im just starting to learn about stained glass. i didnt realize that it was painted. i thought people bought colored glass. i suppose many do these days. i really love seeing these big pieces and how the traditional way was done.
I know someone who uses colored glass,often textued also.This glass is sometimes multi colored almost like tie-dye and it's colored all the way through.
MiauxCatterie, I felt the same way. I grew up going to Catholic Schools all my life across the US east coast and I was always curious about the stained glass windows in the churches. But I do believe many people actually do use different color glass with different textures. But I did t realize that painting them was also done too.
Very inspiring tradition, skill, and talent. May God Bless the works of your hands. Wish we had these professions (Glass Staining & Stone Masonry) here in Fiji for Methodist Chapels. Wonder if Pacific Tapa designs work with these Glass windows?
Hi there, less of a glass artist and more of a story/cartoon artist here. Trying to learn more about glass properties for a story. I've learned there are a lot of different thicknesses and types for different purposes. By any chance do you ever have to vary the types you use in stain-glass making, or it the same kind shown in the video for most/every project? On another note I really admire how much work you've had to put into color theory. Feels like after all this time I'm finally getting a bit better with it myself. Yet I can't help but notice how many colors, shades, and saturation levels your balancing in your designs. It feels so easy to let something get out of control or look muddy with that many colors. Your art strikes me as balanced and thoughtful in this part of the process - or well... every facet really.
Thanks for your feedback. Glass thickness can vary between pieces, especially if it’s hand made mouth blown sheet glass ( sometimes called cylinder glass). The thickness can vary from 2mm up to about 5mm in any sheet. 🙂
@@DerekHuntArtist We are good and hope you are as well. We think the livestreams build a loyal audience and we love getting to know our subscribers. We’re enjoying the journey and trying to make it as stress free as possible because the glass studios are thriving!
@@DerekHuntArtist I love to watch Ed, Barb at ARTyRV on Mondays and would love your channel as well....The Conway crew and I would love to come to your studio for hmmmm ED you said a month or two sounds good to me .....
I wanted to do one like this in Kuwait. The shops seemed unprofessional. They asked me to send the dimensions and the drawing I want, and that's it. I feel this needs input from an expert about how the drawing should be. And they don't seem to cut the glass, just paint it as if it's pieces. Is that a common cheaper option?
It sounds like they are not offering traditional stained glass but some sort of fake stained glass. This video shows how to make it the traditional way 🙂
@@DerekHuntArtist That was my impression as well, and glad to get confirmation. Alas I think the traditional in our country isn't profitable in high enough demand to make it viable business.
Protestant stained glass is so impersonal. Vibrancy in the art is not only in design and color but in the story communicated. Mere symbols don’t communicate a narrative. Saints in their settings and depictions of biblical stories bring a vitality to the interaction with the viewer.
As a fellow scot and animator... I had two generations of family who were Stained Glass Artists who worked in the Edinburgh 'James Ballantine & Son' studio's in the 1950's. It is something i've been considering learning... as the skills weren't transferred down to my parents. This video is invaluable to me, as I get to see how skilled the entire process is. This it is kind of like stepping back in time to see how my great-grandfathers did it. Absolutely inspiring.
Hi Mike, thank you so much for your support and great to hear about your family connection to stained glass. I have worked on Ballantine windows in the past and remember them being great windows. Best wishes, Derek
@@DerekHuntArtist I am so relieved that artists such as yourself are still conserving and restoring historic windows like the Ballantine's! My Great-Grandfather was Alexander Kerr, he worked on and created quite a modest handful of windows around Scotland. My most treasured heirlooms of his are the client presentation cards/mounts. I am truly awe-struck by this video as I see so much of that process laid out, I often wish I had been born early enough to have known him and see his craft. I particularly found the dreaded 'cementing' stage you describe very interesting... also not knowing that the colour was directly painted on then kilned. I actually work in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, and I am constantly surrounded by stained glass windows most days. Their ambience generates such a different atmosphere with each passing sunrise, sunset and season, it is very noticeable. P.s - I know I am 'going on a bit' but couldn't help notice in an earlier message you mentioned you studied Glass at ECA, likewise I spent my studies there - small world! (...and newly subscribed!)
