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| Afterglow by Lisa and Joe Vogt |
One of
my favorite things about glass fusing is how easily I can jump right into
construction with little or no planning. If the mood strikes, I can design
spontaneously looking only to the materials for inspiration and come away with
a striking new project. This artistic freedom usually produces loose, freestyle
patterns I love. But sometimes, I want more intricate images or designs that
develop slowly from concept to construction. When that’s the case, I draw my
designs on the computer.
Initially,
it’s time consuming to draw on the computer. But there are several advantages
and reasons you might like to give it a try.
Why
design on the computer?
1. Drawing
on the computer greatly expands the range of your design complexity. It’s easy
to draw unique compositions you might otherwise be afraid to try. You can
import a photograph of a herd of horses for example. You can then draw over the
picture including as much or as little detail as you want. Say you like one horse
more than the others. It’s easy to copy and paste that one horse several times,
customizing the design to meet your vision.
Once
you’ve put in the effort to draw the first horse, you can repurpose the drawing
for any number of uses. Maybe you want to make a piece with only a horse head.
The computer drawing is quickly edited and resized for a totally new project.
2. It’s
easy to test unusual color combinations on a computer-generated pattern without
any waste. I’m much more likely to use a wild color palate if I can see it in
advance of cutting any glass. This feature alone, has awakened an all new level
of artistic expression for me.
3. Create
an image library. As a commission artist I’m frequently asked to make the same
or similar designs. Often the design is driven by regional themes. Tropical herons,
dolphins, coral reef, and beach scenes are popular subjects with my local clients.
My commission work is one-of-a-kind. I don’t make the exact same design twice.
But I do borrow elements from previously drawn designs for new patterns. I take
a heron from here, a fish from there, sea oats from another design. The
elements are resized and regrouped to make a new original design.
Having
an inventory of designs is a great way to accumulate popular images you can
recycle over and over to make fresh, new compositions.
Clean,
clear deigns are a powerful sales tool.
4. Clients
have trouble imagining what a design will look like based solely on a verbal
description. It’s easier to have a meeting of the minds and ensure customer satisfaction
with a color rendering. I email the designs to my clients for review and
approval. And if they want to make changes, they can be done quickly on the
computer before I’ve invested labor or materials into building the job.
5. I
use the Glass Eye program from Dragonfly Software. It’s intended for drawing
stained glass patterns, but it works equally as well for fused glass patterns. I
draw small simple projects as well as huge, complex commissions with the
program. For the small pieces, I print a full-size pattern and build directly on
that. For large scale works, I print a scale version of the design to use as a reference.
Then I draw the full-size pattern by hand with a pencil on paper.
You
don’t have to be a professional glass artist to benefit from expanding your
design approach. Whatever your skill level, beginner to advanced artist, you’ll
find the time spent learning how to develop designs electronically is valuable.
It’s an investment in yourself that’ll enhance your artistic style.
You got this!
Lisa
Except
from my Fused Art Design video DVD.
Get a
behind the scenes look at the fabrication of Afterglow.
Dragonfly
software, Glass Eye 2000
Follow my
blog for more tips and tricks!
Artist
Website www.LisaVogt.net
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhOifd7wukk
Facebook www.Facebook.com/LisaJVogt
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhOifd7wukk
Facebook www.Facebook.com/LisaJVogt
Author
Website https://lisajvogtcom.wordpress.com/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/lisajvogt
Let’s get together and fuse glass!
Upcoming Classes and Webinars
Glass Craft and Bead Expo 2018
April
4 – 8, 2018
Las
Vegas, NV
It’s time to get excited about the
Glass Craft and Bead Expo, coming up in April. I’m offering four favorites and
one new class titled, Fire and Ice. Seats are going fast so make your plans now
to join me for a week of friendship, fusing and fun.
FR-18 - Breaking Through – Making
Exhibition Quality Artwork
SA-22 - Fire & Ice, Hot
Techniques for Cool Projects
SU-01 - Fusing Art Design!
I’m looking forward to reconnecting
with old friends and meeting new glass fans. I hope to see you in class.
Upscale Fusing Webinar
April
24, 2018
Register
here: https://www.glasspatterns.com/glass-patterns-quarterly-store/product/1192-upscale-fusing-with-lisa-vogt-april-24-2018.html
Incorporating pattern and texture to elevate and refine your
fusing style are the focus of this in-depth webinar. Join me and learn how to
tastefully blend various cutting-edge techniques to add dimension and volume to
your work. With the pro's secrets revealed, you'll be on the fast-track to
developing winning combinations that’ll get your work noticed!
Inspiration! Confidence! Knowledge!
Advanced Glass Fusing 4-Day, Hands-on
Workshop
May
8-11, 2018
Join
me for this impactful workshop held in my private studio.
Wesley
Chapel, Florida, 4-Day, Hands-on, Class size is limited.
Exceed
your expectations! In this intense, 4-day workshop you’ll utilize the many
advanced techniques today’s successful glass artists are using to elevate their
work from craft to fine art. This all-new program is ideal for ambitious glass
fusers ready to go bigger and explore more in-depth kiln forming techniques.
Something
new! Check
out my new writer’s blog.
Writer – Instructor – Artist
Relationships
fascinate me, and so I have a new blog dedicated to the weird and wonderful
ways we interact with each other.
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