Stained glass windows have been making people admire their indescribable beauty for many centuries. Despite the fact that the origins of this type of art are hidden in the depths of centuries, even today it has not lost any of its relevance and relevance. This is quite logically explained by the fact that such decor, when beautifully and carefully executed, can bring not only comfort and homely warmth to any room, but also a special originality of interior design.

Even a novice craftsman can create stained glass on glass with his own hands, provided, of course, that he chooses a technique that is available for execution, of which there are quite a lot in stained glass art. Nowadays, in specialized stores and art salons you can find everything you need to make stained glass paintings using modern simplified techniques, which are much easier to perform, unlike classical technology. This became possible thanks to modern developments and special materials that can very reliably imitate the “classics”.

A variety of stained glass styles and techniques accumulated gradually, taking into account the secrets of old masters and new established practices. Many are still used today, and they definitely need to be considered before deciding which option is best suited not only in terms of design, but also in terms of the complexity of the technological process itself.

What are the types of stained glass according to technique and style?

To make stained glass, you can choose designs in various styles, both “covered with noble antiquity” and ultra-modern. Compositions in Gothic, Ancient Egyptian, and Indian styles do not lose popularity. Abstract, Art Nouveau, Art Deco styles, and others corresponding to different eras and cultures, art movements find their supporters.

Each of the existing styles is capable of displaying the commitment of the owner of an apartment or house to a particular era with its plot, shapes and color scheme. All stained glass styles have their own requirements and canons that must be observed when performing them.

For a long time, the ideal option was considered to be a style with classic designs, where the choice of subjects and materials was limited. In connection with the development of art and the advent of new techniques, the possibilities for making stained glass have expanded significantly. Therefore, instead of the calm plots of the classics, expressive colors and drawings of modernity and abstraction began to be used more and more actively.

Quite often, masters in their works use several styles and techniques that can revive and complement each other, which helps to organically fit stained glass into the overall decor of the house.

Sometimes a stained glass window for a separate room is chosen as setting the style for the entire interior, while the rest of the room’s objects are only its addition and frame. Thus, the stained glass picture becomes the center of the interior.

If the plans of the residents of the house include decorating rooms in different styles, then stained glass windows can combine them into one composition. Glass paintings that decorate windows can create an amazing special color and light atmosphere that will change depending on the intensity of natural light. In addition, false windows with artificial lighting, which are often installed in bathrooms or on staircase landings, can also be decorated with stained glass.

However, before choosing a stained glass style, you need to decide on the technique in which it will be made.

Stained glass techniques

As mentioned above, there are many techniques for making stained glass, but several of them can be called basic:

Classical technique

The classical technique of stained glass has been known since the Middle Ages. The paintings made from it consist of glass fragments of different shades and installed in metal frames.

In terms of manufacturing, this option can be called the most difficult, and is usually trusted to be completed only by experienced professional craftsmen. To make such a picture, you will need a large number of different tools designed for cutting and processing glass, welding or welding metal frames, as well as a well-lit, spacious, separate workplace. All this is worth purchasing and equipping only if you plan to practice this art professionally, since a special tool is not cheap. And, to be honest, work skills are also required at a very high level.

English or film technique

The film or English technique consists of applying a special self-adhesive film of various colors to the glass, according to a pre-prepared pattern.

Stained glass made using film technique

Each of the fragments in such a stained glass window, after gluing them, is framed with lead tape. If the glass with this stained glass window is installed in an interior door, then lead tape is glued to both sides. Lead tape does not require soldering; its cut ends are laid overlapping each other and rolled with a roller.

The advantage of film technology is that all work is carried out on solid glass, which does not require cutting into individual fragments and their complex processing.

In addition, stained glass using the English technique can be made much faster than the classic one, and even a novice craftsman can make it on his own with a careful approach.

"Fusing"

“Fusing” cannot be called a new technique for making stained glass paintings, since it has been used since glass began to be produced, having, of course, undergone significant improvements over time.

Very beautiful and original stained glass windows made using fusing technology

The name of the technique “fusing” comes from the English word “fusion”, which translates as mixing or alloy. This is exactly the process that happens to glass during the manufacture of stained glass using this method. It will not be possible to make stained glass using this technique at home, since its production requires special equipment for melting glass, which can only be achieved at very high temperatures.

Stained glass made using this method has no seams and does not require the use of metal frames.

The process of creating a stained glass picture occurs as follows:

On transparent glass of the required size, laid on a prepared sheet with a pattern, a mosaic of pieces of colored glass is laid out on a special glue.

The fusing technology consists of gradually heating the mosaic and simmering it at a temperature of 800 degrees - this is precisely the level necessary for melting and sintering individual pieces of glass together. Melting occurs under strict control, since the moment when the product is ready cannot be missed, otherwise the process of changing the structure of the material will begin - devitrification, in which the glass crystallizes.

When the structure of the stained glass window becomes homogeneous, the stained glass window must be cooled.

Then another annealing is carried out, that is, the glass is heated and then cooled.

“Fusing” includes not only melting and sintering, but also glass processing techniques during these processes. In addition, if the desired result is not achieved, then postforming is performed, which consists of another heating and giving the stained glass a convex or curved shape.

At the end of the work, you get a glass picture, made of glass of different shades, securely and hermetically sealed together. This technique is used to make stained glass windows made in various styles, as it gives almost unlimited possibilities in creating paintings of any subject.

"Tiffany"

The Tiffany stained glass technique is carried out in a way somewhat similar to the classical one. In order to make a picture using this technique, a life-size template drawing is prepared in two copies, one of which is cut into separate fragments, from which pieces of glass of different colors will be cut.

In many ways, the Tiffany technique repeats the “classics”

The edges of the glass pieces are processed and ground smooth. Then, each of the stained glass elements is edged with copper tape, the ends of which are soldered together. The next step is to connect the framed fragments together according to the pattern using tin soldering carried out with a powerful soldering iron.

Unlike the classical one, the Tiffany technique uses only copper tape, which is much more flexible and stable than a lead profile and is more easily amenable to a given deformation, with subsequent retention of shape, which allows it to border even small parts of a stained glass window. Thanks to this, the Tiffany technique is used not only for stained glass windows, but also for the manufacture of many different interior elements, for example, lampshades for table lamps and chandeliers.

Table lamp shade made using the Tiffany technique

All parts “clad” in a copper frame, after soldering the ends of the profile, are rolled with a roller before joining into the overall composition, during which the tape compresses the glass fragment.

Sandblasting technology

Sandblasting stained-glass windows are made using special equipment that supplies a stream of air with sand under high pressure.

Creating superimposed paintings using this technique is done as follows:

A transparent sheet of glass is prepared, onto the surface of which a design stencil is applied and secured.

Open areas of the stencil are treated with sand supplied by a thin stream under high pressure. As a result of such exposure, the surface loses its transparency and becomes matte.

After completion of the work, the stencil is removed from the glass, and an exquisite airy pattern remains on the surface.

This type of stained glass does not require the installation of frames and complex shaped glass cutting, as well as gluing film. But, as already mentioned, a prerequisite is the presence of special equipment. If desired, of course, you can replace the stream of sand with sandpaper, but in this case you will have to make a stencil from thin metal, since cardboard is a fragile material, it will begin to wear out and will not allow you to reproduce the exact design. In addition, manual work will take a lot of time, and the quality and depth of drawing will still not be the same.

Casting technique

This infrequently used stained glass technique can be called one of the most complex, since each of the mosaic fragments is blown or cast from colored glass by hand. In the process of such piece-by-piece manufacturing, glass fragments are given a special designed texture, which contributes to certain optical effects, the play of refraction of light rays, which creates the effect of pronounced volume. The fragments are then assembled into a single picture using mortars and metal reinforcement.

Stained glass made using cast technique

Making stained glass using this technique at home is very problematic, since it requires, in addition to equipment, very specific technological skills in glass processing. As a rule, such stained glass windows are original works of art, and are practically not used in private house-building practice.

Etching technique

The technique of creating a relief pattern on a glass by etching involves the use of hydrofluoric acid, which has the ability to have a destructive effect on the main component of the glass mass - silicon dioxide.

When acid is applied to glass, its layers begin to break down. In order for the substance to melt only those areas of the glass sheet that are needed, a stencil made of acid-resistant material is applied. Stencils allow you to create clear single-layer or multi-layer designs on a glass surface, with pronounced relief of varying depths. The more layers there are in the relief, the more voluminous it is. In this case, the acid is applied to different parts of the picture as many times as the number of layers suggested by the selected pattern. Single-layer stained glass is done in one step, and in this case, applying acid simply clouds the glass, making it dull and rough.

It’s not worth taking on such work on your own without practice. Working with such a strong acid requires extreme caution, as it can easily damage the skin or mucous membranes. All operations are carried out in special protective equipment, in a well-ventilated non-residential area, equipped accordingly.

Painted stained glass

The good thing about the painted stained glass technique is that it can imitate any other method of making a glass mosaic picture.

The process of working on it includes several stages:

Making a design and preparing glass of the required size.

The glass is placed on the table on top of the stained glass pattern laid out.

According to the drawing, an outline is applied to the glass using paint of the selected shade. Black is usually the color chosen as it makes the elements of the design stand out perfectly. After completing this stage, the paint should be allowed to dry thoroughly.

The outlined fragments of stained glass are painted with stained glass paints.

How to create a stained glass picture yourself using this technique will be shown below in the instruction table. In the meantime, we can say that this is one of the most accessible technologies at home, and it is even fashionable to involve a child in the production of such paintings - he will be very interested. And the costs, compared to all other techniques, are minimal.

Contour pouring technique

The poured technique, just like the painted technique, can imitate any method of making stained glass, and with its help you can create a picture in a wide variety of styles. This technology is also great for beginners who have decided to decorate their home with stained glass. In order to reproduce any image on glass, it is necessary to prepare a drawing and stained glass paints, which are usually produced in tubes with a special spout - for ease of application and distribution of the composition over the surface.

Pattern made using contour filling technique

The first thing to do is to transfer the outline of the drawing onto the glass using the tracing method. Before carrying out the following work, you must wait until the contour paint has completely dried.

After this, the space inside the outline is filled with paint of the desired color. If necessary, it is distributed using a brush. The paint is poured in a fairly thick, even layer of 1÷1.5 mm, and as it dries it should give a smooth surface without artistic strokes. If, according to the drawing, individual fragments of the stained glass window need to be given volume with the help of color, then it is necessary to prepare in advance paint of different shades, which is poured onto the glass, according to the sample drawing.

