Here we are going to discuss about the stained glass courses and about the top rated institutions from where you can get a profound knowledge about stained glass.So let us start with a brief description about stained glass.

What Is A Stained Glass?

The stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it.It is an art form in which colored glass is cut into shapes and placed into a mosaic to form a picture. The glass is held in place by metal strips soldered together to gives the stained glass strength and stability.Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings.You can mostly see this stained glass work at church windows,but now in this modern world stained glass artists also include three-dimensional structures and sculptures.

The color of stained glass comes in presence by adding metallic salts during its manufacture.These colored pieces of glass then crafted into stained glass windows by putting those colored pieces together in certain form of patterns or pictures.These pieces held together by strips of lead and supported by a rigid frame.Such kind of windows in which glass pieces have been painted onto the upper layers and then held together to form a design are also know as stained glass.

When we look at stained glass as a piece of art and craft then an artistic skills comes in only an artistic skill is responsible to conceive an appropriate and workable design, and the engineering skills to assemble the piece which includes measurements and all,this kind of particular art pieces called as Art Deco Stained Glass.A proper fixation of a window into the space provided,weather resistance and the supportive weight these all things comes together when we plan to design one stained glass master piece.For this reason stained glass windows have been described as illuminated wall decorations.

Types Of Metals Used In Stained Glass For Producing Different Colors :

1. Copper oxide is used for Green color.

2. Cobalt it used for Blue color.

3. Gold is used for Red color.

 

Types Of Stained Glass :

1. Crown glass :

This is a hand-blown glass which is created by blowing air into a gather of molten glass and then spinning it by hand or on a table.Glass formed this way can be both colored and used for stained-glass windows, or uncolored as seen in small paned windows.

 

 

 

 

2. Cylinder glass or Muff :

Using a blow-pipe, a “gather” (glob) of molten glass is taken from the pot heating in the furnace. The gather is formed to the correct shape and a bubble of air blown into it. Using metal tools, molds of wood that have been soaking in water, and gravity, the gather is manipulated to form a long, cylindrical shape. As it cools, it is reheated so the manipulation can continue. During the process, the bottom of the cylinder is removed.

 

 

 

 

3. Rolled glass :

It is produced by pouring molten glass onto a metal or graphite table and immediately rolling it into a sheet using a large metal cylinder.Glass made this way is never fully transparent, but doesn’t necessarily have much texture. It can be pushed and tugged while molten for certain effects. For distinct textures the metal cylinder can be imprinted with a pattern that is pressed into the molten glass as it passes through the rollers.

 

 

 

 

4. Flashed glass :

Architectural glass must be at least 1/8 of an inch to survive the push and pull of typical wind load. In order to make red glass, the ingredients used must be of a certain concentration, or the color won’t develop, but the resulting color is so concentrated, that if a sheet were made that is 1/8” thick, little light could actually pass through it – it would look black. So another method is usually used for making red glass, where most of the body of the glass is clear or a colored tint. This lightly colored molten gather is dipped into a pot of molten red glass, forming a laminate that is then blown into a sheet of glass using either the cylinder (muff) or the crown technique as described above.

 

 

 

So that was a minimal description about stained glass.Now let us move towards the stained glass courses.

This is a list of few popular and in demand stained glass courses:

• Stained Glass
• Glass Fusing
• Glass Painting
• Glass Engraving
• Cast Glass
• Mosaics
• Enamelling
• Bead Making
• Silversmithing

The Top-Rated Institutions For Stained Glass Courses :

1. Stained Glass Work courses at Central St Martins College of Arts & Design, University of the Arts London, UK

2. Stained Glass Work courses at Middlesex University Summer School, UK

3. Stained Glass Work courses at Kirklees College, UK

4. Stained Glass Work courses at Adult Community Learning Essex, UK

5. Stained Glass Work courses at Hammersmith And Fulham Adult Learning And Skills Service, UK

6. Stained Glass Work courses at Newbury College, England

7. Stained Glass Work courses at Textile Workshop (The), England

8. Stained Glass Work courses at City College Brighton And Hove, England

9. Stained Glass Work courses at Kingston Adult Education, England

10. Stained Glass Work courses at Workers Educational Association (WEA), England

 

Inspirational and Motivational Stained Glass Video :

 

 

So,those were some really fascinating,delicate and beautiful stained glass pieces.You can also make them by your own after going through good Stained Glass Courses.