Beginner's Guide to Making Mosaics E-Book

Delphine Lescuyer

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 80

Beschreibung

Transform areas and items in your home into beautiful works of art! Eye-catching and a lot of fun to do, this introductory guide to mosaic art (literally) covers everything, from window sills, wall murals, and coffee tables to flower pots, picture frames, trays, and so many more decorative pieces for both the home and garden! With 16 beautiful projects to create, supply lists, step-by-step photography and captions, helpful tips, and everything you need to know about the materials, tools, and techniques to make colorful works of art, this is the go-to guide for starting a brand new hobby in mosaics!

Leseprobe

Initiation à la mosaïque © 2018 by Éditions Massin, collection Savoir & Faire-Société d’Information et Créations (SIC)

© 2019 Fox Chapel Publishing

All rights reserved. Beginner’s Guide to Making Mosaics is an unabridged translation of the 2018 version originally published in French by Éditions Massin under the title Initiation à la mosaïque in France. This version published by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0017-6eISBN 978-1-6076-5714-9

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Printed in China

First printing

Because working with mosaic tiles and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.

Project Team (French Edition)

Editorial Director: Thierry Lamarre

Editor: Adeline Lobut

Project Design/Construction and Step-by-Step Directions:

Delphine Lescuyer

Proofreader: Isabelle Misery

Photography: Pierre Nicou

Design and Layout: Either Studio / Sylvain Kaslin

Cover: Either studio / Sylvain Kaslin

Project Team (English Edition)

Translator: Donna Vekteris

Editor: Colleen Dorsey

Designer: David Fisk

Contents

Introduction

Materials

Tools

Techniques

Projects

Floral trivet

Striped flowerpot

Garden ornaments

Doily-style trivet

Pixel number

Flower bouquet

Dot mirror

Teardrop tray

Pixel rock ‘n’ roll

Cloud paperweight

Sailor’s shirt

Upcycled planter

Garden light

Odorico windowsill

Cloud table

Exotic bird

Materials

Tools

Techniques

Floral trivet

Striped flowerpot

Garden ornaments

Doily-style trivet

Pixel number

Flower bouquet

Dot mirror

Teardrop tray

Pixel rock ‘n’ roll

Cloud paperweight

Sailor’s shirt

Upcycled planter

Garden light

Odorico windowsill

Cloud table

Exotic bird

Introduction

The word “mosaic” describes a wide variety of creations throughout history: the mosaics of ancient Rome and Greece, Byzantine art, the elegant floors of the Art Deco period, the whimsical Maison Picassiette in Chartres, France (a house completely covered in mosaic), the architect mosaicists of the 1970s, the building façades of Odorico (a famous French mosaicist), the magnificent creations of Gaudí in Barcelona, and more. History has seen a multitude of styles and forms of expression. Mosaics are as well suited to the walls of a royal palace as they are to the lawn ornaments of a humble backyard. Indeed, the mosaic’s charm is that it is a handicraft both noble and yet accessible to a broad audience.

Who hasn’t hoarded a little batch of tiles or broken plates in the hopes of making a mosaic someday? Or gazed at a mirror framed in glass or ceramic mosaic tiles, thinking, “I can do that!”—only to discover that technical assistance was required?

The purpose of this book is to introduce beginners to the basics using contemporary designs that don’t require having a background in drawing. Advice and tips throughout will help you succeed in your first mosaic creations.

There are a wide variety of materials to choose from to make a mosaic. The most important is to select those best suited to your mosaic’s destination (the substrate on which it will be created) and how it will be used. Read on to learn all about the materials, tools, and techniques you’ll need to get started.

Materials

There are two basic approaches in decorative mosaics for beginners: you can create from recycled materials, or you can start with materials designed for mosaic art (such as glass and porcelain tiles).

Tesserae

Tesserae is the name given to the decorative materials used to create mosaics; they are often small glass or ceramic tiles. Here are just a few of the many types of tesserae.

