Lisa Vogt Art Adventure Blog: 5 Fabulous Frit Techniques You’ll Love

Except from my Fusing with Frit Webinar, this Thursday, September 20, 2018.

Never underestimate the power of small!

Frit may be tiny, but make no mistake, this little powerhouse can make a huge, positive impact on your glass artwork. The beauty of frit is in its flexibility. I love to push that flexibility every chance I get.

There are always several ways to approach any glass fusing project. But if you can incorporate frit of some sort into that project, you’ll have something unexpected that is unquestionably more engaging. And as self-serving as it is, we all want to dazzle people with our art.

Next time you’re brainstorming how to build your project, consider replacing some or several design elements with frit. Play with different sizes; use mosaic, course, medium, fine and powder. Each size has its own unique visual characteristic that you will love after firing. Work with several shades of the same color such as light amber and medium amber to create a three-dimensional quality. Repeat the same color such as red in both transparent and opal glasses for greater contrast.

Let’s dive in!

1 Go Overboard! Strengthen your design by incorporating a subtle complimentary pattern in the background. When making the Flowering Tree, I cut a leafy tree limb stencil out of stiff paper. I then sifted soft green powders over the stencil to add the delicate woodland setting behind the flowering plant. The addition of the soft foliage unifies the overall project and makes it distinctly more appealing. The great thing about stenciling a design is that each piece you make will be slightly different and therefore everyone has unique beauty.

2 Go Deeper! Consider increasing the attraction of your work by repeating the same pattern on both the base layer and the top layer. Simply sift powders over a stencil on the base layer. Then turn the stencil ¼ turn and repeat the pattern on the second layer. Stack the layers to create a new, more elegant design. This quick little trick is a terrific way to increase visual depth and ramp up the sophistication of your artwork.

3 Lighten Up! Give your design a light source and you’ll have an immediate winner. With frit you can do it in a snap. Select frit in multiple shades of the same color. Use both transparent and opal versions of every color in your palette. Then gradually spread the frit working from light to dark. Blend the colors as you go for an even more engaging flow. This painterly technique rapidly transforms flat, lifeless images into lively three-dimensional masterpieces.

4 Set the Mood! Making a sherbet colored tropical sunset, a magical starry night or mysterious mist cloaked meadow is easy with frit. Think about how such enchanted places make you feel. Think about how they draw you in, tempt you to stay and make you wonder what hidden treasures wait for you just out of sight. Now take that feeling and make it tangible by mixing different colors of frit and you’ll create energetic settings that speaks out loud.

5 Take the Helm! Next time your cut glass design doesn’t fit as accurately as you’d like, do what I do. Throw in a zinger. Fill that nasty crevice or inconvenient hole with frit in a color that contrasts the cut glass around it. No, you’re not fudging a mistake. You’re making something new, adding detail and highlighting the more important characteristics of your design.

Don’t Mutiny! Frit may be small, but its applications are huge. Use it in small or even large doses and as you navigate these new waters you’ll begin to fathom the many, many artistic possibilities.

Except from my Fusing with Frit Webinar, this Thursday, September 20, 2018.

Anchors Away!

Want to learn more? Join me this Thursday, September 20, 2018.

This is just a sampling of the tips and techniques you’ll see how to apply in my upcoming Fusing with Frit webinar. I hope to see YOU there!

Fusing with Frit Webinar

Thursday, September 20, 2018

https://www.glasspatterns.com/glass-patterns-quarterly-store/product/1228-fusing-with-frit-with-lisa-vogt-september-20-2018.html

Ramp up the visual intricacy of your glass art!
Clever glass fusers know that using strong line quality and bold color saturation in combination is an effective way to create stand-out works of art. Now take such trustworthy techniques and sprinkle in gradient blends and subtle shading achieved using frit. You’ll be amazed just how quickly your artwork advances to a new, exciting level of sophistication.

In this comprehensive webinar, I’ll show you how to apply several methods I employs to add the striking, painterly-quality I’ve developed to improve the impact of your glass fusing projects. I’ll demonstrate SEVEN projects in this Webinar, from sea turtles to flowering trees to beach scenes and more! You’ll learn: how to evaluate a design to maximize the imagery, steps for successful fabrication and practical tips for building professional quality, finished pieces. Along with my step-by-step instruction, you’ll also receive complete material lists and project-specific firing guides. I hope to see YOU there!

Let’s get together and fuse glass!

Are you a hands-on learner? Join me in November!