DIY glass crafts - picture
Many objects are made of glass today, which very often break due to our negligence. Do not rush to throw a cracked vase, bottle or ceiling into the trash, because glass is a unique material that designers use for their compositions. In this article, you will learn what kind of glass crafts you can make.
— glass bottles different colors or broken glass;
- hammer;
- tweezers;
- goggles and gloves;
- toothpicks;
- brush;
- Photo Frame;
- White paint;
1) First you need to get a lot of broken fragments of different colors. To do this, you can use bottles of water, perfume, medicines, shades or other glass items. You can also take straight glass and use a glass cutter.
2) Before breaking the bottle, it must be wrapped in a dense cloth, placed on a flat surface and hit with a hammer. Be sure to use safety goggles and gloves to avoid injury from flying fragments.
3) Sift the glass through a sieve and use tweezers to select the most suitable fragments.
4) Draw a picture on a piece of paper. It could be a butterfly, a cityscape, flowers, or something else. If you don't know how to draw, print a template of any black and white drawing from the Internet.
6) Insert the finished sketch into the frame under the glass. Now you need to stick the beads and broken glass on the glass surface, in accordance with the contours of our drawing. Squeeze the glue onto the glass and start gluing. With a toothpick, you can pry off the beads, and with tweezers, broken glass.
7) After the whole picture has been transferred to the glass, take out the sheet with the picture. Paint the background of the frame with white paint.
8) Wait for the application on the glass and the glue on the frame to dry. Insert the glass into the frame. The picture is ready!
glass paintings can not only be done in a frame, but also on chipboard. Depending on the diameter of the glass fragments, you can create real masterpieces. Glass looks good in daylight, so the pictures will become original decoration your interior. DIY glass crafts can be done not only by adults, but also by schoolchildren in grades 5-8.
Among the various creative directions in recent times the top ten was supplemented by the composition of mosaic glass. Modern methods and materials make it possible to create mosaic canvases that are durable, colorful and practical. It is worth turning your attention to mosaic glass, with the help of which panels of varying complexity are created at home. As a result of an exciting creative process, a waterproof coating will be created that can be safely used for interior or exterior decoration.
Mosaic, as a form of creativity, has more than 6,000 years.
This fact is confirmed by fragments of the floor and walls found during excavations of Sumerian temples.
AT Ancient Greece the mosaic was laid out using river pebbles. Despite the meager color scheme, craftsmen created beautiful patterns on the floor of dwellings even from gray stones.
They had a special love for mosaic tiles in Ancient Rome. It was in this country that they began to willingly create bright pictures from broken glass, which were distinguished by strength, haze and multi-colored. The name of this mineral is smalt.
Description of mosaic glass
When the term “mosaic” is mentioned, many people imagine the beautiful stained glass windows of foreign cathedrals. But we hasten to immediately dissuade readers that the technique for creating stained-glass windows and colored glass mosaics differ significantly.
Colored mosaic glass can be of two types:
- glass modules;
- smalt.
The appearance of the smalt is disc-shaped. Immediately before the creative process, the disc is split into pieces. Smalt is used mostly by professionals to create high quality mosaics. It is not transparent, but rather, matte structure. Broken glass tile has quite a decorative and colorful look to blend in with. modern interior bathroom.
For those who are just joining this creativity, it is worth turning your attention to the modules. These are colored fragments glued onto a paper base or packaged in plastic containers. Fragments of glass can be of various geometric shapes and sizes. It is more convenient and safer to work with such modules.
Those who wish to make mosaic paintings with their own hands will need materials:
- glass cutters;
- liquid nails, PVA glue or transparent silicone;
- tile grout for joints;
- smalt or glass modules;
- marker, construction pencil.
A product made of broken glass should not cause injury, so it is worth using safety glasses and gloves throughout the entire creative process.
Broken glass mosaic technology
Do-it-yourself mosaic from glass modules. creative process begins with a visit to the store of finishing materials and preparation of the work surface.
The surface of the wall should be even, with no recesses or cracks on it. On the wall or other surface that is intended to be transformed, a pattern is applied with the division of sectors by color. Then the glass modules are separated from the adhesive base and they are fixed. You can glue modular tiles directly on the wall with the front side out, prudently leaving gaps. If the drawing requires glass is cut with pliers to the desired size. You can make a mosaic. But this will require experience with wire cutters.
