1. Glass Art Fused Glass Design and Color Theory Unit

2. Introduction This unit is about fusing glass in a kiln, focusing on design and color schemes. Warm glass is a fascinating technique that enables artists to create unique and gorgeous projects. The following fusing rules and firing instructions should provide you with enough information to produce your own glass project. It will create an appreciation for the complexities and potential of fused glass, and will pave the way for more intricate designs and ideas.

3. Glass An amorphous (not crystallized), hard, brittle, transparent or translucent substance, made by fusing sand with soda, lime, and sometimes other ingredients and cooling rapidly. The chemical composition of glass has not changed much since ancient times.

4. History Contemporary glass art is reviving an ancient medium Natural glass, obsidian, is formed by volcanoes and has been used since the stone age for tools.

5. Warm glass, which is commonly known as glass fusing or slumping, is an ancient artistic technique. Historians have found traces of both methods dating back to the second millennium BC in Mesopotamia. Glass was discovered by accident as part of the copper smelting process in 1000 b.c. in Phoenicia (modern day Lebanon) Glass was first used as beads in jewelry

6. Glass mosaics, valued in Greek and Roman civilizations, were considered equal to silver and gold. In Ancient Rome… Glass was so precious, the emperor Nero paid $500 dollars for one goblet!

7. By the third century AD warm glass fell out of favor, eclipsed by a new blown glass technique. The Island of Murano, Italy During 13 th century Venice became the center of glassblowing. For safety, and to keep the process secret, the furnaces were moved to the Island of Murano, off the coast of Venice.

8. Renaissance to Modern Day Glassblowing was a dying Art. Mechanized processes overtook the hand-blown quality of the art It was not until the emergence of the European Arts and Crafts movement, in the late nineteenth century, during the 1960’s, that warm glass was revalued as a decorative art form. Art Glass is increasingly popular since that time. Today, contemporary artisans have rediscovered the ancient techniques.

9. Art glass categories Hot glass – blowing = Glass can have any shape (almost) and it’s made by hand, and the colors blend together.

10. Warm glass or Fusible glass = Glass can be curved, it’s fired in a kiln, often twice, and the glass pieces are melted together. 90 or 96 COE (we will talk about COE later)

11. Cold glass - Stained glass = This is not for kiln, it will crack. Glass pieces are flat (mostly) and cut to fit a design, then are soldered together.

12. Glass terminology Transparent - see through Translucent Opal – opaque Color name only means that the glass is transparent

13. Frit = ground glass (fine, medium, coarse) Cut-ups = laser cut shapes Pebbles Chips = ½ inch squares Strips Stringers Rods Noodles (flat)

14. Heating and Cooling When glass is heated it expands, when it cools it contracts. When fusing two or more pieces of glass together, they need to expand and contract at the same rate. Otherwise, when the glass cools, one glass will pull on the other and cause the piece to crack along the seam. If the glass survives the cooling process, there is still a risk that reheating to bend it, or placing it in a sunny window will cause cracking. Stress from incompatible glass is always in the piece. Do not try to refire broken incompatible glass pieces.

16. COE - Tested compatible All glass has a coefficient of expansion, or COE. Always use compatible glass, which is known to have the same COE. Glass, manufactured specifically for fusing, is "tested compatible," or guaranteed to be a certain COE. The most popular fusing glasses are either 90 COE (Bullseye, Uroboros) or 96 COE (Spectrum and Uroboros).

17. Slower is Better You can't heat or cool glass too slowly. Going too fast can result in cracked glass or Thermal Shock. A safe rate to heat glass is 15° per minute (900° per hour). Slow-cooling of glass or "annealing" depends on the thickness of the glass. If the glass breaks because it was heated too fast; turn off the kiln, allow the glass to cool, push it back together, and try again -at a slower rate. Breaks from thermal shock usually go straight across the piece and have a little hook near the edge. They can usually be repaired by refiring.

18. Glass Likes To Be ¼" or 6 mm Thick When heating glass to full fuse, anything with less mass will shrink up, anything with more will spread out. This movement can be controlled somewhat by fusing slower, and not going to full fuse.

19. Fusing in a Kiln All kilns are not alike. Hot and cold spots will interfere with the final results. Must use a firing schedule and record changes. Prepare the kiln by applying kiln wash to shelves, kiln, and molds. Kiln wash prevents the glass from sticking to the kiln during firing. We will use shelf paper.

20. Fusing Stages and Temperatures 800F - 1100F Brittle Zone = Do not open the kiln in this range 1325F - 1370F Tack Fuse = Edges are soft, glass is stuck together 1370F - 1420F Contour Fuse = Edges are rounded, glass is fused together, there is still some dimension 1425F - 1600F Full Fuse = Glasses combine, single piece, uniform thickness throughout

21. Basic Supplies Safety gear is important! Wear glasses to protect eyes from flying glass shards, splinters. Wear mask while working with frit. a)Glass Cutters (oil) Pistol Grip, Pencil Grip b)Running Pliers c)Breaker/Grozer Pliers d) Wheeled glass nipper e) Waffle grid

22. Steps for making a fused glass art piece Design – shape and color Cut glass on waffle grid – it’s really scoring the glass and breaking it with the running pliers. Stand up while scoring. You must wear protective glasses. Listen to the scratchy sound. Running pliers – Screw up! Nip ½” on the glass. Grozer pliers (smiling pliers) – for breaking off small pieces Wheeled glass nippers – always stand up. Wheels face into the glass FORGET CIRCLES!!!!! Gentle curves will work. Nip from two directions.

23. Clean glass surface (soap and water or rubbing alcohol) Dry it. Assemble design and stack glass pieces. May use Elmer’s glue. Add wire between two layers of glass. Bend the end of the wire, so it won’t fall out. DON’T FORGET !– GLASS LIKES TO BE ¼” THICK Place your piece on shelf paper. Write your name on the shelf paper with china marker pencil. Frit work need to be sprayed with hair spray (pump not spray)

27. 20. You will be graded on Creating a fired square glass tray: Elements of design: 1. Color 2. Shape 3. Line Principles of Design: 1. Variety 2. Pattern 3. Movement 21. Fused Glass Self Critique In your sketchbook, answer the following questions: 22. 1. What is the overall concept or theme of your glass tray? 23. 2. Explain how your glass tray demonstrates these three elements of design: 1. Color 2. Shape 3. Line 24. 3. Explain how your glass tray demonstrates each of these principles of design: 1. Pattern 2. Movement 3. Variety 25. 4.What was the most difficult part of your glass project? 26. 5. Does your finished glass piece look like you expected? 27. 6. Explain what is the most successful part of your glass project. 28. 7. What advice would you give students who are going to make this project in the future? 29. 8. What grade do you think you deserve for your tray? Why?