The commission
      Blue Moon Studios
Custom Stained Glass
from start to finish

Many times  we will get a commission for a
piece of stained glass from a customer that
has a picture of a person or favorite pet that
they would like to see turned into a work of
art.  This page will show you the process of
turning one of those photographs  into a
stained glass window.   




Step one:
a working pattern
Many times to get a finished stained glass
piece that is accurate to the original picture, I
will blow up the picture to the finished size
and then draw lines over the picture where
solder lines will go.  This part is a little
trickier than it sounds as you have to be able
to cut these pieces out of glass later.


Step two:
glass selection
I try to match colors for the glass as close as I
can to the original photograph.  In some
cases, the pattern of color in the glass can be
used to indicate shadow or change in tone,
but in other cases, different tones of glass are
used.  I also try to pay attention to glass
opacity, how much light is transmitted
through the piece, and texture.  In many
cases I use the texture of the glass to give the
design object more realness.   



Step three:
finishing the project
Once I have the pattern finished and the
glass picked out, its a matter of cutting out
the pattern, cutting and grinding the glass,
foiling or leading the project, then cleaning
and displaying the finished artwork.



Step four:
enjoy
Once the finished piece of stained glass is
installed, sit back and enjoy the beauty.  You
will notice that the glass is constantly
changing its appearance as the sun and
clouds change positions behind it.  Don't
forget to take the time to enjoy it.  
     Picture of Mon senior Murphy of St.
Katherine's Church in Long Creek, Oregon
© 2008 Blue Moon Studios, All rights reserved- 509.775.0279
    Pattern drawn for Mnsr. Murphy's face
 Finished Panel, in memory of Bud Walton