Mosaic DesignYour mosaic studio…….
Glass Tesserae Byzantine (5th-6th) Centuries AD non-porus frost proof stain resistant Durable Great for functional areas
(bathrooms, kitchens, swimming pools)
Large color range, silver and gold
Multi-colored/veins Easy to cut
Smalti Roman Era Still handmade in Italy today Opaque glass, not shiny or transparent Chunky and rectangular Small air holes Hard to grout
Basic Tools…
Nippers
Tool designed for cutting tiles. (Thin tiles) Range in price.
$15 -
$30
Basic
Nipper
Wheeled
Nipper
Chipper
Nipper
Duo Plier Scorer
Precision Nipper
Professional Nipper
Hammer and Hardie – Tools used for breaking large
tesserae. Plates, china, thick tiles
Hammer and Hardie
Grout spreaders and scrapers
Containers – for storage of tiles, mastic and grout
Safety EquipmentGoggles
Rubber gloves
Masks
Gloves
Safety Glasses/Masks
Mosaic Adhesives 1. Cement based mortar –
Traditional mosaic adhesive Made by mixing powdered cement and water Sanded and non-sanded Textures vary depending on sand For outdoor mosaics be sure to use waterproof
and frost proof
Acrylic Based Adhesive 2. Acrylic based
adhesive – Often used for interior
mosaics Very strong and can be
used to adhere heavy tesserae to slippery vertical surfaces.
Can be water resistant and non-water resistant
Epoxy Resins 3. Epoxy Resins –
Two part adhesive Consisting of a resin and a hardener Must mix it together right before you use it Use a small amount at a time Very strong, the only adhesive that will
permanently adhere tiles to metal. Usually used for exterior mosaics Not water soluble, very messy, expensive, toxic.
Grout Pressed into the gaps between tesserae Aesthetic – grout unifies the design Function – Strengthens the mosaic Consists of sand and water, like cement Can be fine or course (sanded or non-sanded) Can be pre-mixed or mix yourself Various colors You can make your own colors using acrylic paint
Pre-Mixed Grout
Non-sanded
grout
Grout tools
SealerProtects the final piece.
Steps in creating a mosaic……
Step1. Score surface-Will benefit adhesion on surfaces. Especially wood. (Do not score breakable surfaces such as glass, metal, terracotta etc.) Use a sharp knife or tool
to create a “tooth”
Step 2. Seal/Prime Surface –
Porous wood will suck mortar/mastic up. Seal with acrylic/latex paint. Do not have to seal non-porous surfaces such as
glass.
Step 3. Prepare tesserae and layout the design-Creating the mosaic……
- Shapes, colors, patterns, set up and lay out design.
-Some artists like to wing it.
Step 4. Cementing, gluing tesserae – Method 1
- Place a blob of mortar on the back of each piece of tesserae.
- Use Popsicle stick or Q-tip
- Place it piece by piece on design
- Mortar does Not dry clear so be neat!
Method 2 Cover surface with mortar Press tesserae in mortar Have to work very quickly Use this method with pebbles Do not have to use grout
Grout Step 5 - Grout Technique used to fill the gaps between tesserae. Mix grout, decide on color and texture Smear on surface Allow 10 min to curate Wipe and scrape off using cloth, q-tips, credit
cards, cd’s etc.
Step 6 - Seal
Grouts……YouTube how to grout
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_xmlE6P9Ug
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8DcqR-kGsc
Step 6 - Seal
Jim Power“The Mosaic Man”
YouTube Powers… http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourc
eid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS286US286&q=jim+powers+mosaic+man&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#
Jim Power East Village, NY “Mosaic Man” “I am one shinny little
piece in a great mosaic” Lamp posts Relishes with interaction
with the public Two decades – 67 lamp
posts Construction worker -
$2000 per week
The End