It should be noted that there are other techniques for making stained glass. Many of them include two or even more basic technologies, so they can be safely called combined. For example, to simplify the painted or poured method, colored film is used instead of paints. That is, first, according to the design, a film is glued to the glass, leaving a gap of 3–5 mm between the fragments. Then this gap is filled with black stained glass paint, which creates the edging of individual fragments of the overall mosaic.

Stained glass styles

Stained glass windows can be made in various styles, but when choosing a design based on this criterion, you should, of course, rely on the design of the entire interior in order to create a harmonious combination of all elements.

Stained glass styles can have many subtypes, and because of this, it is sometimes quite difficult to determine the most correct classification of the design. In this case, it is recommended to rely on image features, color scheme and canonical characteristics.

Antique style

The basis of the ancient style is the ancient Greek and Roman origins. The uniqueness and harmony of the elements of these trends have not lost popularity in our time, and, in addition, many details of later styles were borrowed from antiquity.

Stained glass windows made in this style usually consist of numerous fragments, and can be made using any of the techniques described above. If you decide to adhere to a certain direction, then an important condition is compliance with the characteristic features inherent in this particular style:

The drawing should resemble an antique mosaic containing Greek ornamental elements - these are drawings of amphoras, nymphs, columns, landscapes with architectural structures that have details characteristic of buildings of that time - colonnades, porticoes, triangular pediments, etc.

Quite often, when making stained glass windows of this style, mixed techniques are used, using not only glass fragments, but also film, ceramics, metal and mother-of-pearl.

Antique motifs are used in stained glass windows installed as false windows in the bathroom, when decorating the glass of interior doors, and, of course, for window openings with natural lighting.

Ancient Egyptian style

This interior and stained glass style has never gone out of fashion since Napoleon introduced it into European culture after his campaign in Egypt. Stained glass in the ancient Egyptian style has not undergone any significant changes since that time, maintaining the geometry of the pattern and warm colors.

The colors characteristic of the ancient Egyptian style are warm ocher, sand, coral, orange and yellow shades, which go well with brown, rich ultramarine blue, cobalt, khaki and grass green, especially when they have a black frame.

This style uses traditional ancient Egyptian ornaments, scenes from the life of the pharaohs, images of sacred animals, as well as famous hieroglyphs.

For stained glass in this direction, poured, Tiffany, fusing, film, and also classical techniques are suitable.

The Egyptian style of stained glass is usually used to decorate bathrooms, balconies or kitchens, and quite rarely for living rooms or bedrooms, due to the oversaturation of details.

Gothic style

The Gothic style arose in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, and actively developed in the XII ÷ XV centuries. Over time, it became more complex, enriched with various elements and shades.

"Cold" Gothic style

In the initial stage of the emergence of the style, stained glass windows depicted mainly paintings with religious motifs, and later figures of symbolic animals, knightly tournaments, and hunting scenes began to appear.

Gothic stained glass comes in deep, rich hues such as dark green, burgundy, ultramarine, magenta, violet and black.

Fragments of the painting are framed in gold, patina or blackened copper, everything that can emphasize that this element of the interior belongs to Gothic motifs.

The most optimal techniques for making stained glass in the Gothic style are poured, painted, Tiffany, classic, film, and combined.

It must be said that for an ordinary apartment this style of interior design will be gloomy and will not bring comfort and warmth to the house, since it can rather be attributed to a cold, monumental movement in art. The Gothic style is more suitable for large reception halls and the high ceilings of Catholic churches.

Indian style

Indian stained glass originated many centuries ago as a decoration for window openings in wealthy Indian homes. Later, like many other styles, it was enriched and somewhat diluted with subjects and motifs from other countries, but on the whole it retained its originality.

Indian style is distinguished by bright colors that lift the mood - these are orange-red, bright yellow and green, light blue and other shades that seem to be illuminated by the sun from outside. Stained glass may contain a large amount of gilding.

Indian stained glass windows include images of deities against the backdrop of water and lush plant or mountain landscapes. The most popular element of Indian floral patterns is the so-called paisley - “paisley”, which is present in almost any picture of this style.

Classic designs in Indian style - paisley or, otherwise, “paisley”

To create this stained glass window, the classic Tiffany technique is used, painting and pouring.

Art Nouveau style

Art Nouveau firmly came into fashion after an art exhibition held in Paris in 1900, and has probably forever established itself among the most popular styles, both in art and in architectural design.

The main idea of ​​this style is the primacy of form, that is, the postulate “form is more important than content” is taken as a basis.

Art Nouveau style is characterized by smooth lines, lightness, sophistication and sophistication. This could be a marine or floral theme, as well as a light romantic theme.

Stained glass windows made in the Art Nouveau style often have forged gratings entwined with dense green vegetation interspersed with flowers, or flowerpots with bouquets of unusual shapes installed in them.

Stained glass windows of this style are made in pastel, soothing colors, and therefore fit perfectly into any interior design, becoming its center and creating an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in the room.

Stained glass can be made using Tiffany, pouring, film or painting techniques.

Art Deco style

Over time, complex intricate interweavings of plants, forged trellises, various scenes from the life of knights and religious themes were replaced by simpler forms of modern styles. One of them, which many people liked, is the art deco style.

This trend appeared in the 20s of the last century, and was especially popular until the 60s. Today, the art deco style is also quite often used in the design of modern apartments and houses.

The designs of this stained glass style are distinguished by the symmetry of the arrangement of elements, clear lines and pure colors, perfectly matched to each other, as well as a repeating pattern.

The Art Deco style is performed using any of the techniques described above, since the design usually consists of large fragments that can be cut out of glass or film, and also etched with a special acid or filled with paint.

Stained glass in abstract style

Abstractionism, as a recognized style, appeared in 1910, after the watercolors of French artists presented at the exhibition. Over time, it entered European fashion, and it began to be used for the manufacture of various elements for interior decoration, including stained glass.

The abstract style can be chosen for various interior solutions, as it combines several areas of stained glass art.

Abstract art is distinguished by the large number of regular and irregularly shaped fragments, brightness and richness of colors, which give expression to the entire room where the artistic panel is located.

Stained glass in an abstract style is made using painting, fusing, film and pouring techniques.

Having chosen a technique suitable for execution, it is quite possible to make a stained glass window of this style yourself - there are simply no limits to imagination here.

Children's stained glass

The most interesting and touching is the children's stained glass style. The variety of themes and motifs of children's motives gives great scope for the imagination of parents, and it is quite possible to involve children in the process of sketch preparation. Most often, such stained glass windows depict characters from favorite fairy tales and cartoons, as well as stylized animals.

Children's stained glass should have clear shapes so that the child can immediately see what is depicted on it. You need to think through the drawing so that it consists of smooth lines that can make the picture soft and calm, but at the same time bright, attracting attention.

Stained glass can be placed on a clock or a mirror built into a closet, but you should not place it on a window, especially if the apartment is located above the first floor. A window is a high-danger zone, and a child will even unconsciously be drawn to a beautiful bright image.

In addition, for safety reasons, you need to carefully consider the technique of painting. It should not consist of separate pieces of glass, even if they are very well fastened together. Sharp relief protrusions must be completely eliminated.

The picture should not be boring and uninteresting. For children's stained glass, film, poured and painted techniques are well suited, and even better if the picture is applied to safe synthetic glass.

Making stained glass with your own hands

The simplest of all the techniques for making stained glass at home, which are accessible to beginners, are painted and film. It is these techniques that will be discussed in more detail.

Creating a stained glass window using glass painting technique

Illustration
	The first step is to take measurements of the glass on which the stained glass will be applied. Based on these dimensions, you need to choose the finished drawing you like or, if you have enough experience, do it yourself. If the finished drawing is taken from the Internet, then it is printed on ordinary A-4 sheets in any graphics editor, using the multi-page printing function (for example, the Publisher application included in the MS Office package is great for this). Then the fragments are joined and glued along the lines using tape to recreate a single pattern.
	In this case, the drawing is done independently, by hand. At the same time, it is important to ensure that each of its details is well highlighted and the boundaries are drawn.
	Glass is placed perfectly evenly on the finished sketch, onto which the entire drawing will be transferred. Glass must be thoroughly degreased using alcohol or ammonia solutions.
	After cleaning the glass surface, the applied compounds are thoroughly wiped, since the “working area” should not only be free of greasy stains, but also be absolutely dry.
	The next step is to trace all the contours of the design on the glass according to the template placed underneath it. These borders are usually applied with black paint, as it highlights all the fragments well and makes the final drawing clearer. For stained glass, as mentioned above, special stained glass paints are used. The applied contour must dry completely, otherwise you can ruin all the work done by accidentally smearing the paint when performing further operations.
	After the borders have dried, they move on to coloring the finished drawing. This process can be compared to a children's coloring book, where each of the elements must acquire its own color. This stage of making stained glass must be approached creatively, but also with extreme care. This tinting is usually applied with thin brushes - previously applied and dried borders will not allow the paints to spread.
	Colors should be as pure, bright as possible, and be in harmony with each other. If you intend to give the drawing a special picturesqueness, then darker or lighter shades are best applied later, after the main, base colors have dried. Otherwise, it may turn out dirty, and all the work will go down the drain.
	The finished stained glass window should look aesthetically pleasing and neat, and harmonize well with the interior style. Glass decorated in this way can be carefully inserted into the frame of, for example, an interior door, or used to decorate furniture doors.

