glass mosaic tile art studio of william j enslen jr
| Lesson of the Month Page 2 |
Step 3: Draw the Mosaic Pattern
Draw the pattern using a pencil. When it's perfect, go over it with a black felt-tip pen. If you can't draw, don't fret! Refer to the chapter,
Designing and Drawing, in my eBook. Even if you can't legibly write your own name, the chapter on Designing and Drawing teaches you
to easily get your idea on paper. (Yes, it' very easy! Let me show you how!) Figure 4 shows my completed pattern.
Draw the pattern using a pencil. When it's perfect, go over it with a black felt-tip pen. If you can't draw, don't fret! Refer to the chapter,
Designing and Drawing, in my eBook. Even if you can't legibly write your own name, the chapter on Designing and Drawing teaches you
to easily get your idea on paper. (Yes, it' very easy! Let me show you how!) Figure 4 shows my completed pattern.
Please click on the page you'd like to go to next:
| Figure 4. Pattern Drawn on Paper |
Note that I even drew the background shapes on the paper. My preferred background style uses rounded triangular shapes with specific
focal points (refer to the chapter on Backgrounds and Borders for clarification). Planning and drawing each triangular shape ensures I
maintain those focal points throughout the background.
Figure 5 is a closeup of my pattern. Notice that the flower heads are cut from tracing paper. To save time, I drew only one flower head,
traced it three times, cut off the excess paper, and taped each tracing to the pattern paper. All three flower heads in the pattern are actually
the same drawing. To make them appear different, I simply rotated each tracing to a different orientation.
focal points (refer to the chapter on Backgrounds and Borders for clarification). Planning and drawing each triangular shape ensures I
maintain those focal points throughout the background.
Figure 5 is a closeup of my pattern. Notice that the flower heads are cut from tracing paper. To save time, I drew only one flower head,
traced it three times, cut off the excess paper, and taped each tracing to the pattern paper. All three flower heads in the pattern are actually
the same drawing. To make them appear different, I simply rotated each tracing to a different orientation.
| Figure 5. Closeup of the Traced Flower Heads |
Step 4: Secure the Pattern to a Flat Work Surface
Ensure your work surface is flat. Check the tabletop to ensure the laminate doesn’t have bubbles or other imperfections that make it
uneven. It’s frustrating to apply half the tesserae and then hit a bubble that prevents the next tessera from making full contact with the
mesh. If you do find a bubble in your tabletop, turn the table around so the bubble isn’t under the pattern. If the bubble is in the middle of
the tabletop and you can’t avoid it, put a piece of flat plywood or MDF (medium density fiberboard) under the pattern.
Secure the pattern to the flat work surface using painters’ tape.
Step 5: Cover the Pattern with Plastic Wrap or Parchment Paper
Place transparent plastic wrap or translucent parchment paper over the pattern. It should extend liberally over the edges of the tracing
paper. The plastic wrap functions as a protective cover to prevent glue from getting all over your pattern and tabletop. PVA glue won’t
stick permanently to plastic wrap or parchment paper (refer to the chapter, Adhesives, in my eBook for pertinent details about PVA glue).
Secure the plastic wrap to the work surface with painters’ tape. Start at one end and secure the entire edge of that end. Unroll the plastic
wrap until the entire pattern is covered. Carefully cut the wrap so it doesn’t stick to itself. Gently pull the wrap tight over the pattern but
don’t yank it so hard that you separate the other end from the tape. Tape the plastic wrap so it remains fairly tight over the pattern. Don’t
scrimp on the tape; use enough to tightly hold the wrap in place.
If your pattern is wider than the width of the wrap, put down another piece of wrap. Overlap the first piece by at least two inches to
ensure the glue doesn’t squeeze itself onto the pattern.
I prefer plastic wrap (Saran, Glad, or generic work equally well) because it’s transparent so I can easily see the lines on the pattern through
the tracing paper (refer to the chapter, Cutting and Adhering Tesserae, in my eBook). Parchment paper is translucent, which makes it a bit
tougher to see the lines. Try both and use whichever you prefer.
