Get fired up for advanced design techniques that invigorate your artistic spirit. You’ve loved making all the simple projects. Now experience the thrill of breaking away from familiar shapes to create striking free form fused glass designs.
The fastest and easiest way to make free form project profiles is to reinvent the square, rectangle, and circle. Start simple with the basic shapes and add your own twist. Put notches in a square, put curves in the straight edges of a rectangle, give your circle a free form shape. Using exciting new shapes will elevate your fused glass from functional to fine art.
Take it a step farther and get creative combining slumping molds to make one-of-a-kind bowls and vases. Design your projects with these concepts in mind and you’ll immediately see an increase in the visual intricacy of your artwork. The possibilities are endless.
A Winning Combination
Combine different unique shapes and your work will go from ordinary to extraordinary. Then reshape the fused glass by slumping or draping it on a combination of molds and other kiln furniture. There are no rules. Just make it your own and you’ll come out a winner.
Once you integrate these design concepts into your work, you’ll be amazed how quickly your work rises to a higher level of sophistication. And in the process, thinking in a broader scope will open the door to all new, exciting possibilities.
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You may know, I studied fine art in college. Art classes were the only classes I excelled in and so I filled my schedule with everything from art history to weaving. Art history was an 8:00 am class I slept through more than I should have. While my oil painting class in the afternoon always had my full attention. To this day, I love the smell of paint and the limitless possibilities of a dripping brush in my hand.
Now, I apply the art theory principles I learned all those years ago in my painting class to the development of my fused glass artwork.
You can too! It’s easy.
You just have to put purposeful thought into how you approach your glass work.
There are several design tips I consider using when I start a project. Creating a light source is ideal for patterns with realistic subject matter like this octopus. As you can see, the addition of highlights and dark shadows opposite them really bring this exotic ocean dweller to life. So, how do you achieve this level of sophistication?
One step at a time.
Frit is an amazing tool for glass artists who want to give their pieces gradual color changes that produce one-of-a-kind designs with a painterly quality.
I drew this octopus design for a large mosaic project. It turned out beautifully. The stretching image was so powerful I knew I had to find another use for this whimsical pattern.
This specific design is also a great example of how easily you can repurpose a pattern. You can make the pattern smaller and use a different glass assembly technique to get further enjoyment out of a favorite design.
At first glance, this design looks busy and difficult to make. But if you break down the stages into steps, the creative process is manageable and even fun.
When deciding exactly how to build this design, it made sense to cut the blue background out of sheet glass. This would give the design a pleasing solid field of color that would enhance the fluid movement of my focal point, the octopus.
It would have been time consuming and difficult to cut sheet glass for the octopus tentacles and body. I decided the fastest, easiest, and most visually exciting way to render these areas would be with the application of frit. With frit I could create shading and visual texture that would beautifully contrast and pop out from the sharp confines of the blue water background. This piece is made using two layers of fusible glass. The base layer is white. I cut the second, blue glass layer with a wet saw. The cut blue layer is then stacked on the white base layer and held in place with a small amount of fuser’s glue. Once dry, the glue prevents the blue glass pieces from moving. This is an important step as it ensures you have clean edges and strong line quality around the octopus body and tentacles.
Applying the frit.
My daughter did a fabulous job applying the frit. We started with a course orange opal frit on the right side of the octopus’s body and tentacles. Moving to the left, we gradually added a fine orange opal followed by a fine marigold yellow opal frit. We then added fine bright yellow opal, concentrating it on the left side of the tentacles and the upper left side of the octopus’s head. This bright yellow established the direction of the light source in the upper left hand corner of the design. The use of different shades of color and different frit sizes increases the visual depth and fullness of this design.
Now for the shadows.
Highlights like these are stronger and more effective when contrasted by deep shadows. We applied fine dark red opal frit on the right side of the tentacles and where the tentacles join the body. Fine purple frit was used to create darker shadows where the tentacles overlap and where they disappear behind the octopus’s body.