After the drawing with the help of glass blocks is laid out, the surface is left for a day for the glue to dry. Then, according to the instructions, the tile grout for the joints is diluted and the space between the image fragments is carefully filled. After one day, wipe the mosaic with a damp cloth, and then dry. To give the picture a complete look, it is recommended to open the glass modules with varnish. This will increase the service life and give the picture a holistic look with a pleasant gloss.
Mosaic laying out technology - "reverse set"
There are several ways to create mosaic paintings. One of them is reverse dialing. In this case, mosaic glass is glued face down on sheets of paper. At the same time, glue is chosen with a weak fixation, for example, PVA. If paintings of considerable size are created, then there may be several such fragments on paper. The technique for creating a mosaic in this case has the following sequence:
- prepare the wall
- fragments, pre-numbered, are glued to the wall with silicone or liquid nails;
- after all sheets with modules are glued, they wait a day to dry;
- after moistening the sheets with water, wait and remove;
- prepare the grout mixture and fill the seams between the mosaic fragments;
- after 24 hours, they clean the surface of the grout, and give the picture a finished look.
What is remarkable about this technology is that fragments of the future image can be created in advance and in another place. And at the place of installation sheets with mosaic glass deliver on the eve of their fixation.
Mosaic glass in the interior
What can be made from glass?
Glass mosaic can decorate not only the smooth surfaces of the bathroom, an apron over working surface kitchen or a panel in the living room, this technique can also be used to decorate three-dimensional objects. Examples of this are flower containers, vases, floor lamps, mirrors, garden furniture, bathroom accessories, crafts, tiles, etc.
Broken glass crafts for a schoolchild or loved ones can be especially useful as a gift or a token of attention.
If you want to create a beautiful wall panel using the mosaic technique, then For this you need to prepare the following materials:
- glass modules or smalt;
- the basis for the mosaic (glass, plywood, drywall, etc.);
- transparent silicone;
- glass cutters;
- glass cutter;
- sketch;
- tile grout;
- protective gloves and goggles;
- rag.
As the basis for the mosaic, it is better to choose glass. This is convenient if you use a finished image of real size, which is placed under it and slowly lay out the drawing, exactly following the contour and color of the original. It is recommended to glue colored tiles with transparent silicone; for the convenience of applying the glue, they are filled with a syringe. On the perimeter of the picture spread frosted glass or dark color in the form of a frame. Dried work is treated with grout, wiped with rags and varnished.
Mosaic from stained glass also looks original, but its creation technology has some features.
What can be made from broken glass?
Experienced mosaic masters can use not only colored glass as a material. Fragments of tiles, colored pebbles, shells, eggshell, bead, broken glass, etc. DIY glass mosaic, laid out around the perimeter of the photo frame, will attract the eyes of all loved ones.
You can make a mosaic of glass with your own hands on the wall, on the basis of raw plaster, smeared with glue. Fragments of the mosaic, previously pasted on sheets of paper, are simply pressed into the wall. After the solution has set, the paper is removed with a damp sponge. To seal the seams, gypsum or tile grout is used. To give more expressiveness to the picture, you can add the color of the desired color to the grout mass.
If there is no desire or opportunity to purchase ready-made glass fragments for mosaics, they recommended to do it yourself. To do this, armed with a glass cutter, prepare pieces of the required size and shape (triangular, square, rectangular, in the form of a rhombus). The glass should be about 3 mm thick. It is best to paint white glass modules with spray paint.
For convenience, transparent glasses are recommended to be glued to the PVA film and spray paint on top. This method will allow you to get a high-quality painted front surface. When the paint is dry, the modules can be separated from the film and laid out on color scheme. Oil-based and alcohol-based paints are suitable for staining glass.
By the way, as an idea for a drawing, you can use simple embroidery patterns for needlewomen.
2. Twenty years ago, Alexandria was created as a stained glass studio, and I have already talked about how this technique is used here. When creating stained-glass windows, a variety of glass is used - from transparent to dense. Over time, quite a lot of remnants of dense, opaque glass accumulated, and the studio decided to try to put them into action - to start laying out the mosaic. Six years have passed since that moment, and now the mosaic can be safely called the second main specialization of the studio. For such important work, craftsmen were trained and workshops were equipped.
3. In one of these workshops - a spacious room with high ceilings - I saw how the mosaic was assembled. The light pouring from the high windows illuminated the huge tables on which were laid out paintings of varying degrees of readiness. At the edges of each table, among the scattered pieces of glass, were all kinds of tools: pliers, intricately shaped wire cutters, glass cutters, knives and markers. Masters were working on two mosaics, bending over.
