How To Draw Stained Glass Patterns

Thank you all so much for joining me on my very first stained glass web log mail! I never thought I would ever be writing a blog as writing wasn't ever my potent suit but hither I am giving it a get. If yous follow me on social media or know me in the real earth then you know I love sharing tidbits of stained glass information whenever I can to whoever will listen! This Glass Goddess blog was born out of my attempt to share what I knew via weekly posts on Instagram merely information technology chop-chop became obvious to me that information technology'south more than of a visual platform geared towards swiping and tapping and non reading long paragraphs. And let's face up it I can't go on what I accept to say in less than two,200 words (the character limit) thus this blog was established and I tin at present write as many words as I desire. Before I start I want to be sure to preface the beginning of this whole blog to say I am not close to being an expert just an creative person who has spent many hours making stained drinking glass and has a petty flake of noesis to share. My promise is that this blog can provide a niggling more information to you lot and other artists who are looking to try making stained glass. Diving into creating stained glass can seem overwhelming at kickoff glance considering all of the tools it requires and the many steps yous must follow. Simply I'm hither to welcome you with open artillery and desire to be the first to let yous know that it is not complicated at all once you break information technology down. In fact, stained drinking glass is piece of cake plenty for anybody to do, it just takes lots of time, tools, and patience!

How do I find or create my own blueprint?

I thought for this very first Drinking glass Goddess blog post I would scratch the surface of getting started with making stained glass by discussing 1 of the well-nigh important parts most commencement your own project. Picking or creating the pattern! With the very kickoff piece you brand it will be likely that you will be using a template that is provided to you lot by an instructor or online source. If you have express experience, I highly recommend getting comfortable by using a premade pattern on your kickoff project. There are great resources online that offering complimentary downloadable patterns such as Delphiglass.com, Freepatternsforstainedglass.com, and Glasscrafters.com. There are also many sites that offer patterns you tin can pay to download.

Blueprint Picking

That said it's important to know not all designs are free game to use (I learned this the hard way and justly so). Unless the pattern yous detect states that information technology is free or you have permission from the artist to use it, it isn't free to use. I know that seems similar a no brainer typing it out here simply stained drinking glass is a unique art where you lot first learn by copying somebody else's design so it can exist confusing to know what is okay and what isn't okay when information technology comes to patterns if you aren't explicitly told. Unfortunately when I was first began making stained drinking glass I didn't recollect this though/ I wasn't guided correctly by my instructors (they encouraged usa to observe patterns on Pinterest or Google) and I made the large mistake of recreating or artists patterns which to this day I even so get a pit in my stomach thinking nigh how I upset other artists. If you know me the Terminal matter I would always want is to upset somebody and I tried my all-time to make it right by not selling what I re-created, pulling the pictures off my Instagram page, and never using somebody else'due south design e'er again. So if you take not been told before y'all kickoff I will tell you now so you can avoid the uncomfortable feel that I went though, please but use complimentary patterns, purchased patterns, or draw your own designs. If you don't enjoy coming upwards with designs or you really admire another person's blueprint you tin can always reach out to the artist and see if you can recreate their blueprint for practice or pay to utilize their template. Sometimes artists are generous and don't mind this as long as yous practise not sell the piece but practise respect their decision if they say no.

With that all said if you are similar me and don't want to use a pre-made template the next choice is for y'all. If you accept already created a project or two and know what glass cuts are possible/impossible I'd say you lot are fully equipped to start drawing your ain designs. Here's the all-time part too y'all don't have to worry most where you are sourcing your patterns since they are coming from your own caput! When I set out to create my own patterns the beneath are my become to tools with links if you decide to get your own.

*Disclaimer: Equally an Amazon Acquaintance, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support :)

Framing Foursquare Ruler (find on Amazon)
Pencil and a Large eraser (trust me you lot'll need it)
Strathmore Tracing Paper* (find on Amazon)
Tracing Box Light ** (find on Amazon)
Ideas

*Its adept to mention here my method with tracing paper is designed for creating projects under 12in X 12in (by and large sun catchers). With a larger project with you demand a different method and tools, which I will briefly explain towards the stop of this post.

**Very similar to what I utilise to trace my designs

Creating Your Own Pattern/My Tools

With that all said if yous are like me and don't want to use a pre-made template the next option is for you. If y'all have already created a projection or ii and know what glass cuts are possible/impossible I'd say you are fully equipped to outset cartoon your own designs. Here's the best office too you don't take to worry nearly where y'all are sourcing your patterns since they are coming from your own head! When I set out to create my own patterns the

What Should You Make?

