Choosing A Pattern
The most important step in starting a stained glass project is choosing a pattern. There are lots of resources available from free patterns online to books with hundreds of copyright free patterns. Check out some good pattern books at the Best Stained Glass Art Store. Be sure to also look at our guide to creating your own pattern from a photograph.
I personally like using photographs to create my own patterns. Photographs offer several advantages over some of the pre-made patterns you will find. They also have some disadvantages for beginning artists if the picture has a lot of shapes and colors. You do not have to be a great artist to create a pattern from a photograph. Check out the section about Creating A Photograph Pattern to learn more.
Keeping it simple for your first few pieces is usually a good idea. It is easy to get discouraged if a really complicated pattern is chosen and it does not turn out as well as expected. When thinking about what kind of pattern you would like to try, there are several things to consider:
What is your basic skill level
Who is the intended audience
How much time do you want to spend on the project
How will the final artwork be displayed
What is your basic skill level:
If this is going to be your first attempt at creating stained glass art, choosing the correct pattern to match your skill set is important. For beginners, a pattern with less than 15 pieces is about right to start with. This will keep the time investment low and allow you to progress through the project and not feel like it is taking forever. Patterns that have lots of straight lines will be easier than patterns with a lot of curves. While curvy patterns may look more appealing, they are more difficult to get the glass cut out. Visit Glass Cutting Techniques to learn more about cutting stained glass. Many beginner level pattern books have patterns that have been selected for those that are starting to develop their skills. They contain patterns that have a relatively low number of pieces and straight lines, or have long, smooth, easy to cut curves.
Remember, stained glass is not as difficult as you may think. It takes both practice and patience. Keeping your first few projects simple will help you gain confidence in your new skills. If, for some reason they do not turn out as well as you had hoped, you will not have spent a great deal of time on them. However, do not get discouraged if your first few are not art gallery caliber, very few first attempts are. Just keep trying, you will get better! Below are examples of first attempts. Notice that the flower has a lot of curves and a couple of complex pieces in the flower base. This led to all the pieces of glass not fitting together very well and making soldering the project together more complicated. This also lead to uneven solder lines. The geometric shape on the right was also a first attempt. This pattern is all straight lines making cutting the glass easier. This allowed for all the pieces to fit nicely together and create nice looking and more uniform solder lines.
 |
 |
Who is the indended audience:
There are lots of reasons to make stained glass artwork: personal, to give as a gift, sell at craft shows, etc. While this may seem like a trivial thing the think about before starting your project, it is important to know. If you are going to make the art for personal display, then anything to your liking can be used. On the other hand, if you are planning on selling the art work at a craft sale, then patterns should be chosen that will appeal to a large number of people. Also, if you plan on making several of the same pattern so as you sell one, you can replace it, then a fairly simple design will make the time required to create each one shorter. Giving stained glass art as a gift to a loved one is very rewarding. However, you should keep in mind what the recipients likes and dislikes are. If your friend really enjoys outside fish ponds, you could do a pattern of some Koi fish in a pond. Knowing your audience will make your stained glass more popular and enjoyed by many.
How much time do you want to spend on the project:
Stained glass artwork does require some time investment. Depending on the type of pattern and its complexity, the time required to finish a project can range from a few hours to a few days. For beginners, it is usually best to start simple. This will keep the time investment to a minimum and allow you to gain confidence in your new skills. As I have mentioned earlier, it is easy to choose a really neat looking pattern that is much too complex for the beginner. This leads to artwork that does not meet expectations and can be quite discouraging to the artist. I strongly suggest starting with a few simple patterns before moving on to more complicated pieces. Another advantage to simple patterns is they do not take as long to do. This means that you can make several pieces in the same time as a complicated one. Practice really does make perfect. The general skills required for making simple patterns are the same for making the complicated patterns. Simple, quick designs allow you to build your skills faster. The time investment spent early in the learning process will pay dividends when you start tackling the more intricate patterns later on.
How will the final artwork be displayed:
There are countless ways to display stained glass artwork. Knowing ahead of time how you intend to display the art will help you choose an appropriate pattern. Some stained glass panels are framed and hung on the wall, others are hung in windows to catch the sunlight. For example, a round pattern might work better as a sun catcher hanging in a window rather than being framed and hung on the wall. Other patterns might look better in a shadow box than hanging in the window. It really comes down to personal preference, but keep the end in mind when beginning your project.
Remember, choosing a pattern that matches your skill is very important. Do not get discouraged if your first piece of art is not up to your standards. Knowing your audience will make your artwork more enjoyed by everyone. Stained glass artwork can make a very personal gift that will be cherished for a long time. Keeping to simple, quick, easy-to-do patterns will allow you to quickly build up not only your skills, but also your confidence. Leave the more complicated patterns for later. Always keep the end in mind when choosing a pattern. You want the display method to complement your work and really make it stand out.
Do not forget to check out some great pattern books at the Best Stained Glass Art Store:
Also be sure to check out our guide to Creating A Photograph Pattern.
Once you have chosen a pattern, the next lesson is on Glass Cutting Techniques.
Step-By-Step Project Guide:
What is your basic skill level:
I am creating this as though I am new to stained glass art to illustrate the steps in creating a stained glass panel. This means I am going to choose a simple design.
Who is the intended audience:
The intended audience for the finished piece is for personal display. This means I can choose a design that I am going to like.
How much time do you want to spend on the project:
I would like to spend less than one full day creating this artwork. This means that there should be a small number of work pieces.
How will the final artwork be displayed:
This project will be framed and set on the coffee able. This means that the edges do not have to be perfectly aligned since they will be hidden behind the frame.
After answering the above questions, I have selected a pattern that has all straight cuts and 10 pieces. This will make my time investment fairly low and the straight cuts will make it easier to fit all the pieces together snugly. Also, because this will be for my personal display, I can choose any color combination that I like.