6. There were high racks with bathtubs near the walls, in each of which there were ready-made modules - small rectangular pieces of glass. A narrow staircase pressed against the wall led to a small balcony. With each step, pieces of glass creaked and crunched underfoot - the craftsmen, in order not to break away from work, threw the pieces right on the floor.
10. At first glance, the mosaic did not differ much from the stained-glass window - the same pieces of glass that need to be cut out and fit into the picture. But if you look closely, a whole sea of differences opens up. “Everything starts with cardboard – a drawing of a future mosaic. Only if he comes to the stained-glass window with marked colors - here it will be yellow, here it will be blue, then we just see common lines and a sketch, ”one of the masters Andrey told me.
12. Today, the mosaic is laid out in two main ways. With one, glass is cut exactly to the size of some area - a flower petal or a dragonfly wing - akin to a Florentine mosaic. With another, closer to the Roman mosaic, the picture is assembled from small rectangular pieces. “I don’t like cutting glass – you immediately depend on the colors that are on the finished sheet. Smalt is closer to painting - each module is like a brush stroke. And here we have much more freedom - we are our own artists. Suppose I decide that the hair on the mosaic should be golden - and I make them golden.
16. But this is far from the only difference between mosaic and stained glass. The work here is much thinner - sometimes you have to lay out modules a little larger than an eyelash. And they still need to be cut out of glass and, if necessary, sanded. It is necessary to adjust the modules to each other tightly, with the smallest gaps. It is not for nothing that the masters call such work jewelry.
19. If necessary, the module can be ground on a special machine
20. “We usually lay out modules starting with a specific element. Here, for example, a berry, - and Andrei showed me a sketch of a new mosaic and began to run his finger around an angular stylized berry, - I will lay it out at the beginning, then a row around it, then another row. But sometimes it happens differently - look how Andryukha works, - and Andrey nodded towards another master who worked on the mosaic icon of St. Nicholas, - he first laid out the face and brushes, fixed them and inserted them into a common panel. And now he is building everything else around them.”
23. Most of the mosaicists in the workshop have an art education, but Andrey answered my question about how he started doing mosaics with a smirk: “I came here to work in the garage, I have no art education. I come, and they ask me: “Have you ever laid out a mosaic?” Well, I answered no. Nothing, they say, we will teach. So they taught me that I have been working here for the sixth year.”
24. The modules are laid out on a mounting film - a self-adhesive sheet that holds the pieces of glass in place. When the whole picture is assembled, an arakal is glued on top of it, another self-adhesive sheet. After that, the mosaic is turned over and the mounting film is removed, and in its place they put the base - a special fabric, on which the mosaic elements connected with the arakal are finally glued. When the modules are firmly fixed on the base, the arakal, which has become unnecessary, is removed.27. Such cunning manipulations are done so that the artist, when typing, sees the front part of the mosaic - the way it will become after mounting on the base. True, there is also the so-called reverse set, when the mosaic is assembled in a mirror image right on the arakal. Only glass for mosaics is a whimsical thing: often one side can differ dramatically from the other in pattern and color, and it will be very difficult to predict how the mosaic will look like in the end, when you set it back. “And after that, the most interesting thing begins - rubbing the seams. The grout is selected according to the color of the modules and, if necessary, the desired color is mixed. But after that, the work may change beyond recognition: some areas will brighten, others will darken, and some colors may merge. And nothing can be done about it - it remains only to imagine every time what will happen in the end.
28. The work went on as usual - small pieces of glass, one after another, lay on the table, folding into future picture. I finished shooting, looked at the work of the mosaicists for a while, and then left the workshop. Before leaving, I looked into the office of the studio and met Layla there. We talked - about art, about photography, about internal affairs studios. “You can get tired of any work, even creative work. Any artist can get exhausted, and then he needs a break. If we see that a person has fallen into a stupor, then we try to give him some other job - to sort out the samples, to go somewhere.
29. At the end of the conversation, Leila took out a large black box with glass samples from under the table: “Now I’ll show you what ... if you don’t like them, then you have nothing sacred.” With these words, she threw back the cardboard cover, and even rows of thin plates appeared before my eyes. With burning eyes, Leila began to sort through them, and soon took out one glass: inside a thin transparent square, bizarre multi-colored stains were spreading. In the thickness of the next square, a colony of mold seemed to have grown, and airy white feathers pierced another sample. “When everything is already tired and there is no strength, then this is what helps not to give up and move on.” And in these words, feelings were much deeper than simple devotion to the profession.
