Mosaic Design Your mosaic studio…….

Glass Tesserae Byzantine (5 th -6 th ) 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 Equipment Goggles 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

Sealer Protects 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, cds etc. Step 6 - Seal

Grouts……YouTube how to grout Part 1 Part 2

Step 6 - Seal

Jim Power The Mosaic Man

YouTube Powers… eid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS286US2 86&q=jim+powers+mosaic+man&um=1&ie =UTF- 8&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4 &ct=title# eid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS286US2 86&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