What adhesive are you using? If it's GEII silicone just razor blade the pieces you want removed. I did this more than a few times and it worked fine. As for the color/shading: being neurotic myself I like to see shading
but there are so many samples of mixed shading from the artists on this forum that are equally beautiful that if you like it then just go ahead with what you're doing.
Linlee

I love that design hrsg but I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help. My concern IS if you cut small pieces to form a petal, HOW are you going to make the petal stand out? In most stained glass, you would have a one piece petal, and five petals would make the flower. But in this case, I don't think the petal will be defined. Can anyone else help here?

linlee
I'm using Lexel. Pretty sure I would have to use a razor to remove the pieces.

rosemarythme
Problem with using cut petal pieces, I don't have the tools for that. I have only a hand cutter, running pliers, wheeled cutters and tile cutters.

However, I saw this picture of a mosaic flower somewhere, and they did detail real looking flowers with small pieces. Looks great, and till you look at the large image it is hard to see it is mosaic.

So what do you think?

the orchid looks wonderful. I take back everything I said. Go for it! Can't wait to see the finished piece now.

OK, so I'm not an expert here by any means, but if you look at the orchid, the petals are all outlined by pieces which detail and define the edges of the petals and then the inside pieces of the petals follow that pattern until the artist can no longer do so.

If you followed the same idea, I think you would do well with small pieces.

I know what you mean by making it look real. However the flower in the picture just above doesn't really follow the dark outside-light inside rule. (unless it's just late and I'm not paying close enough attention) I've taken more art classes in my 27 years than I choose to think about and it's more about where the light source is coming from and where it hits the piece. This probably didn't help you much...sorry...I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished project! My vote: Don't start over. Keep on truckin.

I vote start over, it's too big a project to feel that it's not right after doing it all. I don't think it's just about color use either, it's flow of the tesserae and use of grout lines for defination too.

Me, I'd start over.

If you look at the lily, yes, it is small pieces, but each petal is outlined with larger pieces. Also, the pieces are rectangles and are all going in the direction of the leaf.
Since this is such a large project and just started..I would start over. I would hate for you not to be happy with the final product after all that work!!

I know how you feel and would start over at this point and at least outline the petals like the lily had,it's too big as some have said to not be happy with it.Good luck Annie

I'm going to start over. Not sure how I will proceed to get the effect I would like, but not being happy with it this soon means I will not be happy with it in the end. *Big sigh*

Hopefully today I can map out a way to get the flow like I would like. So please if you have any more ideas, or thought feel free to speak up. I appreciate all input.

Thank you for the help so far!!!

Could you...put the dark parts of the flower petal to the upper right sides? It looks like the centers have the dark glass there? Would that follow the flow? Do you have an actual picture that you are looking at, or is this from your head? The upper right side would be where the darker outline is? Does that make sense? My neighbor is an art teacher would you like me to ask her? She does a lot with glass. Let me know!!

What I'm seeing is, when we look at it right now we see "petals" and "leaves" because your line drawing defines them for us. But when it is grouted, it will just be less defined shapes of color, the way it is now. I definitely vote start over (to back up the decision you have already made :) One thing you could do is, make your pieces within each element fit more like a puzzle (means more cutting and futzing) and make the grout lines between each element (like between two separate petals) one continuous line. Does that make sense? For instance, on the lower red petal in your closeup, right now there is a piece of glass with a sharp point touching the line between the two petals. If that pointed piece were laid so it was an EDGE along that line instead of a point, then when it is grouted your eye would see a defining LINE there instead of just a continuation of the color red. Does that make sense to ANYONE but me??

The lily was easier to define the petals because a) they are more linear to start with, so placing all the pieces linearly made sense and b)there is more negative space between them to define them. With your pansies(?) you could define the petals with outlines but it might give too much of a coloring book effect. You could also just use subtle color differences between the petals, whether you worried about where the light source was from or not (I'd try to think about that a bit I think), AND use the grout lines to create a visual definition, maybe also making the lines where you want to define shapes just a LITTLE wider than the ones within each shape.

Boy, for as early as it is, I sure can talk a lot!
I know it will be "classy" when it's done, 'cause it's Helen :)

Thank you for that ladyronnie! You explained that very well, and I agree with how it would have to work. And thank you too for the compliment. Made me smile on an otherwise stressfull day. ~:D

I did start over, and am not sure it is working out. I've taken another picture, and even did a test with my PSP7 to see how it would look with grout.