The modern art of decorating homes is mastering new styles, techniques and materials. Not so long ago, another interesting direction appeared - a picture on glass. It has already become popular in the USA, many European countries, and gradually came to Russia. If you would like to learn more about decorating walls on a glass surface, including those made by yourself, then this article is for you.
What are glass paintings?
To have such a decorative element in your home, you can go different ways. The simplest and most hassle-free is to purchase a reproduction printed on a special anti-reflective glass base. The image can be the creation of your favorite artist, family photo, etc. Such a picture on glass can decorate the living room, study, bedroom and any other room of your choice. Often similar decorative elements used in offices.
Another option is to craft. But this requires the appropriate materials and some hand-made skills. However, if there is inspiration and desire learn, you can always use a variety of master classes. Further, the article will describe how a picture is made on glass, including with the help of paints and beads.
How to paint glass at home?
For work you will need:
- glass on which you will draw;
- oily or (on a transparent surface they look prettier and most tender);
- palette (if you have paints in tubes);
- brushes of different sizes;
- a jar of alcohol;
- a cup of water;
- dry rag.
Alcohol and rags are needed to clean and degrease the glass surface, water is needed to wash the brushes before changing the color. Most best brushes- from a squirrel's tail.
With the help of these simple devices, a picture is drawn on the glass. With your own hands, you can make it in 2-4 days, depending on the complexity of the work.
If you have the skills of an artist, then you can do this job much faster. Alternatively, you can put a template previously drawn on paper under the glass and trace its contours, drawing a brush over a transparent surface. At the end of the work, it is not recommended to dry it with a hair dryer, as air flow can dislodge paint particles.
In a similar way, you can paint not only a flat surface, but also a three-dimensional one (a vase, a bowl and another vessel). In this case, the paper template is inserted inside the product.
How to make a beaded appliqué on glass?
One more interesting option- an image lined with beads. Such work can be more time consuming than drawing, but the result will not disappoint. A picture of beads on glass can turn out to be very original and eye-catching. For work you will need:
- glass base;
- sample;
- beads of different colors and shades (depending on the complexity of the pattern);
- glue (for example, PVA);
- dry and wide brush;
- toothpicks or matches.
As a basis, you can use a regular photo frame. Mosaic in progress different ways. You can carefully pour the beads on a surface pre-lubricated with glue, and then distribute it with a match or toothpick. The remaining beads are cleaned with a dry brush. Another option - painstakingly laying out one bead at a time - can be used on narrow and small forms. The optimal approach can be called a mixed technique, which uses the two methods described above.
What is a modular painting?
A special kind of objects used for wall decor is an image that is divided into parts of different sizes. They are called modules and, when combined together, form a single composition. It can be both plot and simple geometric pattern on glass. Modular - that's what it's called.
The number of composition elements is not limited by strict rules: there can be three (triptych), four (polyptych), five or more (multi-panel). Modules are usually rectangular (located vertically) or square.
This is one of the varieties of how you can decorate a room. It is important to remember this nuance: the picture on the glass (modular) must be combined with environment in style and color scheme. In production to order Modular pictures are printed not only on glass, but also on a number of other materials, such as canvas, fabric, etc.
Details and accessories are an integral and very important part of any tastefully designed interior. Painting on glass is an original and modern interior decoration, as well as great gift for almost any occasion.
A real mosaic is a picture laid out from tens, hundreds and even thousands of tiny pieces.
You will now see how such paintings are created - this is a real work of art.
It requires perseverance, attentiveness and a desire to create.
When creating stained-glass windows, a variety of glass is used - from transparent to dense. Over time, quite a lot of remnants of dense, opaque glass accumulated, and the studio decided to try to put them into action - to start laying out the mosaic. Six years have passed since that moment, and now the mosaic can be safely called the second main specialization of the studio. For such important work, craftsmen were trained and workshops were equipped.
In one of these workshops, a spacious room with high ceilings, mosaics are assembled.
The light pouring from the high windows illuminated the huge tables on which were laid out paintings of varying degrees of readiness. At the edges of each table, among the scattered pieces of glass, were all kinds of tools: pliers, intricately shaped wire cutters, glass cutters, knives and markers. Masters were working on two mosaics, bending over.