Parchment paper is silicone coated, non-stick, translucent paper typically used in baking. You can buy it in almost any grocery store, and
comes in a long rectangular box, like tin foil. Transparent plastic wrap is used for sealing food in containers. PVA glue won’t adhere to
either product. When the glue dries, simply peel away the paper/plastic. The result is a mesh backed sheet of tesserae similar to mosaic
bathroom tile.
Step 6: Cover the Plastic Wrap with Mesh
Place the mesh over the plastic wrap, extending it beyond the edges of the pattern. Tightly secure the mesh to the work surface with
painters’ tape as you did with the plastic wrap.
When everything is secured flat and tight without any ridges, bumps, bubbles, or folds, use painters’ tape to outline the edge of the mosaic
area (i.e., the rectangular outline of the backsplash area). This clearly defines the area in which all tesserae must remain. No part of any
piece of tessera can extend off the mesh onto the tape.
Figure 6 (on the next page) shows the results of Step 4 through Step 6.
Ensure your work surface is flat. Check the tabletop to ensure the laminate doesn’t have bubbles or other imperfections that make it
uneven. It’s frustrating to apply half the tesserae and then hit a bubble that prevents the next tessera from making full contact with the
mesh. If you do find a bubble in your tabletop, turn the table around so the bubble isn’t under the pattern. If the bubble is in the middle of
the tabletop and you can’t avoid it, put a piece of flat plywood or MDF (medium density fiberboard) under the pattern.
Secure the pattern to the flat work surface using painters’ tape.
Step 5: Cover the Pattern with Plastic Wrap or Parchment Paper
Place transparent plastic wrap or translucent parchment paper over the pattern. It should extend liberally over the edges of the tracing
paper. The plastic wrap functions as a protective cover to prevent glue from getting all over your pattern and tabletop. PVA glue won’t
stick permanently to plastic wrap or parchment paper (refer to the chapter, Adhesives, in my eBook for pertinent details about PVA glue).
Secure the plastic wrap to the work surface with painters’ tape. Start at one end and secure the entire edge of that end. Unroll the plastic
wrap until the entire pattern is covered. Carefully cut the wrap so it doesn’t stick to itself. Gently pull the wrap tight over the pattern but
don’t yank it so hard that you separate the other end from the tape. Tape the plastic wrap so it remains fairly tight over the pattern. Don’t
scrimp on the tape; use enough to tightly hold the wrap in place.
If your pattern is wider than the width of the wrap, put down another piece of wrap. Overlap the first piece by at least two inches to
ensure the glue doesn’t squeeze itself onto the pattern.
I prefer plastic wrap (Saran, Glad, or generic work equally well) because it’s transparent so I can easily see the lines on the pattern through
the tracing paper (refer to the chapter, Cutting and Adhering Tesserae, in my eBook). Parchment paper is translucent, which makes it a bit
tougher to see the lines. Try both and use whichever you prefer.
Parchment paper is silicone coated, non-stick, translucent paper typically used in baking. You can buy it in almost any grocery store, and
comes in a long rectangular box, like tin foil. Transparent plastic wrap is used for sealing food in containers. PVA glue won’t adhere to
either product. When the glue dries, simply peel away the paper/plastic. The result is a mesh backed sheet of tesserae similar to mosaic
bathroom tile.
Step 6: Cover the Plastic Wrap with Mesh
Place the mesh over the plastic wrap, extending it beyond the edges of the pattern. Tightly secure the mesh to the work surface with
painters’ tape as you did with the plastic wrap.
When everything is secured flat and tight without any ridges, bumps, bubbles, or folds, use painters’ tape to outline the edge of the mosaic
area (i.e., the rectangular outline of the backsplash area). This clearly defines the area in which all tesserae must remain. No part of any
piece of tessera can extend off the mesh onto the tape.
Figure 6 (on the next page) shows the results of Step 4 through Step 6.
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