Creating stained glass using film technology

This technique for making stained glass involves the use of film and lead tape. Typically, for film technology, stylized designs with clear shapes are chosen - art deco style. With a careful approach, it is probably even easier to create such a stained glass window than using paints.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	Most often, a drawing for stained glass using this technique is printed on a printer using the already mentioned graphic applications. This way you can get precise and clear lines and shapes of all, even the smallest fragments. If the work is being done for the first time, you should not take an overly complex design with intricate elements. The lines of the drawing should have a width of about 4÷4.5 mm.
	After printing the drawing on sheets, they are carefully glued together. All lines must match perfectly, since the aesthetics of the final result depends on this.
	The next step is to thoroughly clean the glass prepared to size from dust and dirt and degrease it on the side on which it will be applied to the design. Then the glass is wiped dry.
	Dry glass is placed on a prefabricated sheet with a pattern. It is important to immediately achieve the required evenness of laying the stack relative to the graphic design, so that the work does not go skewed relative to the “canvas”. It is advisable to ensure reliable fixation of the glass so that accidental movement does not occur during further operations. It is recommended to use small pieces of thin double-sided tape (shown by arrows) for this purpose, placing them in places where they will not interfere with the stained glass pattern.
	To work, you need to prepare such special tools as a roller, a squeegee with a felt pad, a narrow knife with removable blades, a clamp, scissors, and metal rulers of different lengths. The materials you will need are stained glass self-adhesive film of different colors and a special lead self-adhesive stained glass tape of a suitable shade.
	The glass placed on the drawing must be thoroughly degreased again on the outside with an alcohol solution, and then wiped dry with clean microfiber, which is guaranteed not to leave small fibers on the surface.
	Next, work with the film begins. Experts recommend using high-quality English-made film “RegaLead” for installation, but it is several times more expensive than products from other companies. Inexpensive films may not be resistant to ultraviolet rays, so they can fade very quickly if the stained glass window is located on the sunny side.
	The film is cut for each element separately according to its size. Here, of course, the best option would be to organize desktop lighting from below. If this is not possible, then you will have to measure each fragment with a ruler and adjust it in place.
	The film is measured and cut out a little larger than the fragment of the design, and its edges are adjusted after gluing.
	Before gluing each fragment, the place where it will be applied is thoroughly wiped (degreased) and dried with a microfiber cloth.
	Next, if the fragment is a strip, then the backing begins to be removed from the cut piece of film, from one edge. The edge of the part is fixed to the glass, smoothing it with a squeegee with a felt nozzle. The other edge of the fragment is stretched, which makes it possible to position it exactly along the lines of the drawing.
	Then, with a clear and quick movement, the strip of film is pressed against the glass with a squeegee. This operation must be carried out quickly so that even the slightest dust does not have time to get onto the surface of the glass, otherwise the effect of neatness may be irretrievably lost. Excess film along the edges of the glass is cut off with a sharp knife. The glue on the back of the film sets almost immediately, but not at full strength, so it is possible to correct unevenness if it was accidentally created.
	This photo clearly shows two parallel strips glued to the glass. One of them has already been cut exactly, according to the ruler, and the second has just been glued, and its edges have not yet been processed.
	The film should be 1.5÷2 mm on the black stripe. A long ruler is laid exactly along this line, a sharp knife is drawn along it, and the excess part of the film is carefully removed. Later in the process, the black lines of the design will be covered with lead tape, which is applied last.
	If a speck of dust does get under the film, you must try to remove it. To do this, carefully lift the edge of the fragment, peeling it off the glass, and use the tip of a knife to carefully remove the speck of dust so as not to damage the material. It is strictly forbidden to carry out this operation with your fingers, since fingerprints will certainly remain on the adhesive layer of the film and will be clearly visible in the light. Having removed the speck of dust, the film is again stretched and pressed using a squeegee.
	This illustration clearly shows two finished fragments of the future stained glass window.
	Further, the work continues according to the same principle. If the design element has a curved configuration, then its adjustment is carried out on the spot.
	To do this, a larger piece of film is cut out, and after gluing, the excess sections are carefully cut off exactly along the black lines of the picture. Here, of course, it is very important to have a “full hand” so that the manipulations with the knife are carefully verified, and the edges turn out smooth, exactly according to the template.
	If the intended drawing contains several small fragments of different colors nearby, then you can proceed in two ways. In the first case, the entire multi-colored area is covered with a film of the same color, and then the excess fragments are cut out. This way you can significantly gain in the speed of manufacturing stained glass, but lose in material consumption.
	You can do it differently, in a more professional way, when each fragment of the picture is covered with a separate piece of film and cut out separately. Here, material savings are achieved, but the work, especially in the absence of experience, will take more time, and in addition, there is a high probability of making a mistake. Therefore, if the second method of work is chosen, slightly larger fragments of film are glued to individual elements.
	The cuts are also made along the black lines of the template drawing. In no case should you allow overlaps between the films of neighboring fragments, since when the temperature rises, the material tends to expand, and if there is no gap between the individual elements of the mosaic pattern, deformation may appear on the surface. And over time, the film will completely begin to peel off from the glass. Therefore, there should be a gap of 1.5÷2 mm between the fragments.
	The remaining parts of the design are cut out and fixed on the glass using the same technique.
	In the illustration you can clearly see how elements with complex patterns are glued.
	When all the color fragments are filled with film, proceed to gluing the lead tape. This framing material can be of different colors - ribbon is produced in gold, silver, copper with a variety of intermediate shades. Lead tape can be matte or glossy; it is plastic, as it consists of 98÷99% pure lead, so it easily takes any given shape, and it is very comfortable to work with. The lower part of this stained glass material is also coated with a special adhesive composition, which has excellent adhesion to glass.
	Each piece of stained glass is framed with ribbon. When joining several lines of tape at one point, the edges must be overlapped, that is, if the cuts extend to the edge of the entire composition, then they are overlapped by a segment framing the entire edge. In the middle part of the picture, the edges of the tape should also overlap each other. After gluing, the tape is carefully rolled on top with a roller.
	Straight lines of stained glass, framed with lead tape, must be aligned using a ruler and squeegee - this process must be carried out immediately, while the glue is still wet.
	A simple way to align straight lines allows you to make them perfectly straight. To do this, apply a ruler to the strip of glued tape, install it exactly according to the template, and then draw the angle or edge of a squeegee between the ruler and the tape, which will finally install the tape in the given place.
	As mentioned above, each of the edges of the tape should overlap with the next glued segment. For example, if a round area with fragments is being pasted over, then for this purpose a single piece is taken and, after laying out the circle, one edge of the tape is overlapped with the other, and then rolled with a roller. The cut edges must be closed so that during cleaning you do not accidentally touch or peel off any of them. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully think in advance which fragment to glue where and when. You need to try to plan the sequence of gluing in such a way that at the end of the work, only one open edge of the tape remains.
	After this, all the glued tape is rolled using a roller.
	Next, using a special clamp, which is usually included in the set of accessories for creating stained glass windows, you need to go through all the joints, pressing the strips of tape against each other. This is done to avoid the formation of cracks with the subsequent entry of moisture or detergents into them during operation.
	The tape is pressed on both sides of the joint, which, by the way, gives the overall composition the naturalness of a real stained glass window - the visual effect of a “forged joint” is obtained. Complete sealing of joints and overlaps will ensure the longest service life of the created stained glass window.
	After this, the stained glass window must be carefully treated with a detergent, but it must be applied not to glass with a finished pattern, but to a microfiber cloth. The stained glass window is wiped very carefully, in the direction only along the lead tapes, in order to avoid their shifting, since the glue has not yet completely polymerized.
	Next, you can remove the template pattern from under the glass.
	The finished stained glass window should have straight lines and be very neat. Only in this case will it look impressive and become a full-fledged decoration of the room, an eye-catching center of interior design.

If one of the simple techniques is chosen for production, then you can master them quite quickly. However, before you start making the final version of the stained glass window, you need to practice a little in order to “get your hand” at least a little. Perhaps this creative process can captivate someone so much that after completing one painting on glass, a novice master will want to do this work professionally.

Jul 7, 2018 Sergey

Stained glass windows have been making people admire their indescribable beauty for many centuries. Despite the fact that the origins of this type of art are hidden in the depths of centuries, even today it has not lost any of its relevance and relevance. This is quite logically explained by the fact that such decor, when beautifully and carefully executed, can bring not only comfort and homely warmth to any room, but also a special originality of interior design.

Even a novice craftsman can create stained glass on glass with his own hands, provided, of course, that he chooses a technique that is available for execution, of which there are quite a lot in stained glass art. Nowadays, in specialized stores and art salons you can find everything you need to make stained glass paintings using modern simplified techniques, which are much easier to perform, unlike classical technology. This became possible thanks to modern developments and special materials that can very reliably imitate the “classics”.

A variety of stained glass styles and techniques accumulated gradually, taking into account the secrets of old masters and new established practices. Many are still used today, and they definitely need to be considered before deciding which option is best suited not only in terms of design, but also in terms of the complexity of the technological process itself.

What are the types of stained glass according to technique and style?

To make stained glass, you can choose designs in various styles, both “covered with noble antiquity” and ultra-modern. Compositions in Gothic, Ancient Egyptian, and Indian styles do not lose popularity. Abstract, Art Nouveau, Art Deco styles, and others corresponding to different eras and cultures, art movements find their supporters.

Each of the existing styles is capable of displaying the commitment of the owner of an apartment or house to a particular era with its plot, shapes and color scheme. All stained glass styles have their own requirements and canons that must be observed when performing them.

For a long time, the ideal option was considered to be a style with classic designs, where the choice of subjects and materials was limited. In connection with the development of art and the advent of new techniques, the possibilities for making stained glass have expanded significantly. Therefore, instead of the calm plots of the classics, expressive colors and drawings of modernity and abstraction began to be used more and more actively.

Quite often, masters in their works use several styles and techniques that can revive and complement each other, which helps to organically fit stained glass into the overall decor of the house.

Sometimes a stained glass window for a separate room is chosen as setting the style for the entire interior, while the rest of the room’s objects are only its addition and frame. Thus, the stained glass picture becomes the center of the interior.

Prices for stained glass film for windows

stained glass film

If the plans of the residents of the house include decorating rooms in different styles, then stained glass windows can combine them into one composition. Glass paintings that decorate windows can create an amazing special color and light atmosphere that will change depending on the intensity of natural light. In addition, false windows with artificial lighting, which are often installed in bathrooms or on staircase landings, can also be decorated with stained glass.

However, before choosing a stained glass style, you need to decide on the technique in which it will be made.

Stained glass techniques

As mentioned above, there are many techniques for making stained glass, but several of them can be called basic:

Classical technique

The classical technique of stained glass has been known since the Middle Ages. The paintings made from it consist of glass fragments of different shades and installed in metal frames.

In terms of manufacturing, this option can be called the most difficult, and is usually trusted to be completed only by experienced professional craftsmen. To make such a picture, you will need a large number of different tools designed for cutting and processing glass, welding or welding metal frames, as well as a well-lit, spacious, separate workplace. All this is worth purchasing and equipping only if you plan to practice this art professionally, since a special tool is not cheap. And, to be honest, work skills are also required at a very high level.

English or film technique

The film or English technique consists of applying a special self-adhesive film of various colors to the glass, according to a pre-prepared pattern.

Stained glass made using film technique

Each of the fragments in such a stained glass window, after gluing them, is framed with lead tape. If the glass with this stained glass window is installed in, then lead tape is glued to both sides. Lead tape does not require soldering; its cut ends are laid overlapping each other and rolled with a roller.

The advantage of film technology is that all work is carried out on solid glass, which does not require cutting into individual fragments and their complex processing.

