1. Stained Glass
Landscape
Watercolor Painting

2. Medieval Stained Glass
 Art of stained glass reached height
between 1150 and 1500
 Created for great cathedrals to
enhance the beauty of their setting
and to inform the viewer through
narrative or symbolism
 Subject matter was generally
religious, though "portraits" and
narrative scenes also give valuable
insights into the culture of the time
 Sand and wood ash (potash) are
basic ingredients for making glass
 Mixture is melted into liquid, when
cooled it becomes glass
 Glass is colored with powdered
metals that are added to the mixture

4. Contemporary Stained Glass:
Louis Comfort Tiffany
 American artist best known for his work in
stained glass
 Most associated with Art Nouveau period
 Used cheap jelly jars and bottles because
they had mineral impurities finer glass
lacked
 When he was unable to convince fine
glassmakers to leave the impurities in, he
began making his own glass
 Used opalescent glass in a variety of colors
and textures to create a unique style of
stained glass
 Created his own company that is known
world wide for its stained glass
lamps, windows, and other interior items.

13. TASK
For this project you
will be creating a
watercolor
landscape painting
that incorporates
and utilizes a
combination of
medieval and
contemporary
stained glass styles.

14. STEP 1: References
Research and find landscape reference images. Think about
what type of landscape you want to create. Consider…
 Types of vegetation
 Differences in terrain/climate
 Is there any architecture?
 Is there a strong foreground, middle ground and
background?

15. Step 2: Planning
For this project, more than any before, PLANNING is ESSENTIAL.
 Create a few compositional sketches using your references
 Use more than one reference image if needed
 Experiment with different ways to fragment the image to
achieve a “stained glass” style
 Think about different color options/schemes to use

16. Step 2: Planning
When planning consider your use of SPACE
FOREGROUND
MIDDLE GROUND
BACKGROUND

17. Background
Middle Ground
Foreground

18. Step 3: Final Drawing
Once I’ve approved your “stained glass” composition, you
may begin to draw VERY LIGHTLY on final watercolor paper
with pencil
Dark pencil lines will show through on your watercolor.
TOO DARK!!! NO!!! VERY LIGHT!!! YES!!!

19. Step 4: Painting/Inking
 Apply watercolor using the techniques discussed and
practiced in class – reference color planning, make use of
test strips and your color wheel while you apply color.
 After you have applied color
to your “stained glass” and it
has dried, use a fine tip
sharpie to trace over the
fragmented lines of the “glass”
to mimic the style of stained glass.

20. Student Examples

21. Student Examples

22. Questions?