Shading

[Doug Christie]

Can you all tell me how, or point me in a direction, where I can learn the techniques used in painting or in particular, shading with reverse glass. Here's a panel, I think it's Larry Whites. Thanks

UNITED_CIGAR_3689b.jpg (58.12 KiB) Viewed 8492 times

Doug

[Larry White]

Indeed it is...

Sometimes it's hard to know exactly what you're looking at in a photo.
The white background is actually a white glass smalt product called
"Diamond Dust", that I got over at Michael's Craft Store. It's adhered
to the face of a masonite panel stood off of the glass by about 3/8's of
an inch. The amber fade is varnish that has been tinted with Asphaltum
and airbrushed on the backside of the glass.

The deep red outer background is 3 shades of Japan color paint, brush
blended on the back of the glass.

One of the best ways to learn these techniques would be to take one
of Noel Weber & John Studden's gilding workshops. They seem to do
them regularly. Let 'em know you're interested in the next one.

Now ya know....

[Doug Christie]

Sometimes it's hard to know exactly what you're looking at in a photo.

""Diamond Dust", that I got over at Michael's Craft Store. It's adhered
to the face of a masonite panel stood off of the glass by about 3/8's of
an inch. The amber fade is varnish that has been tinted with Asphaltum
and airbrushed on the backside of the glass."

Thanks again Larry. Talk about Smoke and mirror's! Now, when you say Masonite, I'm thinking of that 1/8, hard as nails type of masonite. Is that right? As I was surfing the net on this subject, I came across some of other panels of yours. In it you were talking about fabrics to use behind the glass and printed photo's and the like. This makes me very happy, cuz I have no talent to speak of. If I have to rely on technology for help in my creations, then so be it. Is the varnished part of the panel shaded or is it just the angle that it was photographed?

[Larry White]

The amber color is airbrush faded about 5" down in the top section
of the clear center panel, the rest of the panel is left clear glass,
with the smalt panel is behind it.

Yes, the smalt is adhered to a masonite hardboard panel.

Some more information can be found here:

Blended Letter Shades

Blended Backgrounds

Smith's Cream

This one has a fabric background...


This one employed an old piece of plywood as the background....

[Doug Christie]

Thanks again Larry. This what I've been looking for. It's so hard to find any info. on the subject. I spend about 98% of my time surfing the net for info and usually end up here. The other 2% of the time, I'm sweeping up hair! Here's the thread I saw your other panels in.


https://handletteringforum.com/forum ... f=2&t=2340

[Mike Jackson]

Doug,
By now you probably figured out you can put an almost unlimited variety of flat surfaces behind a piece of glass if you leave some of it clear. I think Larry mentioned spacing his glass off the back surface by about 1/4". That's a variable you can control or adjust based on the size of the spacers. This will cast a natural shadow onto the background. It might be possible to place the background right up against the glass, but you lose the shadow. If the paint on the back side of the glass is still soft, it might also squish into the background and eventually damage the paint you see from the front.

Mike Jackson

[Doug Christie]

Thanks for the info Mike, Ya.....that was a surprise to hear that! I've been agonizing over how I was going to paint all these fantastic looking backgrounds you fellas create. Thanks again.

Doug