Imagery and Text on Glass
Susan Taylor Glasgow
Hi All,
I’m very excited about our workshop. This class in Imagery and Text on Glass will be action-packed, so eat a good breakfast and wear your running shoes!
We’ll be exploring photo-sensitive sandblasting resists, as well as other techniques using powders and glass enamel pigments. The “trick” to creating photographic images with these materials is to alter your images in a specific way. The first part of the workshop focuses on “what makes a good image” using basic Photoshop and common copiers. To keep things uniform and not too large, we’ll be working on a 5”x5” glass squares. You may slump your designs into small plate forms, or your designs may be later incorporated into other projects including stained glass panels, fusing, casting, or blowing.
If you have a laptop computer with any version of Photoshop (even the version that came with your home scanner), GREAT! If not, there are a variety of other ways to prepare your image. I will be demonstrating BASIC Photoshop skills only. If you are interested in learning more of Photoshop, this will give you a taste. (Photoshop is a workshop in itself, so if you like it, plan to take advanced classes offered in your community.) Bring a Memory Stick, an assortment of simply composed photos or B/W designs that will work well on a 5”x5”. Also bring your favorite personal tools, small watercolor brushes (a flat ¾”, and a variety of small rounds), a notebook, a sharp pencil, and fine black marker. FYI – When I say B/W images, I mean REALLY black, not pencil black, and white, not light gray. If you’re hand drawing an image, black markers work well, as well as running your image through a copier machine a couple times to eliminate grays.
+We’ll share ideas through samples, slides, and photos. There will be a discussion about the design elements of including imagery and text into your work. We’ll examine your primary goals for the workshop.
+We’ll prepare and fire glass “blanks” to later alter using photo-sensitive sandblasting materials and glass enamels.
+We’ll discuss what makes the perfect image and how your printed transparencies should look via Photoshop or copier.
+A lot of practice exposing photo-sensitive film and rinse-out before moving on to our larger pieces.
+While everyone takes turn sandblasting, we’ll explore other techniques and various enamels to create background color and images.
+Set up kiln for firing. I’ll discuss firing schedules and how to achieve difference effects at various temperatures.
Hope this answers some of your questions about the workshop!
Susan