Let'southward first talk about coming up with a concept for your projection. Sometimes it comes to you quickly and sometimes it takes a while to determine. If it'due south a very item souvenir for a person or y'all know exactly want to make you tin can skip this part. If you're similar me then sometimes you need a little inspiration via a brainstorming session. To discover my vision I get-go create an thought bank. Pinterest is a peachy online version but personally I prefer to keep an idea folder on my computer, I suppose it's my version of an offline Pinterest board. I like to save images that I really enjoy (funky flowers, cute animals, Colorado nature scenes, Disney and Miyazaki movie characters, colorful patterns that grab my eye, etc.). If y'all're more of an quondam fashioned brainstormer pull out a pen and some paper and begin a list of what you enjoy or gather pictures from magazines/books. Volià now that you take a list of ideas, information technology'due south up to you to narrow in on the moving picture or idea you'd like to plough into a glass blueprint.

Once y'all've finally chosen yous'll need to determine if you'll exist tracing or gratuitous handing your pattern depending on what you are hoping to create. For sake of visualization see beneath 2 by examples of designs I fabricated (the Alice in Wonderland inspired freehand template and The Dog Named Samoa traced template). Once y'all've picked how yous will create your design now comes the difficult part… drawing information technology. When you start this process it'south of import to be realistic with what cuts tin be accomplished and how many single pieces your pattern has. Think of your design as a puzzle, the more than intricate (usually more pieces) the more time it volition accept to consummate. If this is your first time I recommend having less than 30 different pieces.

*Alice In Wonderland Inspired Freehand Design*

The Dog Named Samoa Traced Design (sorry for the black paint) — *The Canis familiaris Named Samoa Traced Blueprint (pitiful for the black paint)*

Free-handing Your Pattern

If you choose to freehand and create a pattern that comes from your mind it'due south time to shoot for the moon and get to drawing. For this method, the Alice in Wonderland inspired template makes for a perfect example. I knew I wanted to have it themed around the cookies she is tempted to swallow in the Disney movie. The first thing I did was draw was the shape I wanted the window to be which was tall and long, I wanted the pinnacle role to be more than rounded and the lesser part to be more foursquare. My framing ruler comes in handy for making certain the height and width stay equal to each other. With pattern drawing its very important to accept verbal measurements or your piece is going to come out kleptomaniacal and information technology will be noticable. Make sure to re-measure and compare your template several times. Touching back on something I mentioned before, this is the reason I draw my designs on tracing newspaper. I can lightly fold my pattern to see if it is symmetrical and if information technology isn't I tin can make an easy aligning!

In one case I had the outside shape of my template drawn I then added the subjects of the window, the cookie pieces. After I added in the cookies it was and then time to break the blueprint into a stained glass puzzle pieces. To reiterate it is VERY important to know at this indicate how glass breaks when its cut. A big thing y'all want to avoid when drawing your lines is drawing interior 90-caste angles. Once you've cut drinking glass you lot volition understand it is impossible to paw cutting whatever piece with a inside 90 degree angle unless you have a lovely band saw to assist you in doing this (discover on Amazon)(I don't reccomend investing one until y'all are selling your work or desire to make a large investment they are expensive). Delight see the fastened pictures beneath that better explain what I am saying. Another important tip to keep in mind is to try to avert having several lines meet in one place. Once you go to soldering you will run into that the more lines you have meeting the bigger the blob of solder will sit at that joint and it won't look very nice. Ultimately the lines you make up one's mind to add and where you add them are completely up to you. When I draw templates I will add lines and then erase…A LOT. Sometimes it takes quite a fleck of guessing and checking to come across what does and doesn't expect visually balanced on paper. The most of import tip I tin can give you though is equally you lot keep the process of adding lines brand sure look at each individual piece and enquire yourself if it is going to be possible to independently cut this piece out. Posing that question to yourself can end upwardly being the difference betwixt having a successful projection and having to head back to the drawing board to change your pattern in one case you lot've started cut!

This angle will not work if you are hand cutting glass — *This bending will not work if you are hand cutting drinking glass*

With too many lines meeting in one place your join will be full of lead solder and will look lumpy most likely — *With too many lines meeting in one place your join will be total of lead solder and will await lumpy nearly likely*

This joint will look nice once soldered — *This joint will wait nice once soldered*

Tracing Your Pattern

When you want to recreate something specific for a stained drinking glass design such as a character from a movie or a pic of your friend'south pet dog, the tracing method is the all-time fashion to create this kind of blueprint. First it is important to find an image or use a picture show you'd similar to employ and make sure the quality is high. A grainy picture volition not exist helpful to your efforts considering when you lot begin tracing as its imperative to see where there are existing natural lines and color changes. Another of import element you'll demand to know is what size you want your piece to be. Depending on how large or small your project is you'll demand to exist sure to print out the picture in the right sizing. If it happens to be much bigger than what a regular printer can handle y'all'll need to go to a local copy shop and have them blow up the image size then print for you (such as FedEx/Role Max).

