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Stain Glass Effect

Marcus Art Water Based Enamel is especially suited for use in parodying the stain glass window imagery that is characteristic of so many church window decorations.

 

In the original process coloured glass was contained inside a lead border to brilliant effect, enhanced by the presence of light.

By laying out thin coatings of colour in a design of your choice you can imitate this method using a thickened border of  PVA Glue containing a water soluble pigment to enclose the coloured fragments.

This is best done on a sheet of thick acrylic for safety in preference to glass. When the image is fused and dry simply peel it off and display it in a window or area where filtering light will allow the transparent colour to glow effectively.

 

To avoid brush marks use the squeeze bottle to lay down your shapes of colour within the black or coloured outlines. Another effective method for creating images resembling stain glass that does not require the peeling method is simply use a perspex sheet.

Make your design then trace it onto your pespex with a fine felt tip pen - black preferably. Secure the clear sheet to a board then encase your design withthe coloured border of glue and complete the image with the levelling enamel. Decorative pieces  can be used as a lamp shade for example but be mindful of the heat transference from the globe in order that the work is not damaged.

 

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Collage 3D

The basis for the water based enamel is a resin of  enormous strength, enabling the  creation of  larger collage pieces by using the clear enamel as a glue or seal once the relief pieces are set in place.

 

You may wish to introduce found objects to your surface that you can provissionally adhere or staple then encase the form in enamel. The use of minerals, coarse and fine, bronze powders for metallic coatings and interference pigments to alter the colour by refracted light are all possibilities to consider in the use of this extremely versatile material. If you intend to build large sized pieces you may wish to weld an armature upon which your relief can bolted to insure security and longevity.

 

I have seen remarkable pieces devised with segmented layers in a plane like arrangement that create cavern forms that can be artificially lit. Again utilizing all the methods suggested and no doubt others you will discover by experimentation you will find this material to be astonishingly resilient and inexhaustible in creative potential. 

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Plastic Casting

Again this resinous enamel because of its strength can be adapted to build thin layers of colour within an open mould that is free of undercuts or has been segmented so it can be broken open when the casting is complete. Basically what you can do here is pour in a quantity of enamel that fills the mould then pour it out again leaving a thin residue of enamel.

 

A heat gun or hair dryer can then be used to dry the thin skin of colour . Sucessive pourings will slowly build and thicken your coatings until you have a fluid skin that will buckle or bend. The addition of plaster or more durable resins like epoxy can then be poured inside the skin within the mould to complete the 3D form.

 

I have seen pieces made where the weirdly translucent forms have had skins extended out from them like bat's

wings or membranes creating fascinating tensions between masses and planes of literally stretched skins of colour.

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