@@Mike-gd4zd St Giles Cathedral is fantastic, full of amazing stained glass, including the Robert Burns west window by the Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjord ( who also studied at ECA) 🙂
such a wonderful art form , always i remember as a child how the sun shining through the stained glass windows of Sunday school sent the coloured rays of sunlight over us all , as we sang all things bright and beautiful.
Kind of tricked me. Thought you were going to show how to mix paint, what type is used, what temp and how long to kiln. Its probably in the classes you offer. My bad. Nice video. Tantilizing. Cheers!
I have always wanted to study this craft with a professional.Have the design ideas I want to make for my master bedroom windows.Where is your studio and do you accept apprentices or teach “hands on”for making my desired project a reality?
Hi Kathleen, although I don't take on apprentices, I do offer Leaded Glass Taster Days in person at my studio in Leicestershire UK. A number of students have done that course before doing their own personal projects. You can find out more about these caasses here www.limelightstudios.co.uk/courses
This is first time, I got to learn how stained glass is made. I have seen, admired and loved it at church many times, but never ventured to find out how its made. Its beautiful stuff needing great attending to detail and of course a lot of creativity.
Thank you, and so pleased you've been able to learn something new about stained glass. Please remember to subscribe to my channel for lots more information about using stained glass creatively !
You can download my free guide to tools and equipment you'll need to start making stained glass, Here's the link www.derekhuntartist.com/opt-in-398d3924-9cb0-4cf3-b779-dfc408e05b42
Any videos about details in each step? Example: You mention putting the glass in a kiln and firing them multiple times, but what temp? Any other properties to consider? I ask, because although I don't do stained glass window making, I want to incorporate stained glass in paintings I make, but want to ensure the glass pieces come out close to (or exactly) how I want them. Thank you!!! Subscribed.
Have a look at my “How to” list of videos as there are different one relating to glass painting. Link here ru-vid.com/group/PLlmn4awWkhCl_E_XjxP2_Q4A3BvU-1CGq&si=vYiO8tSBAI0YC5ik
Hi Matheus, I draw all my designs by hand then scan them into photoshop and create layers so I can move parts of the image around. I don’t use Procreate but other glass artists do. 🙂
Yes you can get lead poisoning from working with lead. You will need to take care and protect yourself from ingesting any lead through breathing it in or not washing your hands before preparing or eating food. There are other things you need to stay safe, so I suggest you spend time looking into this carefully before you start 🙂
I was recently really closely examining the stained glass in the church I attend. Many of the windows were imported from Germany (I attend a conservative Lutheran church in the USA) and are about a century old. I noticed the fact that the glass was painted and I could actually feel the texture of the paint as I ran my fingers over the glass. It had never even occurred to me that this was the case so I thought that was cool. Another thing I noticed was that some of the joints where pieces were leaded together made no sense to me. In some cases the lead seemed to outline particular pieces like heads and the like. In other cases the joints just seemed arbitrary to me. Of course I admit that I am in no way an artist and maybe they were made that way for some artistic reason that I am unaware of. In any case examining the windows up close has lead me to a curiosity of sorts about the process so I appreciate this small glimpse in to the process.
Very interesting to see you painting & firing the glass multiple times to get the colour/effect you want. I didn't realize that was an option. Do the colours change much when fired? All of your windows look beautiful :)
Generally the glass stays the same colour, however there are some colours which change a little when fired. Mostly they are the selenium yellows and oranges which become a little darker when fired.
I think if you were to make a video for each step, it would really help or inspire others to try this awesome art. Like detailing what tools you use, what sort of paper you use, and even what type of pencil you use. I know there would be a lot of videos but I think that would really give others an idea of what it takes to become an artist such as yourself. Hope you do as I would watch them. Thank you for the video
Hi Jackie, great suggestion. I am making a video at the moment of all the stages of making a new window, so will try to include as much info as possible ( without making the video too long!) Thanks for your support.
@@DerekHuntArtist thank you for your response, I will be looking forward to seeing the videos. I think that your art is a bit complicated and to make it a little easy to digest. When I was watching, I was thinking, this is way too complicated. I thought maybe if you can explain each step in detail, some people might be brave enough and try it :)
I was given the opportunity 30 years ago to be sent to school to learn stained glass, all expenses paid. I turned the opportunity down. I am currently contemplating the idea of learning this amazing trade. I am watching as much as possible to see if this is something that may work for me. thank you for this video
Hi Sabine, I fell in love with stained glass at Edinburgh Art College many years ago and have been running my own stained glass studio for about 36 years loving every day! Do you make stained glass too?