Ceramic mosaic tiles

The glazed ceramic tiles shown here are 1" (2.5cm) square, though they can be purchased in other sizes, too. They are an excellent choice for mosaic art. They may not be colored through the entire body of the tile, however, as you can see. You may have to search for and purchase bath tiles to get particular colors or looks.

Porcelain mosaic tiles

The tiles shown here are matte and colored through the body. They come in squares of different sizes, such as 1" (2.5cm), ¾" (2cm), or 9/16" (1.5cm) squares. They are highly wear-resistant (and a little more difficult to cut). They are often used in flooring. They can be smooth on both sides or striated.

Vitreous glass tiles

Vitreous glass tiles come in squares of different sizes, such as 1" (2.5cm) or ¾" (2cm) squares. They are often striated on the back and beveled on the edges, which can make them rather unstable when they are cut into very small pieces. Vitreous glass tiles come in an especially wide range of colors.

As the materials shown here all measure 1/8" (3.5mm) in thickness, they can be mixed together in the creations featured in this book. If your tiles are a different thickness than the ones used in this book, that’s fine; you can always mix tiles of the same thickness.

Other tesserae

Other elements can be used, including mirror, millefiori glass (which comes in rods or cut into disks ), buttons, beads, and more.

Where to buy tesserae?

There are specialized stores that sell tesserae by weight. This allows you to buy exactly the quantity you need in a wide range of colors. You may also find supplies in your local craft stores, though the selection may be more limited (see note on page).

Some home improvement stores sell mosaic tiles in their ceramic tile department. These often come in 12" (30cm) square sheets, glued to a mesh, and can be removed from the mesh. However, these tiles are often thicker and more difficult to cut, with disappointing results. Always check the thickness, which should be around 1/8" (3–4mm) if you want to be able to cut easily. On the other hand, these thicker tiles may work well in a project that includes recycled wall or floor tiles, especially if these thicker tiles are round or have an unusual shape.

Upcycled Materials

Broken plates, old floor tiles, pieces of mirror, chandelier pendants, pebbles, seashells . . . so many little treasures can be used to compose a mosaic.

Using materials that are upcycled requires preparation and a particular way of working. You need to be aware of the varying thicknesses of the tiles and shards and plan your design around the limited quantity of material you have. In general, it’s often a good idea to use recycled materials for creations that can be a bit uneven on the surface, such as a wall mirror or a garden flowerpot, but not for the surface of a functional table or tray, which needs to be very smooth. You should also avoid precise motifs, unless you are sure you have the necessary quantities of tiles to create them.

You may be lucky enough to be able to find offcuts—trash, essentially—of ceramics and tile in your local area, especially if you have some kind of local tile manufacturer. Ask at these companies if they have a disposal plan for their rejected materials and if you might be able to take them off their hands. The goods you find or receive might be in bad condition, requiring patient cleaning or turning out not to serve your purposes. But by being selective, you can find bits to work with, even some really stunning pieces.

You can also visit antique stores, junk sales, garage and yard sales, secondhand shops, and anywhere else where people are getting rid of old plates and ceramics for cheap. You can find some really good deals and pretty pieces this way. Don’t feel bad about potentially smashing a plate that is otherwise still functional; you’re giving it a new lease on life, albeit a very different one than the purpose for which it was designed. On page, there is a project made from old plates just like this.

Backing (Substrates)

Just about any type of backing (substrate) can be used as a base for your mosaic work, except plastic. It is possible to glue a mosaic to metal, but that’s not for beginners, so it won’t be covered in this book. Apart from that, beginner mosaic artists can decorate just about anywhere in the home!

FOR INDOOR MOSAICS

MDF (1)

(Medium-density fiberboard)

For indoor mosaics, the ideal base is MDF (medium-density fiberboard) in ¼" (5mm) thickness. It is a very dense and fairly inexpensive construction material. MDF is used often in this book. You can find it in a variety of shapes in craft stores or have it cut to your specifications at a home improvement store. If you have a basic electric jigsaw at home, you can cut the board to the shape and size you want.

Plywood