In addition, stained glass using the English technique can be made much faster than the classic one, and even a novice craftsman can make it on his own with a careful approach.

"Fusing"

“Fusing” cannot be called a new technique for making stained glass paintings, since it has been used since glass began to be produced, having, of course, undergone significant improvements over time.

Very beautiful and original stained glass windows made using fusing technology

The name of the technique “fusing” comes from the English word “fusion”, which translates as mixing or alloy. This is exactly the process that happens to glass during the manufacture of stained glass using this method. It will not be possible to make stained glass using this technique at home, since its production requires special equipment for melting glass, which can only be achieved at very high temperatures.

Stained glass made using this method has no seams and does not require the use of metal frames.

The process of creating a stained glass picture occurs as follows:

• On transparent glass of the required size, laid on a prepared sheet with a pattern, a mosaic of pieces of colored glass is laid out on a special glue.
• Next, this blank is sent to a special furnace, where the process of sintering individual glass fragments with each other and with the base on which they are laid out takes place.

The fusing technology consists of gradually heating the mosaic and simmering it at a temperature of 800 degrees - this is precisely the level necessary for melting and sintering individual pieces of glass together. Melting occurs under strict control, since the moment when the product is ready cannot be missed, otherwise the process of changing the structure of the material will begin - devitrification, in which the glass crystallizes.

• When the structure of the stained glass window becomes homogeneous, the stained glass window must be cooled.
• Then another annealing is carried out, that is, the glass is heated and then cooled.
• “Fusing” includes not only melting and sintering, but also glass processing techniques during these processes. In addition, if the desired result is not achieved, then postforming is performed, which consists of another heating and giving the stained glass a convex or curved shape.

At the end of the work, you get a glass picture, made of glass of different shades, securely and hermetically sealed together. This technique is used to make stained glass windows made in various styles, as it gives almost unlimited possibilities in creating paintings of any subject.

"Tiffany"

The Tiffany stained glass technique is carried out in a way somewhat similar to the classical one. In order to make a picture using this technique, a life-size template drawing is prepared in two copies, one of which is cut into separate fragments, from which pieces of glass of different colors will be cut.

In many ways, the Tiffany technique repeats the “classics”

The edges of the glass pieces are processed and ground smooth. Then, each of the stained glass elements is edged with copper tape, the ends of which are soldered together. The next step is to connect the framed fragments together according to the pattern using tin soldering carried out with a powerful soldering iron.

Unlike the classical one, the Tiffany technique uses only copper tape, which is much more flexible and stable than a lead profile and is more easily amenable to a given deformation, with subsequent retention of shape, which allows it to border even small parts of a stained glass window. Thanks to this, the Tiffany technique is used not only for stained glass windows, but also for the manufacture of many different interior elements, for example, lampshades for table lamps and chandeliers.

Table lamp shade made using the Tiffany technique

All parts “clad” in a copper frame, after soldering the ends of the profile, are rolled with a roller before joining into the overall composition, during which the tape compresses the glass fragment.

Video: a master working on a stained glass window using the Tiffany technique

Sandblasting technology

Sandblasting stained-glass windows are made using special equipment that supplies a stream of air with sand under high pressure.

Creating superimposed paintings using this technique is done as follows:

• A transparent sheet of glass is prepared, onto the surface of which a design stencil is applied and secured.
• Open areas of the stencil are treated with sand supplied by a thin stream under high pressure. As a result of such exposure, the surface loses its transparency and becomes matte.
• After completion of the work, the stencil is removed from the glass, and an exquisite airy pattern remains on the surface.

This type of stained glass does not require the installation of frames and complex shaped glass cutting, as well as gluing film. But, as already mentioned, a prerequisite is the presence of special equipment. If desired, of course, you can replace the stream of sand with sandpaper, but in this case you will have to make it from thin metal, since cardboard is a fragile material, it will begin to wear out and will not allow you to reproduce the exact design. In addition, manual work will take a lot of time, and the quality and depth of drawing will still not be the same.

Casting technique

This infrequently used stained glass technique can be called one of the most complex, since each of the mosaic fragments is blown or cast from colored glass by hand. In the process of such piece-by-piece manufacturing, glass fragments are given a special designed texture, which contributes to certain optical effects, the play of refraction of light rays, which creates the effect of pronounced volume. The fragments are then assembled into a single picture using mortars and metal reinforcement.

Stained glass made using cast technique

Making stained glass using this technique at home is very problematic, since it requires, in addition to equipment, very specific technological skills in glass processing. As a rule, such stained glass windows are original works of art, and are practically not used in private house-building practice.

Etching technique

The technique of creating a relief pattern on glass by etching involves the use of hydrofluoric acid, which has the ability to have a destructive effect on the main component of the glass mass - silicon dioxide.

When acid is applied to glass, its layers begin to break down. In order for the substance to melt only those areas of the glass sheet that are needed, a stencil made of acid-resistant material is applied. Stencils allow you to create clear single-layer or multi-layer designs on a glass surface, with pronounced relief of varying depths. The more layers there are in the relief, the more voluminous it is. In this case, the acid is applied to different parts of the picture as many times as the number of layers suggested by the selected pattern. Single-layer stained glass is done in one step, and in this case, applying acid simply clouds the glass, making it dull and rough.

It’s not worth taking on such work on your own without practice. Working with such a strong acid requires extreme caution, as it can easily damage the skin or mucous membranes. All operations are carried out in special protective equipment, in a well-ventilated non-residential area, equipped accordingly.

Painted stained glass

The good thing about the painted stained glass technique is that it can imitate any other method of making a glass mosaic picture.

One of the most accessible techniques is glass painting.

The process of working on it includes several stages:

• Making a design and preparing glass of the required size.
• The glass is placed on the table on top of the stained glass pattern laid out.
• According to the drawing, an outline is applied to the glass using paint of the selected shade. Black is usually the color chosen as it makes the elements of the design stand out perfectly. After completing this stage, the paint should be allowed to dry thoroughly.
• The outlined fragments of stained glass are painted with stained glass paints.

How to create a stained glass picture yourself using this technique will be shown below in the instruction table. In the meantime, we can say that this is one of the most accessible technologies at home, and you can even involve a child in making such a painting - he will be very interested. And the costs, compared to all other techniques, are minimal.

Contour pouring technique

The poured technique, just like the painted technique, can imitate any method of making stained glass, and with its help you can create a picture in a wide variety of styles. This technology is also great for beginners who have decided to decorate their home with stained glass. In order to reproduce any image on glass, it is necessary to prepare a drawing and stained glass paints, which are usually produced in tubes with a special spout - for ease of application and distribution of the composition over the surface.

Pattern made using contour filling technique

The first thing to do is to transfer the outline of the drawing onto the glass using the tracing method. Before carrying out the following work, you must wait until the contour paint has completely dried.

After this, the space inside the outline is filled with paint of the desired color. If necessary, it is distributed using a brush. The paint is poured in a fairly thick, even layer of 1÷1.5 mm, and as it dries it should give a smooth surface without artistic strokes. If, according to the drawing, individual fragments of the stained glass window need to be given volume with the help of color, then it is necessary to prepare in advance paint of different shades, which is poured onto the glass, according to the sample drawing.

It should be noted that there are other techniques for making stained glass. Many of them include two or even more basic technologies, so they can be safely called combined. For example, to simplify the painted or poured method, colored film is used instead of paints. That is, first, according to the design, a film is glued to the glass, leaving a gap of 3–5 mm between the fragments. Then this gap is filled with black stained glass paint, which creates the edging of individual fragments of the overall mosaic.

Check out, as well as photos and videos in a special publication on our portal.

Stained glass styles

Stained glass windows can be made in various styles, but when choosing a design based on this criterion, you should, of course, rely on the design of the entire interior in order to create a harmonious combination of all elements.

Stained glass styles can have many subtypes, and because of this, it is sometimes quite difficult to determine the most correct classification of the design. In this case, it is recommended to rely on image features, color scheme and canonical characteristics.

Antique style

The basis of the ancient style is the ancient Greek and Roman origins. The uniqueness and harmony of the elements of these trends have not lost popularity in our time, and, in addition, many details of later styles were borrowed from antiquity.

Stained glass windows made in this style usually consist of numerous fragments, and can be made using any of the techniques described above. If you decide to adhere to a certain direction, then an important condition is compliance with the characteristic features inherent in this particular style:

• The drawing should resemble an antique mosaic containing Greek ornamental elements - these are drawings of amphoras, nymphs, columns, landscapes with architectural structures that have details characteristic of buildings of that time - colonnades, porticos, triangular pediments, etc.
• Quite often, when making stained glass windows of this style, mixed techniques are used, using not only glass fragments, but also film, ceramics, metal and mother-of-pearl.
• Antique motifs are used in stained glass windows installed as false windows in the bathroom, when decorating interior glass, and, of course, for window openings with natural lighting.

Ancient Egyptian style

This interior and stained glass style has never gone out of fashion since Napoleon brought it to European culture after his campaign in Egypt. Stained glass in the ancient Egyptian style has not undergone any significant changes since that time, maintaining the geometry of the pattern and warm colors.

• The colors characteristic of the ancient Egyptian style are warm ocher, sand, coral, orange and yellow shades, which go well with brown, rich ultramarine blue, cobalt, khaki and grass green, especially when they have a black frame.
• This style uses traditional ancient Egyptian ornaments, scenes from the life of the pharaohs, images of sacred animals, as well as famous hieroglyphs.
• For stained glass in this direction, poured, Tiffany, fusing, film, and also classical techniques are suitable.

The Egyptian style of stained glass is usually used to decorate bathrooms, balconies or kitchens, and quite rarely for living rooms or bedrooms, due to the oversaturation of details.

Gothic style

The Gothic style arose in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, and actively developed in the XII ÷ XV centuries. Over time, it became more complex, enriched with various elements and shades.

"Cold" Gothic style

• In the initial stage of the emergence of the style, stained glass windows depicted mainly paintings with religious motifs, and later figures of symbolic animals, knightly tournaments, and hunting scenes began to appear.
• Gothic stained glass comes in deep, rich hues such as dark green, burgundy, ultramarine, magenta, violet and black.
• Fragments of the painting are framed in gold, patina or blackened copper, everything that can emphasize that this element of the interior belongs to Gothic motifs.
• The most optimal techniques for making stained glass in the Gothic style are poured, painted, Tiffany, classic, film, and combined.

It must be said that for an ordinary apartment this style of interior design will be gloomy and will not bring comfort and warmth to the house, since it can rather be attributed to a cold, monumental movement in art. The Gothic style is more suitable for large reception halls and the high ceilings of Catholic churches.