This artwork was full fused. The completed piece was glued into a 15 inch metal serving tray. This pattern can easily be made smaller, and you will have the same great results.
Tips for working with frit.
Apply larger size frit first then fill in the gaps with smaller frit of different color.
Start with a small amount. You can always add more as needed.
Apply the frit with purpose. Plan your direction and the way the colors will transition from one to another.
Create color gradients using different shades of the same color frit.
Mix colors for added interest.
Don’t be skimpy. Apply a thick layer to hide the white glass base layer below.
Take your time and enjoy watching your colorful design develop.
Be bold. Have fun!
You got this!
I hope this artistic insight empowers you to work with frit and create striking original pieces of art.
Happy Fusing!
Lisa & Niki
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When I open myself to inspiration and begin the design process for a new piece of art, my first consideration is the focal point. I ask myself, what key element do I want to include to drive the design direction? Once I’ve established the subject matter, I wonder, what can I do to enhance my focal point to make my composition stronger?
I then imagine my subject in different settings. I tap into my mood that day? Do I envision my design going in a geometric direction with complex shapes or do I feel like building a tropical scene with lush foliage? Once I decide my path, I plan the best way to reach my destination.
Creating the subject is easy.
I know from the start what I want to make, so I begin construction with that. When it comes to establishing a background that creates a relevant setting for the subject, I have several fabrication options. I can surround the subject with a decorative border, leaves, or any other related shape. I select design elements that complement my subject and support my design vision. This type of design style is literal. The objects are recognizable and translate the artist’s intention easily, which is great.
But sometimes I feel my design would benefit from a more subtle approach to the background. In that case, I create an entirely different complimentary design on the base layer. It’s fun, easy and an extremely effective way to enhance a simple pattern. In effect, the base layer is no longer just mass or a platform to build on. With this easy to apply technique the base layer now offers the clever artist an opportunity to create a more intricate design with greater depth.
Daisy Dish is a great example of the beauty of this multi-layer design technique. By applying this technique, we introduce color, create pattern, and present a lush setting in just a few easy steps.
How it’s done.
This project is made with two design layers. The base layer is white. We sifted pastel powder frit over stencils to create a botanical background. The second clear layer is placed on top. Daisy flower petals are then arranged on a clear layer. The white flowers are detailed with yellow frit. Building this way, with parts of the design separated by the clear layer produces cool shadows and a greater sense of depth. This innovative technique has a lot of potential. It’s prefect for creative experimentation that ultimately illuminates pathways to exciting new design ideas.
Daisy Dish is the newest addition to my Premium Video Membership course. Members can assess this tutorial with their membership. Join today to enjoy this lovely project along with 16 other exciting, advanced glass fusing project videos and complimentary printable pattern eBooks.
Wherever you are on your journey you’re doing great! Enjoy the journey. The destination will take care of itself.
The idea of programing your own kiln can be frightening, intimidating and possibly the reason you haven’t fired up your new baby yet. I’m here to help you move past your crippling fears. Let me guide you to the empowering realm of control where you’ll enjoy the thrills of blissful creativity. It’s a magical place where time stands still for you and dichroic unicorns do exist.
To start, what type of kiln are you using?
Glass kilns come in many shapes and sizes handmade by skilled manufacturers.
There are many types of awesome kilns out there that can help bring your vision to life. There are small, table top kilns that can be used virtually anywhere and large industrial sized kilns like my “Big Blue” that can take up half your work space! Invest in a kiln that fits you and your space!
But first you have to understand the foundation of glass fusing programs.
A firing guide is a step-by-step schedule to fire glass of a certain size and thickness to achieve a specific result. Firing guides are carried out in steps called segments. Larger, thicker projects have more conservative firing guides with more segments. The rate per hour indicates how quickly the kiln should change temperature in an hour. Temperature is the target temperature the kiln will be taken to for a specific purpose. The hold time indicates how long the kiln will remain at a certain temperature to achieve the desired results.
Kiln controllers.
Note. Not all kiln controllers work the same. This is intended to simplify the overall theory for you. It’s best to refer to your kiln manufacturer’s owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to operate your kiln.
