Creating A Photograph Pattern
If you have searched for patterns at Stained Glass Patterns and cannot find what you are looking for, then creating your own pattern from a photograph is another great option. Not only does this allow you to create stained glass artwork that is truly unique, but you will have a lot of fun searching through all your pictures. It can also be a lot of fun walking around with your camera capturing anything and everything you see that might turn into your next piece.
When selecting a photograph, there are a few things to consider if this is your first time. First, there should not be too much detail in the picture. Very small pieces are difficult to cut out and soldered together. Second, there should not be too many colors. A busy photograph will be more difficult than a simple one. Third, pictures of people are generally not a good choice as they can be very hard to get looking right. People’s faces transition from one color to another and from one shape to another so gradually, it can be difficult to choose where the solder lines will go. Below are three photographs that would make excellent candidates for a pattern.
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Once you have a photograph, take a piece of tracing paper, or copy paper and tape it over the picture. Using a light box that illuminates the picture from the back, or a well lit window, trace the picture onto the paper with a pencil taking as much detail from the photograph as you like. Remember, try to keep it simple for your first few patterns. When everything you want is copied onto the tracing or copy paper, remove the photo. Take a look at your new pattern. Inspect it for any difficult cuts that will need to be made after being transferred to the glass such as inside corners or very sharp curves. Use an eraser to edit lines that you feel should be moved or eliminated altogether. It is your pattern, modify it until you feel it is just right. The more you do, the better you will get at recognizing difficult cuts and lines that are not quite right. Another technique that works well is to photocopy the picture in grey scale and use a dark marker to outline everything you like in your pattern. The dark marker makes it easier to transfer to the glass later on.
When trying this technique for the first time, keep it simple. Pictures with less detail and color will make the process easier. It can be very easy to get carried away with details when tracing a photograph. You must be aware that you are going to be cutting each piece out of glass in the next step and do not want something complicated. Try and remove as much detail as you can but still have the pattern look like what it is supposed to when finished.
Below is an example of a photograph that was turned into a stained glass panel. Note that not all the details were carried over and the sun was added because the roof of the barn created an inside corner in the skyline making a very difficult cut.
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Now that you have a pattern, visit Glass Cutting Techniques for the next step in the process.