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Indian style

Indian stained glass originated many centuries ago as a decoration for window openings in wealthy Indian homes. Later, like many other styles, it was enriched and somewhat diluted with subjects and motifs from other countries, but on the whole it retained its originality.

• Indian style is distinguished by the brightness of colors that lift the mood - these are orange-red, bright yellow and green, light blue and other shades that seem to be illuminated by the sun from outside. Stained glass may contain a large amount of gilding.
• Indian stained glass windows include images of deities against the backdrop of water and lush plant or mountain landscapes. The most popular element of Indian floral patterns is the so-called paisley - “paisley”, which is present in almost any picture of this style.

Classic designs in Indian style - paisley or, otherwise, “paisley”

• To create this stained glass window, the classic Tiffany technique is used, painting and pouring.

Art Nouveau style

Art Nouveau firmly came into fashion after an art exhibition held in Paris in 1900, and has probably forever established itself among the most popular styles, both in art and in architectural design.

The main idea of ​​this style is the primacy of form, that is, the postulate “form is more important than content” is taken as a basis.

• Art Nouveau style is characterized by smooth lines, lightness, sophistication and sophistication. This could be a marine or floral theme, as well as a light romantic theme.

Stained glass windows made in the Art Nouveau style often have forged gratings entwined with dense green vegetation interspersed with flowers, or flowerpots with bouquets of unusual shapes installed in them.

• Stained glass windows of this style are made in pastel, soothing colors, and therefore fit perfectly into any interior design, becoming its center and creating an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in the room.
• Stained glass can be made using Tiffany, pouring, film or painting techniques.

Art Deco style

Over time, complex intricate interweavings of plants, forged trellises, various scenes from the life of knights and religious themes were replaced by simpler forms of modern styles. One of them, which many people liked, is the art deco style.

Art Deco - the predominance of large details and symmetry of the design

This trend appeared in the 20s of the last century, and was especially popular until the 60s. Today, the art deco style is also quite often used in the design of modern apartments and houses.

• The designs of this stained glass style are distinguished by the symmetry of the arrangement of elements, clear lines and pure colors, perfectly matched to each other, as well as a repeating pattern.
• The Art Deco style is performed using any of the techniques described above, since the design usually consists of large fragments that can be cut out of glass or film, and also etched with a special acid or filled with paint.

Stained glass in abstract style

Abstractionism, as a recognized style, appeared in 1910, after the watercolors of French artists presented at the exhibition. Over time, it entered European fashion, and it began to be used for the manufacture of various elements for interior decoration, including stained glass.

The abstract style can be chosen for various interior solutions, as it combines several areas of stained glass art.

• Abstract art is distinguished by the large number of regular and irregularly shaped fragments, brightness and richness of colors, which give expression to the entire room where the artistic panel is located.
• Stained glass in an abstract style is made using painting, fusing, film and pouring techniques.

Having chosen a technique suitable for execution, it is quite possible to make a stained glass window of this style yourself - there are simply no limits to imagination here.

Children's stained glass

The most interesting and touching is the children's stained glass style. The variety of themes and motifs of children's motives gives great scope for the imagination of parents, and it is quite possible to involve children in the process of sketch preparation. Most often, such stained glass windows depict characters from favorite fairy tales and cartoons, as well as stylized animals.

• Children's stained glass should have clear shapes so that the child can immediately see what is depicted on it. You need to think through the drawing so that it consists of smooth lines that can make the picture soft and calm, but at the same time bright, attracting attention.
• Stained glass can be placed on a clock or a mirror built into a closet, but you should not place it on a window, especially if the apartment is located above the first floor. A window is a high-danger zone, and a child will even unconsciously be drawn to a beautiful bright image.

• In addition, for safety reasons, you need to carefully consider the technique of painting. It should not consist of separate pieces of glass, even if they are very well fastened together. Sharp relief protrusions must be completely eliminated.

The picture should not be boring and uninteresting. For children's stained glass, film, poured and painted techniques are well suited, and even better if the picture is applied to safe synthetic glass.

Find out how in a special publication on our portal.

Making stained glass with your own hands

The simplest of all the techniques for making stained glass at home, which are accessible to beginners, are painted and film. It is these techniques that will be discussed in more detail.

Creating a stained glass window using glass painting technique

Illustration
	The first step is to take measurements of the glass on which the stained glass will be applied. Based on these dimensions, you need to choose the finished drawing you like or, if you have enough experience, do it yourself. If the finished drawing is taken from the Internet, then it is printed on ordinary A-4 sheets in any graphics editor, using the multi-page printing function (for example, the Publisher application included in the MS Office package is great for this). Then the fragments are joined and glued along the lines using tape to recreate a single pattern.
	In this case, the drawing is done independently, by hand. At the same time, it is important to ensure that each of its details is well highlighted and the boundaries are drawn.
	Glass is placed perfectly evenly on the finished sketch, onto which the entire drawing will be transferred. Glass must be thoroughly degreased using alcohol or ammonia solutions.
	After cleaning the glass surface, the applied compounds are thoroughly wiped, since the “working area” should not only be free of greasy stains, but also be absolutely dry.
	The next step is to trace all the contours of the design on the glass according to the template placed underneath it. These borders are usually applied with black paint, as it highlights all the fragments well and makes the final drawing clearer. For stained glass, as mentioned above, special stained glass paints are used. The applied contour must dry completely, otherwise you can ruin all the work done by accidentally smearing the paint when performing further operations.
	After the borders have dried, they move on to coloring the finished drawing. This process can be compared to a children's coloring book, where each of the elements must acquire its own color. This stage of making stained glass must be approached creatively, but also with extreme care. This tinting is usually applied with thin brushes - previously applied and dried borders will not allow the paints to spread.
	Colors should be as pure, bright as possible, and be in harmony with each other. If you intend to give the drawing a special picturesqueness, then darker or lighter shades are best applied later, after the main, base colors have dried. Otherwise, it may turn out dirty, and all the work will go down the drain.
	The finished stained glass window should look aesthetically pleasing and neat, and harmonize well with the interior style. Glass decorated in this way can be carefully inserted into the frame of, for example, an interior door, or used to decorate furniture doors.

Creating stained glass using film technology

This technique for making stained glass involves the use of film and lead tape. Typically, for film technology, stylized designs with clear shapes are chosen - art deco style. With a careful approach, it is probably even easier to create such a stained glass window than using paints.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	Most often, a drawing for stained glass using this technique is printed on a printer using the already mentioned graphic applications. This way you can get precise and clear lines and shapes of all, even the smallest fragments. If the work is being done for the first time, you should not take an overly complex design with intricate elements. The lines of the drawing should have a width of about 4÷4.5 mm.
	After printing the drawing on sheets, they are carefully glued together. All lines must match perfectly, since the aesthetics of the final result depends on this.
	The next step is to thoroughly clean the glass prepared to size from dust and dirt and degrease it on the side on which it will be applied to the design. Then the glass is wiped dry.
	Dry glass is placed on a prefabricated sheet with a pattern. It is important to immediately achieve the required evenness of laying the stack relative to the graphic design, so that the work does not go skewed relative to the “canvas”. It is advisable to ensure reliable fixation of the glass so that accidental movement does not occur during further operations. It is recommended to use small pieces of thin double-sided tape (shown by arrows) for this purpose, placing them in places where they will not interfere with the stained glass pattern.
	To work, you need to prepare such special tools as a roller, a squeegee with a felt pad, a narrow knife with removable blades, a clamp, scissors, and metal rulers of different lengths. The materials you will need are stained glass self-adhesive film of different colors and a special lead self-adhesive stained glass tape of a suitable shade.
	The glass placed on the drawing must be thoroughly degreased again on the outside with an alcohol solution, and then wiped dry with clean microfiber, which is guaranteed not to leave small fibers on the surface.
	Next, work with the film begins. Experts recommend using high-quality English-made film “RegaLead” for installation, but it is several times more expensive than products from other companies. Inexpensive films may not be resistant to ultraviolet rays, so they can fade very quickly if the stained glass window is located on the sunny side.
	The film is cut for each element separately according to its size. Here, of course, the best option would be to organize desktop lighting from below. If this is not possible, then you will have to measure each fragment with a ruler and adjust it in place.
	The film is measured and cut out a little larger than the fragment of the design, and its edges are adjusted after gluing.
	Before gluing each fragment, the place where it will be applied is thoroughly wiped (degreased) and dried with a microfiber cloth.
	Next, if the fragment is a strip, then the backing begins to be removed from the cut piece of film, from one edge. The edge of the part is fixed to the glass, smoothing it with a squeegee with a felt nozzle. The other edge of the fragment is stretched, which makes it possible to position it exactly along the lines of the drawing.
	Then, with a clear and quick movement, the strip of film is pressed against the glass with a squeegee. This operation must be carried out quickly so that even the slightest dust does not have time to get onto the surface of the glass, otherwise the effect of neatness may be irretrievably lost. Excess film along the edges of the glass is cut off with a sharp knife. The glue on the back of the film sets almost immediately, but not at full strength, so it is possible to correct unevenness if it was accidentally created.
	This photo clearly shows two parallel strips glued to the glass. One of them has already been cut exactly, according to the ruler, and the second has just been glued, and its edges have not yet been processed.
	The film should be 1.5÷2 mm on the black stripe. A long ruler is laid exactly along this line, a sharp knife is drawn along it, and the excess part of the film is carefully removed. Later in the process, the black lines of the design will be covered with lead tape, which is applied last.
	If a speck of dust does get under the film, you must try to remove it. To do this, carefully lift the edge of the fragment, peeling it off the glass, and use the tip of a knife to carefully remove the speck of dust so as not to damage the material. It is strictly forbidden to carry out this operation with your fingers, since fingerprints will certainly remain on the adhesive layer of the film and will be clearly visible in the light. Having removed the speck of dust, the film is again stretched and pressed using a squeegee.
	This illustration clearly shows two finished fragments of the future stained glass window.
	Further, the work continues according to the same principle. If the design element has a curved configuration, then its adjustment is carried out on the spot.
	To do this, a larger piece of film is cut out, and after gluing, the excess sections are carefully cut off exactly along the black lines of the picture. Here, of course, it is very important to have a “full hand” so that the manipulations with the knife are carefully verified, and the edges turn out smooth, exactly according to the template.
	If the intended drawing contains several small fragments of different colors nearby, then you can proceed in two ways. In the first case, the entire multi-colored area is covered with a film of the same color, and then the excess fragments are cut out. This way you can significantly gain in the speed of manufacturing stained glass, but lose in material consumption.
	You can do it differently, in a more professional way, when each fragment of the picture is covered with a separate piece of film and cut out separately. Here, material savings are achieved, but the work, especially in the absence of experience, will take more time, and in addition, there is a high probability of making a mistake. Therefore, if the second method of work is chosen, slightly larger fragments of film are glued to individual elements.
	The cuts are also made along the black lines of the template drawing. In no case should you allow overlaps between the films of neighboring fragments, since when the temperature rises, the material tends to expand, and if there is no gap between the individual elements of the mosaic pattern, deformation may appear on the surface. And over time, the film will completely begin to peel off from the glass. Therefore, there should be a gap of 1.5÷2 mm between the fragments.
	The remaining parts of the design are cut out and fixed on the glass using the same technique.
	In the illustration you can clearly see how elements with complex patterns are glued.
	When all the color fragments are filled with film, proceed to gluing the lead tape. This framing material can be of different colors - ribbon is produced in gold, silver, copper with a variety of intermediate shades. Lead tape can be matte or glossy; it is plastic, as it consists of 98÷99% pure lead, so it easily takes any given shape, and it is very comfortable to work with. The lower part of this stained glass material is also coated with a special adhesive composition, which has excellent adhesion to glass.
	Each piece of stained glass is framed with ribbon. When joining several lines of tape at one point, the edges must be overlapped, that is, if the cuts extend to the edge of the entire composition, then they are overlapped by a segment framing the entire edge. In the middle part of the picture, the edges of the tape should also overlap each other. After gluing, the tape is carefully rolled on top with a roller.
	Straight lines of stained glass, framed with lead tape, must be aligned using a ruler and squeegee - this process must be carried out immediately, while the glue is still wet.
	A simple way to align straight lines allows you to make them perfectly straight. To do this, apply a ruler to the strip of glued tape, install it exactly according to the template, and then draw the angle or edge of a squeegee between the ruler and the tape, which will finally install the tape in the given place.
	As mentioned above, each of the edges of the tape should overlap with the next glued segment. For example, if a round area with fragments is being pasted over, then for this purpose a single piece is taken and, after laying out the circle, one edge of the tape is overlapped with the other, and then rolled with a roller. The cut edges must be closed so that during cleaning you do not accidentally touch or peel off any of them. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully think in advance which fragment to glue where and when. You need to try to plan the sequence of gluing in such a way that at the end of the work, only one open edge of the tape remains.
	After this, all the glued tape is rolled using a roller.
	Next, using a special clamp, which is usually included in the set of accessories for creating stained glass windows, you need to go through all the joints, pressing the strips of tape against each other. This is done to avoid the formation of cracks with the subsequent entry of moisture or detergents into them during operation.
	The tape is pressed on both sides of the joint, which, by the way, gives the overall composition the naturalness of a real stained glass window - the visual effect of a “forged joint” is obtained. Complete sealing of joints and overlaps will ensure the longest service life of the created stained glass window.
	After this, the stained glass window must be carefully treated with a detergent, but it must be applied not to glass with a finished pattern, but to a microfiber cloth. The stained glass window is wiped very carefully, in the direction only along the lead tapes, in order to avoid their shifting, since the glue has not yet completely polymerized.
	Next, you can remove the template pattern from under the glass.
	The finished stained glass window should have straight lines and be very neat. Only in this case will it look impressive and become a full-fledged decoration of the room, an eye-catching center of interior design.