Input please?

How I wish I could get a proper cutter now.

Sorry Helen, I can't help you out with the shading & highlighting stuff...I struggle with that myself. I think once you figure out the direction you want to go on this, your project is going to be awesome!!!!

Barb

Thank you Barb.

For now till I can get a cutter I think this particular design will have to wait. I've played with it many times, and am not happy with any of the possible solutions.

Now I think I'll come up with some other drawing that is more friendly to the cutting tools I have. Then I will post updates.

Thank you all so much for your input. ~: )

What tools do you need?, what are you working with now?

Pretty pattern. The only thing I can see is maybe try to get your pieces closer together within each petal and the slight color change on each petal/. Love the black behind it. GREAT way to test grout color.

Wish I was more help. I also have the same troubles.

And WAHHHH GW is giving me fits today!! Posting this just in case I can not get back.

Chris

Thank you Chris. ~: )

Nicethyme
I'm using a hand held glass cutter, Lepponits (sp), running pliers, and the tools I use for tile cutting. My Dremel is fine for some sanding, but not on this scale of a project.

see this is where things start getting tricky with the lighting shading highlighting etc. its all really personal preference but i do like it better in the second pic.if i were you i would find a picture close to what the flower you are making looks like and use that see where the light hits etc i think it would at the very least give you some basis for comparison

You guys are worried about "flow" and Im the dumb bunny going "well why cant she start over its just on piece of paper. why did she glue it to the paper?" LOL. geezz.
I have learned a lesson however about definition. So hrsg, you effort wasnt wasted!Im not as stupid as I act!

I am revisiting this. I think it has just come to me and I think it is what has been said before. Maybe if I approach it from a different direction.

Like the lily can you do each petal with an edging then fill in rows. Only NOT like the lily in straight lines make your rows in curves following the petals edge. Finish one petal at a time.Outer edge of each petal in a darker red.

Do not feel bad for changing and changing. Ask Annie how many times I changed the purple dresser top before coming to what it is. Like let me see ,Clear filler then two shades of a turquoise green then shaded green dark to light then I even glued down some clear to see if that would make a difference NOT. Then onto the purple filler and of course I did not have enough of it so I had to add lib. I count five tries to get it to where it is now. I can tell you I have lots of triangels cut.

The only tool I use on Glass is the leps.

Tips for leps . Try to cut your piece of glass in half and half and half again until you get down to the size you want. In your case I would cut it down in half until I got to strips a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Then nip down the strips cutting off your filler pieces. This will make them pretty even and easier to work with Then you can bevel the ends as you make your curves.

If none of this makes any sense I can draw it out and take a picture of it.

Here is a little of what I mean only mine was to mimic crochet. I would put your pieces in closer rows and since it is glass smaller pieces.

Looking again at the pieces you have cut you are almost there just cut them a little smaller and they will bend around the way yo want them to.

This is going to be beautiful!! Do not give up on it.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Chris
Thank you for your explanation, and yes I understood what you meant.

I may get sometime later today to mess with it some again. If I do I will try cutting the pieces even smaller.

Just been a couple of stressful days, and this project not cooperating did not come at a good time, lol. But I will keep you posted on the update.

~: )

If I might throw in a suggestion on sizing. You have a scorer, a breaker and Leps. The only thing I see missing for making uniform shapes/sizes is a large ruler. I'd start by cutting a sheet of glass in four equals. Then take that quarter piece, measure w/your ruler and score into 1/2" lines. Turn it one round, measure out into 1/4" lines across the ones you just scored. Then w/your breaker break those lines apart. Then w/your breaker, snap each one of those 1/4" X 1/2" tiles apart, and use those to outline your leaves. It's the flow and way you lay those tiles that give it shape and movement. Yes, the shading is important, but mainly, IMO, it's placement and pattern that w/make the petals LOOK like petals and give separation. Then w/your leps, you can trim them to fit the filler. This is what I mean when I keep saying that I can score, break and snap a sheet of glass into 1/2" or 3/4" or whatever size of tiles in a matter of 10 minutes. They're all pretty much the same size and there's very little other breakage. To me, they look just like the ready-cut tiles I used to pay lots of $$s for.