Stained glass portrait

Well that's all the glass cut and bonded, so effectively the portrait is finished. All that remains is to grout and polish and we will be ready to hand him over. 

I know I keep harking on about the photograph not doing justice to the piece, but it really doesn't. Looking at him sitting across the room from me, with that wickedly cheeky glint in his eye, it is an absolutely stunning picture. When you consider that it is just made up from pieces of coloured glass, it's all the more remarkable. I hope you like him. 

Stained glass portrait

A bit more on the stained glass portrait today, concentrating on the second eye and nose. These are the features which bring the face to life, add depth to the picture, and if done right convey mood and personality. Very difficult to achieve using just bits of cut glass. 

The pieces once cut are placed on the check image in the correct orientation whilst the bonding agent is very carefully spread over the base glass. Each piece is then fitted in turn, being really careful not to get any bonding agent on the face of the glass (or your fingers for that matter). Once all are in place, very carefully manipulate them to achieve the desired look and hopefully expression, then each piece is properly bedded into the agent, checked again, then any excess agent is cleaned up. 

And there he is. Another day should do it. 

Stained glass portrait

Well as if by a miracle, a stool on wheels turned up and took the strain from my very high mileage knees; a big thanks to my wonderful long suffering wife, xxx. 

Another long "bonding" session and a bit more glass cutting and the wonderful portrait is really starting to take shape. I have made a few very subtle changes, and although hardly noticeable they do enhance the overall effect, in particular the expression, which captures the whole personality. 

Really pleased so far. 

Stained glass portrait

Time marches on, unlike my knees which are now locked solid; must acquire some kind of bar stool on wheels. After numerous attempts to get the first eye right, I think we just about have it. I had to change several of the pieces around it for slightly different shades to get the accents looking better. This is a theme which continues as the picture progresses and I can see another couple of pieces which will need changing as well. Coming on nicely though. 

Another day in the studio

After another day in the studio, I wasn't going to post an update because there doesn't appear to be much progress. So to cheer myself up I thought I would pop a couple of different new bits in. We have the most beautiful baroque glass, which consists of black, white and clear glass swirled together. It is perfect for the shirt and I have been looking forward to adding it to the portrait, but not to cutting it; it's a real nightmare. True to form, a long and unbelievably sharp edge sliced right through my thumb whilst manipulating it on the grinder. It's so sharp I didn't feel a thing, just wondered why the water was running red when it was actually black and white glass. 

Wasn't it worth it though, the shirt is absolutely perfect; really pleased. 

Continuing the stained glass portrait

Continuing with our portrait, a full day in the studio doesn't seem to have progressed very far, but there is a subtle change. As the picture was developing, one piece in particular was beginning to grate on me a bit. The large piece on the very crown was too white it was blurring the line between the hair and was too much of a contrast with the lower browns. Although it is very true to the original photograph, it was just a bit too much for the stained glass picture. 

So I spent a couple of hours cutting a new piece in a slightly darker glass. It hardly notices, but the subtle difference works much better, leaving a big smile on my face. The highlights on the head and cheek also work really well, but took an inordinate amount of time to cut; they are just a couple of millimetres wide in places. 

It's very rewarding to see a familiar face slowly begin to appear. Again my photo doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea. 

Stained glass course

Today we ran our second stained glass course of 2016, two lovely ladies keen to learn the ancient art of making stained glass windows. Our courses are designed to give the basic knowledge and hone the basic skills, building the confidence try more and more ambitious projects. 

Our two fantastic students worked tirelessly all day with great enthusiasm, producing their own very personal designs and making them to a very high standard indeed. Sadly we ran out of time and didn't get to polish them, but they still look awesome. Well done ladies.