If one of the simple techniques is chosen for production, then you can master them quite quickly. However, before you start making the final version of the stained glass window, you need to practice a little in order to “get your hand” at least a little. Perhaps this creative process can captivate someone so much that after completing one painting on glass, a novice master will want to do this work professionally.

Most people usually associate the Tiffany brand with jewelry and watches.
However, the lamps were produced by another company - Tiffany's Workshop, which has nothing to do with jewelry.
The creator of the first Tiffany lamp is considered to be Louis Comfort Tiffany, an American artist and designer who founded the Tiffany Glass Company, the son of the founder of Tiffany & Co, Charles Louis Tiffany.
Tiffany lamps appeared at the end of the 19th century - presumably in 1895 - as one of the trends in the Art Nouveau style.

The development of stained glass art in the 19th century was for a long time at the stage of mastering the lost secrets of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. One of the most daring innovators in the field of artistic glassmaking, who stopped looking back at the heritage of the past, was the American Louis Comfort Tiffany. Progress in the field of artistic glassmaking in the second half of the 19th century is inextricably linked with his activities in creating and using new types of glass and improving the technique of connecting them together.

Tiffany's Personality

Tiffany was born in 1848 into the family of a famous New York jeweler and was involved in the “fine arts” from an early age.
In 1865, at the age of 17, he traveled through Europe. The stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral in Paris made an indelible impression on him and aroused his interest in glass.
Tiffany began his artistic career as a painter and after he became famous in this field, he began to work with glass. The first results of his activities in the field of stained glass art did not satisfy him. The glass manufactured at that time did not meet his requirements. Tiffany greatly appreciated the power of light and the natural beauty of the material. In his opinion, painting with paints only hid the natural beauty of the glass, deprived it of its effectiveness and made an unpleasant impression. Tiffany believed that the transparency effect (through passage of light) and the precious radiance of colored glass play the greatest role in the perception of stained glass.

Tiffany's experiments in making stained glass from someone else's glass were not successful. Therefore, with the support of his family, he purchased a glass factory and began experimenting. In a short time, he achieved remarkable results and was able to assemble stained glass windows from his own glass. Thanks to the use of a new type of glass - opalescent or opal (sometimes called iridescent, which is not true), he successfully coped with tasks such as depicting the surface of water or foliage with one glass plate without the use of painting. He used schwarzlot only to depict hands and faces.
By 1900, Tiffany was already one of the most famous glass manufacturers in the world. In his workshops glass appeared that had never been seen before. Tiffany's warehouses, probably the largest in the world, contained up to 200 tons of glass in approximately 5 thousand different shades, which were classified and arranged according to a special system.

The copper foil technique invented by Tiffany was originally intended for making lamp shades. Tiffany attached great importance to lamps in interior design and sought to make them accessible to the general population. His Blooming Lotus lamp, assembled from 1,600 glass parts, with a diameter of 46 cm and a height of 35 cm, cost $400 in 1906, and in 1989 at a New York Christie's auction it was sold for 1.2 million German marks. The relatively low price was due to the serial nature of the products produced by the workshop.
In 1905, the studio employed 200 people. Although many stages of the work were streamlined, each lampshade remained a unique creation thanks to its individual color scheme and the highest level of handcrafting.
Not only Tiffany himself and the masters of his atelier created product designs. For embodiment in the material, he accepted the best projects of other artists of that time.

For example, the famous “Dragonfly” lampshade, which received the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900, was created according to a design by Clara Driscoll.

Not all lamps bearing the Tiffany signature originate from this workshop. At the same time, there were other well-known companies that created lamp shades. Among them are Quezal Art Glass & Decorating Company, Crest & Co and Edward Miller & Co. All of them, to a greater or lesser extent, profited from the success that Tiffany achieved with his lamps at the Paris Exhibition of 1900, when they caused a boom.
In addition to lampshades, Tiffany's workshop also designed lamp fittings: stands, bases, legs, rivets, finials. And here Tiffany showed himself to be an artist with a love for detail. His lamps are a complete work of art, where the lampshade and fittings complement each other and form an organic unity.
Designing lamps using the Tiffany technique has become a hobby for many today. You can make some original things yourself by purchasing a set of composite glass parts and fittings for a lamp or stained glass window.

Tiffany glass

Glass for Tiffany is, first of all, color. Like a painter on a palette, he also mixed various tones in the process of glass production and “painted” his pictures with them. He was extremely careful in selecting colors and, if the desired tone was not available in one piece of glass, he would stack three or four pieces of glass on top of each other using the so-called “sandwich method” until he achieved the desired tone. There are known cases when Tiffany knocked out unsatisfactory fragments from a finished stained glass window with his walking cane.
Tiffany's activities undoubtedly revived artistic glassmaking. But he is not the actual inventor of opalescent glass (or Tiffany glass). This merit belongs to John La Farge, who already in 1875 used opalescent glass for stained glass. After some time, other artists paid attention to the new type of glass and began to experiment in this area themselves or simply copy La Farge glass. Tiffany was no exception. Twice he worked with La Farge in his workshop in Brooklyn. Subsequently, Tiffany commercialized the production of opalescent glass and objects made from it. At the same time, he entered into an agreement with La Farge that lamp shades, stained glass windows made of opalescent glass and this glass itself would bear the name Tiffany as a second name.
Most of the glasses used in Tiffany's works are characterized by opacity - their opalescent effect. It is obtained by adding clouding substances (tin or burnt bone) to the raw material. When bone ash is added, tiny droplets of phosphate glass are formed in the molten mass, which “muffle” (cloudy) the glass. The effect of such glass is that it does not transmit light so much as it refracts it. Depending on the mass of the opaque substances, different degrees of opal effect can be achieved.

Of course, Tiffany also used other types of glass in his works that were used in artistic glassmaking even before him. Among them is cathedral glass, which is transparent glass colored in the mass. An intermediate position between opalescent and cathedral glass is occupied by colorescent glass, during the production of which the “opaque” and transparent parts of the glass mass are not completely mixed and, thus, plates with frosted and transparent areas are obtained. Antique glass is also made by mixing transparent and opaque masses. If you sprinkle ready-made but not yet cooled glass with metal grains, you will get iridescent glass. At the same time, a metallic gloss is formed on the surface of the plate, which shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. Iridescent glass was also made before Tiffany, but it was only thanks to him that it became truly famous.
Opalescent and cathedral glasses are produced by the rolling method: viscous glass melt is rolled between two rollers (or using one roller on a table) to form a plate. Each plate, both in Tiffany's time and now, is made separately and has a unique appearance. The structured surface is formed by rolling with rollers with an appropriate pattern. A certain color effect can be obtained by rolling a mass of different melts together. Ribbed glass or “Draperies” is obtained by deforming a still soft plate. Tiffany himself used "drapes" and "folds" in large stained glass windows. In the famous composition “Magnolias” flowers are made from them. For the best effect of these glasses, a large fragment area is required, since in small plates they are too crushed. The disordered surface of such glass is a source of strong play of light and shadow, constantly changing depending on the viewing angle. Tiffany used this “folded” glass for backgrounds in the form of plant motifs or to depict the foliage of trees. As a rule, one side of such glass remains smooth and cuts well. Some types of work do not allow the use of these very “living” glasses. In addition to flat glass, Tiffany used glass “stones” in some of his works.