When programing a kiln you’ll enter several pieces of information in order to write a program. Controllers can hold and retain several programs. Therefore, the first number the kiln will request is the program number. Then it will request the number of segments you want to use. It will then ask for the rate, the temperature increase you want per hour. Next it will request the hold time, how long you want the kiln to stay at that temperature to achieve the desired results.
If you have entered more than one segment you repeat the above steps for every segment in your program.
The great thing about having a controller is it retains your information to use again in the future. In my studio, I have several kilns of varying sizes. To avoid confusion and mistakes, I hang a list of the programs in each kiln next to the kiln. Then when I fire glass, I can quickly find the appropriate program and access it with confidence.
To help clarify the kiln programing process and steps I’ve included my three most common programs here.
Make no mistake, you’re brave to enter the creative and mysterious world of glass fusing. Therefore, I know you have what it takes to program your own kiln. You got this!
Wherever you are in your journey you’re doing great! Keep learning. Keep sharing. Keep creating beautiful pieces of art.
Fusing glass is amazing. We fusers cut glass and super heat it to make cool designs all our own. Solid colors make bold projects, but once you start playing with frit and see all the new and exciting possibilities, you’ll be eager to add this small material to all your big projects.
Frit is crushed fusible glass. Oceanside Compatible frit comes in 5 grain sizes: powder, fine, medium, course and mosaic. Each size is available in 8.5 oz. and 4 lb. jars. Each frit size has unique visual characteristics that you can push to ramp up your fused glass projects. Let’s go over the many possibilities one size at a time.
Party Animals by Lisa Vogt
Powder
Powder has the silky consistency of confectioners’ sugar. It appears smooth and has uniform color coverage after fusing. Powders can be used as filler between cut glass pieces, to add shading, to add patterns and even as a repair tool. I use powder when I want super strong color saturation along with multiple color blends.
Shere Power is a great example. Wherever I wanted tight control over my line quality and solid color saturation, I used cut glass to represent the design. The cut glass was fixed to a clear base glass with fuser’s glue. The glue keeps the pieces from moving when applying the frit. Once the glue was dry, I poured powder frit between the pieces and blended the colors with a wide, dry paint brush and a palate knife. The blended powders give the art a beautiful painterly quality that dramatically contrasts the solid color fields surrounding it.
Other fun uses include using powder to add shadows to a solid base color. Apply medium and dark green powder on top of light green glass to add shading to your design. Or sift the powder over a stencil to add a crisp and intricate pattern to your project.
One of my favorite uses for powder is to fill inconvenient gaps between my cut glass pieces. Think of it like grouting tile. It’s easy and effective. Work a small amount of powder into the gaps with a narrow paint brush. For added pop, use a bright color that contrasts your design’s color palate.
Powder Pros: It’s fast and easy to create subtle or dramatic color blends that support your specific creative vision. Adding shading and pattern is a snap.
Powder Cons: Cleanup is time consuming. The powder requires meticulous cleanup to ensure the surrounding solid glass color isn’t muddied. After removing any excess power with a brush, I go over the surface of the glass with the corner of a damp towel or a damp Q-tip depending upon the size of the surface area being cleaned.
Tips for working with powder
Don’t be skimpy when you use powder frit. For bright vivid colors, it’s necessary to fill the space between your cut glass pieces to the top edge, in effect making the frit 1/8 inch thick.
Be daring and use high contrast colors, they display better in the finished piece.
Opal glass colors tend to give a more dramatic effect than transparent colors.
Know your glass colors. Powder frit specifically, looks lighter in the jar than the actual glass color. Light blue and dark blue look the same just as transparent light green and opal dark green look the same. If you’re not sure of the intensity or opacity of a powder, look at a larger size frit like, medium or course. Or find a piece of sheet glass with the same color code number, compare it to the frit and the frit color and shade will be obvious. Powder in high concentration, like in a casting mold, looks milky after fusing. If you want to use powder in a mold, layer it with clear in medium, course or mosaic size frit. Using this technique will improve the transparency of the cast glass project.
