Techniques

Casting Used to cast work in either a three dimensional form or a relief piece. Often called the ‘lost wax technique’ when making original copies in wax if you want more than one of the form or the form has undercuts.
Fusing Fusible sheet glass can be used with ‘frits and stringers’ with additional coloured glass cut pieces to fuse the glass into one piece whilst still retaining the shapes and structures of the original pieces. Window glass can also be used for this.
Acid-etching Using Hydrofluoric acid to eat into the surface of the glass. The acid eats into the structure of the glass, and leaves a smooth semi transparent surface. Tape or bitumen can be used to protect the glass where you do not want the acid to bite.
Sandblasting The grit literally blasts away the surface of the glass and can blast completely through the glass in seconds if required. The completed surface is dry, picking up grease easily. The newly blasted surface can be sealed.
Painting Traditionally paint can be painted onto the surface of sheet glass either in lines or by shading. The enamels fire on between 550-650 degrees. Stain can also be used. The yellow or amber stain is within a carrier. When it is fired the stain migrates from the carrier and literally stains the glass surface. When it comes out of the kiln is still appears the colour of the carrier. If it has fired correctly you wipe away the carrier to leave the yellow stain underneath firmly fused into to the glass surface. If it is over fired the carrier also fires on.
Leading The use of lead came to join the leads together. The lead can be bought with ‘standard’ or ‘high’ hearts. The heart is the centre of the lead came and a high heart or deep heart allows the artist to lead up thicker, hand blown glass within one panel. The leads are then soldered and the panel is cemented and often the leads are blacked.
Glass The main glass use is ‘hand blown’ and fusible glass, all bought in sheets. The hand blown glass is made by ‘Lamberts’ in Germany. The glass factory makes over 5,000 different colours of glass, with 2,000 colours in stock. ‘Flashed’ glass literally has a thin flash of colour on one side of the glass surface. This allows you as an artist to work decoratively into and through this surface, either by acid etching or sandblasting. Some sheets also have a separate colour within the main body of the glass as well as clear.
Transfers Transfers Photographs, drawings or text can be turned into transfers, either digitally or by hand silk-screening. The images must be sent away to be converted into glass enamel transfers, and once returned the images are soaked in water in order for the image and cover coat to lift off the backing sheet. The transfer is then placed onto the chosen glass sheet and any water is removed with a sponge. The glass is then fired to the appropriate firing temperature and cooled. The enamel cannot be scratched off by hand.