3D....

I have also been thinking about how I can represent the stained glass style in a 3D format. I had a bit of a play around with acetates and sharpies...

 It works pretty well I think.
I'm currently putting together ideas for other methods and materials I can use to make stained glass. Using resin would be almost like using glass.... Could I use wire? Could I use thread? Fabric? Could I make an edible window?

Developement.....

I've recently started trying to further develope images using paint that I can use for my stained glass deadly sins.

Seven Deadly Sins....

Over the past few days I've been working on concepts for a series of stained glass images based around the seven deadly sins. After a little research I discovered that each of the sins has it's own associated colour which lends itself well to the stained glass concept. I am just working on subject matter at the moment, trying to use urban images as current/modern day examples of each of the sins.

 Lust: I was thinking along the lines of strippers and prostitutes but changed direction a little, thinking that it is probably too obvious. I'm now thinking of using some sort of sex line advertisement. Male or female?

 Greed: A magazine cover promoting excess and insisting that you need to buy tonnes of unnecessary things. Could be a fashion magazine or lads/gadgets magazine.

 Gluttony: Pretty self explanatory, might need to rethink.

 Sloth: I was inititally thinking of an image of a queue of people waiting to collect the dole and then heading from the post office directly into the pub or bookies next door. Possibly a little raw at the moment so another idea I've been playing with is an image of a stoner, hanging out in the living room in the middle of the day.

Pride: This one I had a bit of difficulty with. When thinking of pride, you don't always associate it with sin. I checked several definitions and found the original definition which states that pride is the desire to appear better or more attractive than everyone else. What can someone have, purely as a symbol that they are better than everyone else? On my way home I spotted a hummer; a completely impractical machine. Far too big and cumbersome, not to mention the fact that they cost a fortune to run and are ridiculously bad for the environment. In my opinion, the only reason to own a hummer is to show off how much money you have.

Envy: The desire for another's possession to the point where you want to harm that thing or the person who possesses it. Somebody has keyed the hummer :(

These are just ideas at the moment. Ultimately I would love to use real life examples for the images but I'm not sure how realistic that is.

Icons....

Removing the religious iconography and replacing them with modern day "icons". Paris Hilton complete with ankle tagging device? A Lindsy Lohan mughot stained glass window?

Something I could explore........... maybe!

Glass paint....

 I'm now working with glass paint, on acetate to start. The effect has been good so far and can hopefully be developed into something interesting.
I've also been thinking about incorporating other artistic styles  into the project. Interpreting urban street art styles like graffiti or tattoo art in a stained glass technique.

Experimentation...

For a while I concentrated on methods for altering the images. I photoshopped the photos and transferred them to tracing paper using markers. I like the effect but the matt finish doesn't give the desired glass effect.

 Here the colour is blocked in on tracing paper and the outline is traced onto acetate which is then layered on top of the paper giving it a more 'glossy' finish.

First attempt......

 Firstly I wanted to explore the stained glass style and figure out how to translate an everyday image into a stained glass representation. For this drawing I worked from a photograph I had taken looking up William street. I altered the image, breaking down areas of colour into simpler shapes and adding a typical stained glass style sky design.

I painted the scene using gouache. I feel the painting was successful both from a design perspective and as a representation of the style but the opacity of the medium doesn't lend itself perfectly to the concept.

Project Concept

I have been inspired by stained glass in churches and other buildings around the city, being attracted mainly by the colour. Because I am workin with a style of design instead of an object or place, there are many directions I can go in.
To begin with I am exploring the idea of converting the everyday into a stained glass scene.