At present that you have a motion picture that you want to plough into stained glass in the correct sizing it's time to get tracing. I like to use a calorie-free box to assistance me better copy the paradigm. I place my picture down and and so place my tracing paper over information technology and begin to kickoff trace the outside shape of the image. Following that I will so trace whatsoever naturally occuring lines or color changes I see in the picture. If your image is larger than the light box I'd recommend focusing on visually cutting it into halves or thirds and so moving your tracing paper as you go in society to re-create the whole prototype. Once I've got the crude outlines of the prototype I then place the tracing and the original picture side by side to compare likeness. If I feel my design is defective I will become in and add extra lines that I feel will add more shape or capture more of the texture (think for example creating the look of canis familiaris hair).

Another tip to keep in mind when you lot've got the images next is to expect at the lines on the re-create yous drew and ask yourself are those lines possible to cut in glass? At times when I am tracing over a design I find there are pieces with incommunicable angles or are pieces also pocket-size to cut glass for. The best style to remedy this is to make adjustments as needed which means at times choosing to erase some lines all together or redrawing the lines to make more than of an achievable cut. If you are dead assail having the paradigm to lucifer exactly, which there are some great glass artists out there that exercise this beautifully, please know you volition most likely be diving into a big undertaking because you'll accept more pieces resulting in more fourth dimension, and you may demand a ring saw to brand your desired cuts. In my opinion I call up you can achieve a beautiful stained glass piece past making alternative edits as needed.

Larger Projects

If yous're opting to create a larger project than 12in X 12in you will Not want to use tracing paper. Your best option is once more going to an function supply shop and getting your image sized correctly. Be sure to print out one solid copy and if possible print out the 2d copy on clear plastic paper (think of the kind your teachers used on overhead projectors and drew with Vis-A-Vis markers on). If you're unable to use clear plastic newspaper yous'll need to get your hands on some carbon paper/large dark-brown wrapping paper. As a third alternative you tin can always use the tracing lite box to create a second version in pieces. I'll swoop into more than of the logistics of blueprint tracing/transferring in a time to come mail service!

Numbering and Color symbols

Once your blueprint is done it is important to differentiate your pieces from each other with numbering and color-coding. Numbering starting with 1, ii, 3, 4, etc. does the fox for my projects. When it comes to colors I use single alphabetic character symbols such every bit R= Crimson or PP= Purple. Once these are combined they volition appear for example similar R1, R2, PP3, PP4, R5, etc. Note* yous will demand TWO copies of your template considering eventually i of the patterns will be used for cutting drinking glass the other will be your pattern guide. Be certain to write alphabetic character and number labels on BOTH the cutting template and the guide template as you will somewhen use the cardinal to match your pieces back together.

Example of Pattern Lettering. LB = Light Blue, TQ = Turquoise, BR = Brown, DB = Dark Blue — *Example of Blueprint Lettering. LB = Light Bluish, TQ = Turquoise, BR = Brown, DB = Dark Blue*

Final Blueprint Thoughts Before Diving in

Yay you've almost gotten through the whole process of creating a design on your own. The last question I inquire myself when I am close to being done drawing is how am I going to hang this piece? It'due south important to inquire yourself this question because its best to accept this decided earlier you spring in and truthfully it would be a pure nightmare thinking though it at a after fourth dimension when you are say in the middle of soldering your project. Looking at my design I glance at the lines I have already drawn upwards on my pattern to then see where I tin can integrate one loop claw or ii loop hooks. You'll need to exit plenty length on these lines for a small wire to sit down on and eventually have atomic number 82 melted upon it to secure. Run across the below example. If my blueprint has non-symmetrical points, poor weight balance (heavier on i side than the other), or any other effect that will make hanging difficult I will make sure to become back and redraw the lines. A balanced project is a beautiful project and it is totally worth considering this before you start cutting!

Example of How I Plan my Hook Placement — *Example of How I Program my Claw Placement*

Prepare to Create?

Well I recollect you accept all the tools in your belt to exist a great pattern designer. Much of stained glass template cartoon is trial and error fashion learning but you will eventually go the hang of it merely similar I did. There volition be times when yous run into feeling defeated, heck just last night I crumpled a slice of newspaper and threw it across the room in frustration. If I tin can share one terminal piece of advice to yous it is to be patient with yourself. Remember when creating a pattern from tracing or freehand it is hard to keep the images to a perfect likeness. I hateful you are basically turning a crystal articulate film into a grainy colorful puzzle. I say this because information technology is important to take some grace and know that stained glass is supposed to look similar a clunkier, shinier, and more than tangible version of your vision or flick :).

Thanks for reading if you've made it this far! If you have information to add, any questions, or feedback on this postal service please leave a comment below!