The walls were lined with high shelving with bathtubs, each of which contained ready-made modules - small rectangular pieces of glass. A narrow staircase pressed against the wall led to a small balcony. With each step, pieces of glass creaked and crunched underfoot - the craftsmen, in order not to break away from work, threw the pieces right on the floor.
At first glance, the mosaic did not differ much from the stained glass window - the same pieces of glass that need to be cut out and fit into the picture. But if you look closely, a whole sea of differences opens up. “Everything starts with cardboard – a drawing of a future mosaic. Only if he comes to stained glass with marked colors - here it will be yellow, here - blue, then we just see common lines and a sketch.
Today, the mosaic is laid out in two main ways. With one, glass is cut exactly to the size of some area - a flower petal or a dragonfly wing - akin to a Florentine mosaic. With another, closer to the Roman mosaic, the picture is assembled from small rectangular pieces. “I don’t like cutting glass – you immediately depend on the colors that are on the finished sheet. Smalt is closer to painting - each module is like a brush stroke. And here we have much more freedom - we are our own artists. Suppose I decide that the hair on the mosaic should be golden - and I make them golden.
But this is far from the only difference between mosaic and stained glass. The work here is much thinner - sometimes you have to lay out modules a little larger than an eyelash. And they still need to be cut out of glass and, if necessary, sanded. It is necessary to adjust the modules to each other tightly, with the smallest gaps. It is not for nothing that the masters call such work jewelry.
If necessary, the module can be ground on a special machine
“We usually lay out modules, starting with a specific element. Here, for example, a berry, - and Andrei showed me a sketch of a new mosaic and began to run his finger around an angular stylized berry, - I will lay it out at the beginning, then a row around it, then another row. But sometimes it happens differently - look how Andryukha works, - and Andrey nodded towards another master who worked on the mosaic icon of St. Nicholas, - he first laid out the face and brushes, fixed them and inserted them into a common panel. And now he is building everything else around them.”
Most of the mosaicists in the workshop have an art education, but when I asked him how he started doing mosaics, Andrei answered with a grin: “I came here to work in the garage, I have no art education. I come, and they ask me: “Have you ever laid out a mosaic?” Well, I answered no. Nothing, they say, we will teach. So they taught me that I have been working here for the sixth year.”
The modules are laid out on a mounting film - a self-adhesive sheet that holds the pieces of glass in place. When the whole picture is assembled, an arakal is glued on top of it, another self-adhesive sheet. After that, the mosaic is turned over and the mounting film is removed, and in its place they put the base - a special fabric, on which the mosaic elements connected with the arakal are finally glued. When the modules are firmly fixed on the base, the arakal, which has become unnecessary, is removed.
Mosaic based on the painting by Gustav Klimt "Water Snakes". Andrey worked non-stop on this mosaic for three months
Such cunning manipulations are done so that the artist, when typing, sees the front part of the mosaic - the way it will become after mounting on the base. True, there is also the so-called reverse set, when the mosaic is assembled in a mirror image right on the arakal. But glass for mosaics is a whimsical thing: often one side can be strikingly different from the other in pattern and color, and you can predict it. It will be very difficult to predict how the mosaic will look like in the end, with the reverse set.
“And after that, the most interesting thing begins - rubbing the seams. The grout is selected according to the color of the modules and, if necessary, the desired color is mixed. But after that, the work may change beyond recognition: some areas will brighten, others will darken, and some colors may merge. And nothing can be done about it - it remains only to imagine every time what will happen in the end.
The work went on as usual - small pieces of glass, one after another, lay on the table, folding into a future picture. I finished shooting, looked at the work of the mosaicists for a while, and then left the workshop. Before leaving, I looked into the office of the studio and met Layla there. We started talking - about art, about photography, about the internal affairs of the studio. “You can get tired of any work, even creative work. Any artist can get exhausted, and then he needs a break. If we see that a person has fallen into a stupor, then we try to give him some other job - to sort out the samples, to go somewhere.
At the end of the conversation, Leila took out a large black box with glass samples from under the table: “Now I’ll show you what ... if you don’t like them, then you have nothing sacred.” With these words, she threw back the cardboard cover, and even rows of thin plates appeared before my eyes. With burning eyes, Leila began to sort through them, and soon took out one glass: inside a thin transparent square, bizarre multi-colored stains were spreading. In the thickness of the next square, a colony of mold seemed to have grown, and airy white feathers pierced another sample.
“When everything is already tired and there is no strength, then this is what helps not to give up and move on.” And in these words, feelings were much deeper than simple devotion to the profession.