Great video Derek, thanks for sharing😊 I'm about to paint a section of a fixed glass window unit, does it need to be primed first and is there a certain paint you would recommend that doesn't need curing? I've researched but to no avail😅
Hi Debora, I paint the coloured glass to add details such as faces, hands or text to the piece of glass, before its made intro a final stained glass window.
Hello, I made a stained glass door with colored glass, but my soldering si turning black and grey. can you tell me why. I make sure I used the same products and brands.
Yes lead poisoning is always a concern. My understanding is lead is mainly ingested into the body by breathing in fumes from soldering, so I wear masks and have good air extraction in the studio. See this article for more information tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Lead_Poisoning.pdf.
Hi, great video! I whan to know if the cement you use today is the same tha was used in the begining, before modern chemicals. Thanks agin for the great content.
Great question ! To be honest I don't have an answer for you. I've spoken with a number of studios over the years and asked them what their cement recipes were . The most unusual addition to one studio's cement recipe was cement powder which is used to build brick walls! Often the Victorians added red lead powder to the mixture to act as a hardener. Its very toxic and always lots of care needs to be taken when dismantling any stained glass to avoid breathing in the dust.
Great overview of the process. I'm completing my first project this week. I'm soldering all the pieces together with wire for an indoors piece. I'd like to learn the technique for weatherproofing as it is not taught here in South Korea. Subbed!
Have a look at my playlist of videos. There is one video called “5 tips for releasing windows” which includes a section on how to cement windows. Link here 5 TIPS FOR RELEADING WINDOWS : PROFESSIONAL GLASS ARTIST'S TIPS AND TRICKS TUTORIAL ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IcZWd9bAb80.html
I have lots of other explainer videos and free tutorial on my RU-vid channel which give you details of the paints, brushes and material. You find find lots of answers to your questions there 🙏🙂
The paint colour is Reusche Bistre Brown which is painted onto coloured glass. The colour in the glass comes from various metals like copper, iron, cobalt or gold. After painting the glass it is fired in a kiln at about 650 degree centigrade to fix the paint to the glass 🙂
Occasionally your lead line can be seen to 'go off on its own, partway across the glass and ending'. Do you remove the heart and glue the came faces to the glass? If so, what adhesive is used?
Sometimes I will remove the lead heart and glue the lead in position with clear silicone. Other times I will continue the lead by painting a line onto the glass and firing in the kiln. :)
How long did the window you displayed take from start to finish? Are you saying that most cathedral or temple stained glass is painted instead of using pieces of colored glass. I feel like what I am doing must not be legitimate stained glass. I don't even know how to use lead and cement. Do you consider copper foiling some sort of silly craft version of doing stained glass?
Hi Deborah, thanks for your interest. The window featured in the video took about 3 months to make. In answer to your question, if a church window has details like inscriptions, faces and lots of ornamentation then it will have been painted onto the surface of coloured glass. This is usually called “stained glass”. However if a church window has just got coloured glass cut into shapes and leaded together it is called “leaded glass”. Copper foil is a more modern technique and was first popularised by Luis Tiffany lamps and is used instead of traditional lead for lamps and also for church stained glass mostly in the USA. I think copper foiling is a great solution in certain circumstances, but I generally stick to lead. 🙂
@@DerekHuntArtist Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I've decided if copper foiling is good enough for Tiffany it's good enough for me (and besides it's all I can afford). Your windows are beautiful and meaningful but I'd be overwhelmed to even contemplate constructing anything so grand. You are a true stained glass artist. Your videos are super interesting and helpful.
Your videos are great! I’m writing a book and the protagonist is a stained glass artist and these are very informative. I do have a question if you don’t mind: 2:33 What are you using to stick the cut glass onto the easel prior to painting it?
Hi , glad you like the video. I use plasticine to stick the glass to the easel. Traditionally it was a mixture of bees wax and tallow candle which was heated up, blended together and poured in small quantities onto pieces of glass, and stuck to the easel.
You could inkjet print twice onto clear acetate and stick to Perspex. The more timers you double up the printing the better the colours and detail. Also you might want to contact