Tiffany technique

Lead rods, used for many centuries to connect glass together, seemed very crude to Tiffany: he wanted to create filigree-thin and complex works. He found his own substitute for lead veins in the form of copper strips cut from a metal sheet. They were glued to the glass with beeswax and soldered together using tin. In this way, it became possible to connect the smallest pieces of glass and create complex three-dimensional shapes. Initially, he used the copper foil technique to create lamp shades, and only later - for stained glass. Sometimes Tiffany used a combination of two techniques in one piece, combining lead wire with copper foil.

Tiffany style

An interesting project may lose its attractiveness in the finished product due to incorrectly selected glass. Tiffany always carefully chose the color and texture of glass for her works. It was this love for detail that distinguished his works from the works of other artists and was the secret of success. The main thing when choosing glass is the right combination of color shades and directions of texture lines. From the existing glass plates you need to accurately cut out the fragment required for the composition.
Many of Tiffany's works have a special attractive power, although to a modern viewer they may seem too bright and overloaded. When they try to explain this effect, they involuntarily compare Tiffany’s works with paintings. Tiffany's work has always been between a realistic manner of depiction and a stylized one, close to medieval stained glass. Without painting the surface of the glass, he created stained glass windows that can only be compared with paintings. However, Tiffany himself did not believe that he was trying to copy nature. He interpreted it through the eyes of an artist.
Tiffany's studio ceased to exist in 1932, and the artist himself died the following year. Today in the world there are many ateliers that have the word “Tiffany” in their name. They are not direct successors of the traditions of Louis Comfort Tiffany: using the techniques and materials that made his name famous, they create their own original works.
Sometimes the Tiffany technique is incorrectly identified with the Tiffany style. The first simply means a method of joining glass fragments using copper foil. And the Tiffany style means bright lamps of classical forms with predominant naturalistic motifs and motley stained glass windows of rich colors depicting natural motifs and landscapes. The original works of the innovative artist remained the property of art history: many of them decorate private mansions, churches, public buildings in America, Great Britain and Western Europe, most of them became objects of museum collections, antique auctions and private collecting.

The first information about opal glass in Russian dates back to the end of the 19th century. Mention of Tiffany glass appeared in advertisements for large stained glass workshops. The World Exhibition in Paris, after which the whole world started talking about Tiffany, became the starting point for Russians to become acquainted with the work of the famous American. Tiffany lamps are now on sale. Opalescent glass appeared in warehouses and among the goods of trading houses, but Russian factories never began to produce them. In the stained glass windows of the early twentieth century, preserved on the staircases of apartment buildings in St. Petersburg and Moscow, one can see opalescent glass. All of them are made abroad. They were used in small fragments for small details of the image and always played a subordinate role as an exquisite addition to a stained glass window.
Iridescent glass is known to us from lamps in the collections of many Russian museums. There are very few genuine Tiffany stained glass windows in Russia: difficulties with the delivery of fragile items of large dimensions, the traditional orientation of architects towards German stained glass art, made them extremely rare items in Russia. So rare that the author of the article knows of the only genuine Tiffany stained glass window in our country - it is on display in the State Hermitage and originates from the Museum of the Academy of Technical Drawing named after. Baron A. L. Stieglitz.

However, several years ago a version appeared that the first Tiffany lamp was invented by the artist Clara Driscoll (1861–1944), who worked at the Tiffany Glass Company. This version has not been officially confirmed, but it does exist.

Clara Driscoll was the head of the women's division of Tiffany Studios, whose workers were engaged in cutting glass (the so-called "Tiffany Girls"). They were the ones who selected those pieces of glass that were to become part of the lampshade design. Before the artist joined the company, the lamps did not differ much in design; they used predominantly geometric motifs.
Clara created more than 30 models of lamps, among which the most famous and popular are Wisteria, Dragonfly (Clara received a bronze medal for it at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900), Peony, and the very first - Daffodil.

Clara's biography is atypical for women of her time. She graduated and after studying at the Cleveland School of Design and moving to New York, she entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art School. Recognition of her talent was an invitation to Tiffany Studios in 1888, where she worked for more than 20 years. In 1909, Clara got married, which marked the end of her career at the company - married women were prohibited from working at Tiffany Studios.

Original Tiffany lamps, preserved in excellent condition, are very popular among collectors. They were always expensive, but in the 1920s/30s their designs began to be considered outdated, and for several decades there was little interest in Tiffany lamps. Since the late 60s, they increasingly began to become the subject of auctions - in 1985, a Zinnia lamp was sold for an amount exceeding one million dollars. After some lull in the early 90s of the last century, prices began to rise again. Today, the record price for a Tiffany lamp is $2.8 million.
Famous collectors of Tiffany lamps include actress and singer Barbra Streisand. An unknown person paid $717,500 for a lamp from her collection in 1994.

The creators of one of the largest collections of Tiffany lamps - the so-called The Neustadt Collection - are Dr. Egon Neustadt and his wife Hildegard. They bought their first table lamp in 1935. In 1970, the doctor published the book “Tiffany Lamps,” in which he classified them into categories - depending on the shape of the lampshade, the motifs used to design them, etc.
In 1983, shortly before his death, Dr. Neustad donated 135 lamps from his collection to the New York Historical Society. Hundreds more Tiffany lamps and stained glass windows remained in his apartment, which became the basis for the modern Neustadt Collection

Stained glass is experiencing a renaissance. Colored glass paintings are increasingly used by designers to decorate interiors in a variety of styles. Such a painting can decorate a room, become its accent, and set the tone for the entire interior. But previously, making stained glass was labor-intensive and expensive, but modern techniques allow you to create masterpieces on glass yourself.

Styles and techniques

There are many styles of stained glass, because stained glass itself dates back to the Middle Ages. Over time, it changed, reflecting the cultures of different countries and eras; the emergence of new techniques made it possible to diversify the materials used. Nowadays, several styles are used to decorate rooms.

1. Classical. Assumes a symmetrical design, floral motifs or geometric pattern. Made in warm, pastel colors. Suitable for classic interiors with clear lines and good quality, heavy furniture.
2. Gothic. This is the style of Catholic churches of medieval Europe. Twilight, upward direction of narrow lancet windows and high towers with spiers, dark red, scarlet, gold, green, blue, purple colors. It uses religious motifs or scenes from the life of medieval knights, castles, exploits, dragons, unicorns. Gothic stained glass will give the space a touch of mystery and fabulousness. It was during the Middle Ages that the most famous stained glass windows, recognized as masterpieces, were created.

   Stained glass in Gothic style - a fairy tale and mystery in your home

3. Modern. Perhaps a universal style for any interior. The main motives of this style are marine, the idea is the priority of form over content. This style is characterized by smooth, fancy lines, one way or another repeating the shape of a sea wave, grace, and sophistication. Pale, muted colors, halftones, blue-green tones. Art Nouveau goes well with modern technology and goes well with a high-tech interior.

   

   Stained glass in Art Nouveau style is appropriate in any interior

4. Abstract. Involves a geometric pattern and bright, cheerful colors. Does not conflict with almost any interior, except for the most orthodox one. Brings a special emotionality into the space. In abstract stained glass it is important to maintain a balance between form and color and then it will never get boring, charging you with optimism and encouraging creativity.

   

   Stained glass in an abstract style is suitable for any interior and will never get boring

5. Egyptian. Dim paintings in sandy-brown tones. The drawing reproduces Egyptian hieroglyphs, gods, pharaohs and scenes from their lives.
6. Antique. The paintings resemble antique mosaics with ancient Greek scenes. Characterized by the presence of many small details. Suitable for rooms in a minimalist style.

   

   Stained glass in an antique style is often a finished product

7. Byzantine. It is distinguished by the use of not only colored, but also transparent glass, which makes the image seem to be hanging in the air. Such stained glass windows resemble glass painting and are suitable for rooms filled with light.

   

   The use of transparent glass in the Byzantine style creates the illusion of the design floating in the air

8. Vanguard. The subject of the drawing can be anything. But thanks to modern execution techniques, it is given a sense of volume. The image is multi-layered, with three-dimensional details, on transparent or frosted glass, glossy, shining. This stained glass window sets the tone for the entire room and makes it trendy.

   

   Stained glass in an avant-garde style can contain voluminous details

Stained glass in the interior creates a powerful accent, so it is important not to make a mistake when choosing a style. It should be in harmony with the overall style of the room or set it. Then the rest of the interior items will complement and play with it without creating dissonance.

You can decorate any glass or mirror surface with stained glass. This will give the interior uniqueness, originality and a feeling of luxury. It is appropriate to place a stained glass window in any room.

Where to place stained glass in an apartment

1. Window. Stained glass will give the bedroom a feeling of coziness, and the nursery - a fabulous feel. Stained glass in a window can be used as protection from the sun, hide the bathroom from prying eyes, and add festiveness and comfort to the kitchen.

   

   A floral pattern on the balcony window will create the illusion of a country house

2. Doors. You can decorate both fully glass doors and glass inserts. It is better to do the drawing in the same style on all doors.

   

   It is better to keep the pattern on all doors in the same style

3. False windows. This glass picture is backlit and is often installed in bathrooms or on staircases.

   

   A stained glass window will help avoid the feeling of a closed space and additionally decorate the room

4. Ceiling lamps. Large glass shades or acrylic inserts in the ceiling will add originality to the interior.

   

   The Gothic interior will be decorated with a stained glass ceiling

5. Glass partitions. They can be transparent or matte. Such partitions are often installed between the kitchen and the bathroom or the toilet and the bathroom. Stained glass allows light to pass through, but does not allow you to see what is happening behind it.

   

   Stained glass is a good solution for zoning a room

6. Furniture fronts, glass countertops. Decorating furniture with stained glass is a good way to give it personality. Even old furniture decorated with stained glass looks expensive and luxurious.

   

   Stained glass inserts are appropriate for both living room and kitchen furniture

1. As already mentioned, the plot of the drawing should correspond to the general style and atmosphere of the room.
2. Dark tones and horizontal lines are suitable for spacious rooms with high ceilings; they visually reduce the space.

   

   Dark tones of stained glass create an atmosphere of mystery, but visually reduce the space

3. Stained glass on a mirror is a good choice for small spaces. It will create a perspective of space and visually enlarge the room.

   

   Stained glass on the mirror will create a sense of perspective and expand a small room

4. The abundance of bright colors and colorful images can become boring over time. Take this into account when choosing an ornament.
5. For the bedroom and nursery, it is better to choose calm, light colors that are conducive to relaxation.