Fine Frit
Fine frit has the consistency of granulated sugar. It appears grainy, like small uniform dots after fusing. Like powder, fine can be used to fill gaps between cut pieces of glass. The larger grain size makes it faster and easier to clean up than powder. Fine is also great for shading when you want a slight textural look to the shadows.
Fine Pros: Cleanup is fast and easy. In the same application, it takes less material to do the same job with fine than it does with powder. Fine is a great filler to use between larger frit. It gives you complete color coverage and prevents the base glass from peeking through.
Fine Cons: Color blends within this same size have a grainy appearance after fusing.
Tips for working with Fine
Use both transparent and opal glasses together for greater visual depth and to create shading.
Use fine frit together with other frit sizes to produce visual textures.
Medium Frit
Medium frit has the texture of course sand. When fused, medium frit retains the sand-like visual appearance. I use this size frit when I want to fill in larger areas with strong color quickly. It can also be used to create shading and color blends provided you welcome variations in the coverage which depend on how much frit or how little frit is applied.
Medium Pros: Medium frit provides you with quick, easy coverage of large areas with strong color saturation.
Medium Cons: This frit has a grainy look, and the base glass may peek through the frit unless your layer is thick.
Tips for working with Medium
Use both transparent and opal glasses in combination for greater visual depth and to create shading.
Use medium and fine frit together for new color blends and to add visual texture.
Course Frit
Course frit has the consistency of small pebbles. The pebble look remains after fusing. This frit is great for filling large areas where you want visual texture to contrast solid fields elsewhere in the project.
Course Pros: Course frit covers a lot of area fast, and it leaves an appealing pattern behind after firing.
Course Cons: The base glass will be visible between this larger size grain.I fill in around course with both medium and fine frit to intensify the color and hide the base.
Tips for working with Course
Use both transparent and opal glasses in combination for greater visual depth and to create shading.
Use fine and medium frit together with course to produce pleasing textures.
Mosaic Frit
Mosaic has a wide variety of glass shapes and sizes within the jar. This frit leaves a vein-like impression after fusing. I use mosaic when I have a lot of space to fill and when I want to create an organic pattern.
Tips for working with Mosaic
Clear glass layered on top of a color dilutes the color below. It’s like adding water to paint. I like to put clear mosaic pieces on top of select elements in my work to create subtle, lighter variations in the original glass color.
During assembly, glue the mosaic pieces down with fusers glue so they don’t move when you fill in the spaces in between.
Use both transparent and opal glasses in combination for greater visual depth and to build interest.
Use fine, medium and course frit to fill gaps and produce interesting color combinations and exciting textures.
Put it all Together
Frit is a terrific medium for making landscapes or other images where you want to create an engaging depth of field. In nature, objects in the distance are lighter in color, and they visually have less detail. When making landscapes, I use the different frit sizes to emphasize those subtle differences.
I use powder to render the sky because I can get smooth, gradual color changes. I use fine frit to create the tree line and other filler foliage in the distance. The grain size stands out in front of the powder and yet doesn’t compete with the foreground. Medium frit works well for the mid-range elements that require more intricate detail, like bushes or flowers. Course frit is well suited for objects in the foreground, such as flowering plants or sweeping trees. These design elements carry more visual weight and tie the design together. Mosaic frit is great for specific up-close subject matter like a path or bridge. Such solid, recognizable focal points lure the viewer into the design.
Oceanside Compatiblefrit comes packed in 8.5 oz. and 4 lb. jars. For the larger sizes like course and mosaic you may consider crushing your own frit. The advantage to working from the jars though, is you have uniform sizes within the jars and one single color throughout. Plus, there’s no risk of contaminants like dirt or metal shavings that are present when you crush your own glass. Personally, I prefer to jump right into the design and fabrication phases rather than spend time swinging a hammer and sifting glass.
I hope this round-up entices you to start incorporating frit in your new work. It’s such a versatile and easy to apply material. You’ll love the creative flexibility if affords.
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