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Designing for Stained Glass - Part Two

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There is so much more to say about designing for stained glass. Although I've had to shift my attention to work related matters the last few weeks, design ideas keep coming to me! I don't know when I'll have time to draw them all up but the surge of creativity is great!

In this second part, I want to discuss more about how to translate your ideas into a workable project. I have an example of this process from a working stained glass artist that I think will be helpful too.

Designing From a Reference

Using a pictorial reference is a good way to begin making your own designs. References can come from a variety of sources - photos, sketches, and exhibits. Some artists use clip files from magazine and other sources for reference and inspiration. Please don't let any worry about your drawing ability keep you from doing this. You DO NOT have to draw well to do this!

A reference photo is also helpful when you want to translate a special subject into a stained glass project. An example of this is this commission project by Burt Conlisk of Studio B Stained Glass. His client wanted a panel depicting White Shoals Lighthouse near Mackinaw City, Michigan. From the client's 3 x 5 photo, Burt scaled up the drawing through the use of successive photocopies. During that process he translated the object lines into a cartoon.

A cartoon is the blueprint for a work of stained glass containing all cut lines. The cartoon can be used to make the pattern pieces for cutting the glass and for a base map over which the project can be assembled.

As with any art, there are a variety of techniques to do these processes. Different artists prefer different techniques. Burt, for example, has developed his own process using a special type of self-stick paper he calls Presstick. Other artists use kraft paper patterns stuck onto the glass with special double stick tape or sticky wax. Some artists cut out the glass over the cartoon piece on top of a light table so they can position the glass texture for the effect they want in that particular piece. I've tried the kraft paper, but I learned with the Presstick, and so far I like it the best.

There are a variety of ways to scale up a drawing into a larger size. If you don't have access to a copy machine that enlarges you can use one of these:

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