   

   For the bedroom it is better to prefer calm tones

6. It is appropriate to decorate the kitchen with a landscape or still life, and the bathroom with a marine theme.

   

   Scenes with fish are suitable for the bathroom

But not every stained glass window can be done independently. There are several types of execution techniques.

Types of equipment

1. Classic or typesetting. The most complex and ancient technique. Colored glass fragments are inserted into metal frames, assembled into a pattern and soldered. The technique requires special tools and skills. Used for large structures and only by professionals.

   

   Stained glass using the classic technique is indispensable for large areas

2. English or film. The pattern is formed on glass from stained glass self-adhesive film. Each fragment is cut out separately and glued to the place determined by the stencil. The pasted fragments are framed with lead tape. With certain skills, you can make such a stained glass window yourself.
3. Fusing. Stained glass is made without a metal frame by sintering multi-colored fragments into a monolithic pattern. It is impossible to make such a stained glass window at home; a special oven with a high temperature is required.

   

   Stained glass using the fusing technique amazes with the brightness of colors and integrity of the composition

4. Tiffany. This technique is similar to the classical one. Pattern fragments are cut out of colored glass and bordered with copper tape. The finished elements are assembled into a pattern and soldered together. This technique is difficult for beginners, but it can be mastered and used at home.

   

   Stained glass using the Tiffany technique successfully replaces the classical technique

5. Sandblasting. It involves processing glass using a stencil with sand supplied under high pressure. The treated areas become matte, and the pattern becomes airy. It cannot be used at home; it requires special equipment.
6. Cast. Each element is cast or blown from glass separately. After this, the fragments are assembled into a picture using reinforcement or mortars. Not used at home.
7. Etching. By etching glass with hydrofluoric acid, deep relief patterns are created. Using this strong acid at home is hazardous to health.
8. Painted stained glass window. The pattern is copied onto the glass and outlined. After the contour of the void has dried, it is painted with stained glass paints.

   

   Using the painted technique you can create real paintings

9. Contour filler. As with the painted technique, the outline of the design is first prepared. After it dries, the voids are filled with a thick layer of paint. If necessary, the paint is leveled with a brush or wooden stick.

   

   The pouring technique most successfully imitates classical styles

Video: making English film stained glass with your own hands

Painted stained glass and contour pouring techniques are the most accessible for self-production. They do not require special knowledge, materials or tools, and can imitate almost any other technique. To make such stained glass windows you only need special paints, accuracy and patience.

Video: do-it-yourself stained glass using the Tiffany technique

What you need to make stained glass

Before you start work, prepare everything you need. For painted and filled stained glass you will need paints.

Paints

Special stained glass or acrylic glass paints are used. They all have their own characteristics.

Acrylic paints

The composition includes three main components: pigment, water and acrylic polymer emulsion. Sold in tubes or jars.

Acrylic paints are sold in jars and tubes

Acrylic paints dry quickly, after which they become durable and resilient. After drying, they are resistant to temperature and humidity changes. It is very difficult to scrape off a dried coating, as well as to remove it with sandpaper.

Acrylic paints dry quickly and are convenient for working at home.

The color of the finished coating is matte and bright. It is not subject to fading and does not fade over time. Paints of different colors can be mixed with each other. The brush should be washed with water immediately after use; if it becomes dry, you will have to use a solvent.

There are two types: fired and unfired. After application, those fired are heated in the oven, harden and become resistant to external influences. The firing temperature is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

Stained glass paints can be fired or unfired

If the paints are not fired, after a week they will dry and harden in the same way as when fired, but before this point there is a risk of smearing them. Paints are water-based, so they are diluted with it. Brushes can also be washed with water.

Unfired paints dry in 1 to 3 days, depending on the manufacturer. The drawing requires fixing by applying a layer of nitro varnish.

These colors are more vibrant. They are thicker due to the synthetic solvent they contain. They fit well and are more convenient to work on vertical surfaces.

Homemade paints

Some craftsmen prefer to use their own paints. They are easy to make yourself from what is sold in construction stores.

1. Based on nitro varnish. NTs-2141 or another similar one is used. Nitrovarnish is diluted with solvent 647 in a ratio of 1 to 0.4. Can be tinted with artistic oil paint or construction paint. The dye is added little by little until the desired color intensity is achieved.
2. Based on BF-2 glue. The glue is diluted twice with acetone and tinted with any alcohol-based dye. This could be ballpoint pen paste or other paint. The emulsion is stirred in a glass container and tested on the glass. If necessary, add paint until the required intensity is achieved.
3. Gelatin based. 5-6 grams of gelatin are brewed with 200 ml of hot water to the consistency of a paste and fabric dye is added. A drawing made from such paint requires fixing with nitro varnish.

In addition to paints, you will need an outline for the work. This is a special thick paste for outlining the borders of a pattern. It imitates metal frames for pieces of smalt in painted and filled stained glass windows.

Circuit

Relief contours are made on a water basis and are sold in tubes. With their help, the drawing is outlined, which is then filled with paints. Can also be used to create a three-dimensional drawing.

Stained glass contours can be used to create a three-dimensional pattern

At home, contour paste can be prepared using PVA glue. To do this, you will need 50 ml of tableware PVA, 20-30 ml of natural black ink (the best is Dutch), 30-40 grams of silver or bronze powder.

Mascara is added to the glue with constant stirring, and then powder until a creamy consistency is obtained. This paste is prepared as needed and is not stored. Stir each time before use. Masters apply it with a brush, forming a roll; for beginners, it is more convenient to use a pastry syringe.

Required Tools

To make stained glass using different techniques, a special tool is required. In drawing and pouring techniques you will need a minimum of it:

• ruler;
• pencil;
• glass marker;
• tassels;
• wooden sticks or toothpicks.

And of course, making stained glass is impossible without a stencil of the design. Let's take a closer look at how to do it.

Stencil for stained glass

A suitable stencil can be purchased at a specialty store or from a stained glass artist. But it’s much more interesting to make a stencil yourself by choosing a suitable sketch.

Do not choose a sketch with many details and voids; such a design will look sloppy on the finished stained glass window.

The image can be downloaded from the Internet and simply printed at the desired scale, taking into account the size of the future stained glass window. Or take a picture or postcard you like and enlarge it to the required size.

Photo gallery: samples of stencils for creating stained glass yourself

Floral motifs never go out of style and are suitable for any room The stencil details are numbered for easy painting of the stained glass window. The lattice complements the flower and gives the design a finished look. Birds are another timeless subject for stained glass

Number the parts of the drawing with the same color. This will help you avoid making mistakes when coloring.

How to enlarge a drawing

1. Draw the pattern into cells with a side of no more than 1 cm.
2. Number the resulting grid vertically and horizontally.
3. Take measurements from stained glass.
4. Transfer the dimensions onto paper.
5. Mark the sheet according to the number of cells in the picture.
6. Draw a grid on the sheet in accordance with the markings.
7. Cell by cell, transfer the image from the postcard onto paper on an enlarged scale.
8. The finished drawing can be adjusted and colors changed.

If you have drawing skills, you can create the pattern yourself. To do this, transfer the dimensions of the future stained glass window onto a sheet of paper and mark the contours of the pattern location. Draw with a simple pencil so that you can correct inaccuracies.

When choosing an image, keep in mind that when enlarged, its proportions may suffer. If necessary, draw the drawing not in squares, but in rectangles.

Draw in the details, you should get a complete picture. Trace the finished drawing along the contour with a ballpoint pen or a thin marker.

Application

Having prepared everything you need, you can begin making stained glass. Make sure that the work surface is level, and remember that the glass may break if handled carelessly.

Making stained glass: step-by-step instructions

To protect yourself from cuts, you can first cover the edges of the glass with masking tape before work.

Video: master class on making stained glass using poured technique

Having mastered the painted and poured techniques, you can try yourself in the English film or fusion technique. This will require a lot of expense, materials and skills, but it's worth it.

Photo gallery: several ideas for placing stained glass windows in the interior

Abstract drawing suitable for high-tech style Floral ornament will decorate the living room windows Stained glass on the bathroom window will add a special atmosphere and protect from prying eyes A geometric pattern for a living room can be easily made using stained glass film The stained glass windows of the landing windows are made in the same style Bay windows are well suited for stained glass The ceiling insert can be decorated with stained glass film

Creating stained glass windows is a creative and exciting activity. Even children can make the simplest stained glass windows. And let your work not be similar to the masterpieces of world painting, but they will bring originality and a piece of your individuality to your home.

All rare styles, except Imperial, can only be found in Veteran zones. The first two, primitive and barbarian styles, can be found in the zone of the second alliance (for us - the Dominion), Ayleid and Daedric, respectively, in the third alliance (for us - the Pact).

Dwemer- it can only be found in containers of Dwemer ruins, either in parts (15 pieces of epic quality) or as a whole (one legendary piece). In addition, it will require material that is obtained from Dwemer mechanisms (mobs) and needs to be refined, meaning you will need at least 10 pieces to be able to refine them and use them. Zivkin- drops from chests in the treasuries of the Imperial City.

Glass- pieces of chapters drop out for completing craft daily tasks, material - from chests throughout Tamriel.

Mercenary style- (in Orsinium) drops with a 40% chance from bronze chests of the Undaunted, with a 50% chance from silver and 60% from gold. The material for it requires knowledge of at least one chapter, in which case the drop rate from the final boss in the veteran dungeon will be 50%, for each subsequent chapter - +4% to the chance. For normal dungeons, the chance is divided by 4.

Akaviri- Sold by Siege merchant for AP.

Ancient Orochi th - drops from enemies in Orsinium publics. Style material is obtained from resource sources in Orsinium.

• Rkindaleft - shields
• Old Orsinium - daggers, boots

Alliance styles- can be found in chests in Cyrodiil and the Imperial City, and materials for them are sold from Siege Merchant for 10,000 AP each (transferable).

Criminal Style(Outlaw) drops from bosses and in the dungeons of Hughes Bane, the material for it (Rogue Soot) - from resource nodes (like in Orsinium).

Withered style(soul-shriven) can be obtained through completing the Cadvell’s Silver quest, and the material for it (Azura plasm) is obtained from chests for completing dolmens.

Trinimac- found in chests for completing daily quests in Orsinium to explore caves. The crafting material for Auric Tusk drops from bosses in Orsinium dungeons (normal).

Malacath- similarly, Trinimac drops in chests for daily, but for killing bosses. Potash crafting material drops from surface bosses in Orsinium.

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