Interesting Split Shade Technique...

[Larry White]

As I was going through some old sign photos, I came across this Connecticut Insurance sign....

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It has a very eye catching split shade on the main copy.

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connecticut4web.jpg (66.02 KiB) Viewed 42014 times

I recon the black background was cut in after the gilding was complete. Then a green glaze was brush faded into the vertical and diagonal letter strokes. The horizontal letter strokes were also blocked in with the green glaze. When dry, the red and white split shade colors were added. It's a nice effect....I'll have to try it someday.....someday....

-Aho!


.

[Jerry Berg]

Nice, thanks for the post Larry!

[Tony Segale]

... and maybe faster than us.

[Anthony Bennett]

"Fast Larry"eh ?

NIce share, interesting piece.

[oatis]

Larry: I looked closely at the example, and recognize that the shade was applied in a slightly different manner than you have deduced.

The white and red were actually applied as transparent varnish glazes, first, and allowed to dry.

The green was applied last. The artist probably had dark green, medium green and white cups of color, and did some blending as he filled the opaque layer.

That is the way I do split blended shades. It accounts for the way the red (in this example) goes straight to brown when the green is placed behind it.

With some thought in the selection of glaze tints and backing color, great combinations are possible.

Keep up YOUR amazing work!

Mark Oatis

[Doug Bernhardt]

I agree with Mark. Noel Weber demonstrated this technique when I first met him. My only reservation is that the green and white may have been added simultaneously leaving the need for only the red shade as a glaze......after cutting in the backgnd colour. Sure would help to see the back.

[Larry White]

6 years ago, I mentioned I might like to try this shading style someday....
That day is tomorrow....but we do it MY way!

[Tyler Tim]

Can hardly wait to see your take on it Larry.

[Larry White]

A gang of us descended upon Ron Percell's Micro Meet
up in Petaluma, CA. Figured it best I bring my own project,
and I thought it would be a good idea to finish this one up quick....

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FinishEmUpWebDetail.jpg (113.64 KiB) Viewed 40745 times

I executed it as described at the beginning of this post.

[Tyler Tim]

Looks fantastic Larry. What glaze did you use or how did you mix it

[Larry White]

Its transparent screen ink in varnish.

[Lee Littlewood]

So, to recap for those of us whose memories can't manage 6 posts up:
1) Cut the glass, drill the glass, nip the glass
1a) Lettering with fumed acid etch, spray silver, shell infill, mirror borders.... (you know, the usual stuff)
2) Opaque black background cut in, leaving "shades" still clear glass
3) Green glaze brushed in over part of the clear glass and let dry
4) Red (opaque or glaze?) shade brushed in close to letters and let dry
5) Opaque white applied over all
6) Checked off 'to do' list

I prob'ly missed a few critical steps.
Sure looks bright and pretty

[Larry White]

Close...it actually went more like this....
1) Cut glass, nip the edge, then drill the holes (if you drill the holes prior to nipping the edge, there will be a weak spot at the hole and the stress of nipping could break the glass at that weak spot)
2) Apply computer cut mask of the lettering brightlines for acid etching.
3) Did a 3 pass face up acid emboss on the letter outlines.
4) Solution silvered entire piece, pouring method.
5) Backed up the silvering on the acid embossed letter outlines and perimeter border, clean excess silver off.
6) Cut in background in Prussian Blue japan color, leaving the shade areas clear.
7) A green glaze was brushed in over part of the clear glass in a fading style and let dry.
8 ) Opaque red japan color shade brushed in for split shade effect and let dry.
9) Opaque white applied over all in the shade areas.
10) Two different types of shell were mosaiced into the letter centers using varnish.
11) Shell letter centers were again varnished and fine mica flakes were applied to the voids between the shell pieces.
12) Entire inscription was again varnished and backed with aluminum foil.
13) Entire backside was flocked.
14) Hangers installed and hung on wall.
15) Crossed of the "to do" list.

[Dan Seese]

So, Larry, the only thing I don't quite understand is the opaque red japan color for the split shade.
Seems like it would need to be a transparent red ink. But are you saying you did the entire shaded area - the green and the red - with a transparent green glaze. Then when you painted the opaque red, it basically "overpowered" the green glaze? And at what point did you do the blend on the shadow? Was it after you did the green - or is that what you mean by "fading style"? The blended shading is much stronger on the red than the green - which appropriately makes the silver outlines pop - but maybe it's just the opaque red that causes the bolder shading.
Guess I should try it myself and see what happens!
Thanks for the photos and explanation.

[Tyler Tim]

7) A green glaze was brushed in over part of the clear glass in a fading style and let dry.

Dan I believe he did a light green wash and built up more glaze to define the shade from lighter to darker.

That's my take from it.

[Larry White]

Correct...the green glaze was "brush blended" in a fading technique over the entire
open shade area.That's what produces the fading green color. This was the
only glaze color used. After it was dry, the opaque red was applied. What you see
is the true red color and the changing of the red color as it shows through the
fading transparent green glaze. After that, the only open area that was left, was
blocked in with white. The white then fades to green as it shows through the fading
transparent green glaze. Hopefully that makes sense...

[Dan Seese]

Thanks Tim & Larry.
Yes, that makes perfect sense. I've never done it that way but can definitely see how that works. When the opaque red backs up its complementary color of green, a nice natural shade results.
I likes it.