evenings tinkering around with brushes, experimenting with different paints or media and eventually figuring it out. Or, you can spend a couple of hours with each one of these true-life movies and you’ll be off and running to a flying start.
“Fantastic in every way. I didn’t expect anything less from you but I wanted to tell you that the narration, music and editing are really superb. Timeless and elegant – just like your work. I imagine many people who think they can paint will just shut up and watch with an open-mouthed amazement as your brush dances across the glass. I know I did! I also loved the psychological commentary as to what was going on in the Glass Painter’s head at each stage – so true!” (J. Kenneth Leap)
The whole point is to give you access to our busy, true-life studio. Certainly you can come in person and we hope you will. But if that’s not practical right now, then you can watch and learn wherever you are:
“The explanation of tracing, firing and siver staining were excellent: really clear and easy to follow” (Andrew Douglas)
“Wonderful! I can’t wait to try the techniques” (Steve McKelvey, Indiana, USA)
Risk-free
You have our 60-day no risk guarantee. Be our guest and watch the films as often as you like. If you change your mind, just tell us within 60 days, and we’ll refund your money within 48 hours.
“These films are wonderful. I love the way you have set the stage for painting, the music you’ve chosen, the clear and concise commentary – the drama of it all is amazing. And ‘Performance’ (in more ways than one) perfectly describes what is taking place. It is great to be instructed in such an inspiring way. I look forward to watching them many more times” (Chris Bates-Brownsword)
Quick and easy
Choose a film and click the link to instantly grab your copy for just $9.99 – watch online as often as you want or download it to your computer.
“After watching these films, I’ve been truly inspired and successful in my painting endeavours. I now know where I was going wrong e.g. in loading my brush, how I kept my paint, and also how I restored it. I’ve been doing a lot glass painting this past week and, lo and behold, the kiln opens and – they have all worked! Yay! Buying your films was my best investment for a long time” (Maralyn O’Keefe)
“Oh, the ecstasy of having your films to work from. Oh, the agony of wondering just how much better my previous projects would have been had I known what I know now” (Barbara Bennett)
The Diamond Lights
Tracing, highlighting and silver staining
The Diamond Lights is a collection of four short films about tracing, highlighting and silver staining. The first film (64 minutes) explores the techniques in detail. The next three films (20 minutes each) revise key points and show you new ones.
Digital edition: watch online | download to your computer | 60-day money-back guarantee.
Trailer: click and watch (opens in a separate window).
Running time: 2 hours 4 minutes.
Also included: 35 PDF designs for you to use.
“This film is so informative, I will enjoy coming back time after time to study your brilliant techniques in depth” (Pam Bennett, Devon). The Diamond Lights – Digital Edition: $9.99 - buy now
The Heraldic Arms
How to paint a stained glass coat of arms
The Heraldic Arms shows you how to paint a stained glass coat of arms. Uses glass paint, oil, enamels, silver stain and multiple firings to build up line, shadow, texture and colour.
Digital Edition: watch online as often as you want | download to your computer.
Trailer: click and watch (opens in separate window).
Runs for: 1 hour 25 minutes.
Also included: comes with PDF design and transcript of spoken commentary. Naturally you have a 60-day money-back guarantee.
The Heraldic Arms is “Fascinating, well produced, thorough – and thoroughly engaging! A must see for anyone interested in glass painting” (Allison Bartlett): Digital Edition – $9.99 - buy now
The Master & the Beast
Learn how to do all your painting in just one firing
The Master & the Beast contains two step-by-step demonstrations of the single-firing method.
“Single-firing …” Wondering what that is?
It’s how you can do all your tracing, shading, flooding, highlighting, front and back, with glass paint and also oil / propylene glycol in just one firing.
Wondering why you’d want to do that? Answer is, it looks wonderful. It also saves you time and money.
Digital Edition: watch online | download to your computer.
Trailer: click and watch (opens in a separate window).
Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes.
Also included: comes with PDF designs plus transcript. Risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee. “Brilliant” (Bridget Saunders, London) “Great filming, and the dialogue adds such a full description of the whole process” (Hassan Al Saffar, Kuwait). The Master & the Beast – Digital Edition - $9.99: buy now
Your guarantee
We know these three documentaries are very good indeed so it’s fine by us if you watch them as often as you want. You always have a 60-day money-back guarantee: if you don’t find them useful, you can have your money back, no questions asked.
Best wishes,
The Williams & Byrne Stained Glass Studio
Church Farm Studios
Stanton Lacy
Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 2AE
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 1584 856724
E: here