We all must start somewhere, my advice to you is to begin where you are. Like Frank Lloyd Wright said: you can use an eraser at the drafting table or a wrecking ball on site- your choice. The great thing is this- you can (and should) make multiple drawings (virtually free) until you are happy with the design. You won’t make a perfect panel the first time, just like you won’t draw a perfect horse the first time. Once you understand what you are looking for/looking at, the rest is just practice. Our brains have evolved to use as little energy as possible: “That is a horse, that is a house- done.” We shut down and don’t notice the details and the obvious hidden in plain sight, this is why people draw some variation of basic shapes to represent a house and not a rendition of the actual house. Just like learning to draw, you must re-learn how to see and notice every detail. One is not better than the other, and both can be done really well. On the other hand, you could give the impression of a horse with the fewest lines possible.

On the one hand, you can try to make it as photorealistic as possible and include every last detail. Let’s say you want to make a panel of a horse. At the end of the day it is just one or the other to varying degrees. Creating a design comes down to one of two things- realism or abstraction. If you are completely hesitant about Art and Design in general, have no fear- we are going to dispel some myths. There is a lot to remember and I had to dig through my years of notes to compile this list.

If you are not a beginner, you may pick up a tip or two. In the beginning, as they say – “you don’t know what you don’t know,” or better said: If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll never find it. If you are a complete beginner, you will learn the terms and vocabulary necessary that will be a springboard to better design and better projects from the start. Having learned from the bottom up, I’ve picked up some nuances here and there that might be of some use. I am largely self-taught after a beginner’s class 10 years ago. The Wikipedia page for Stained Glass says: “Stained glass, as an art and a craft, requires the artistic skill to conceive an appropriate and workable design, and the engineering skills to assemble the piece.” In this instructable, I hope to explain just enough of both aspects to illuminate (no puns or Dad jokes today!) to provide enough knowledge in both areas for anyone to make informed choices when creating stained glass.

As I find myself working on Christmas presents, that inevitably include some stained glass pieces, I thought it would be helpful for me (and hopefully some of you) to go over some important aspects of Design for Stained Glass.

Stained glass design paper