Mosaic Design : How To

How To

Rough drawing of town crest on wall, projected in charcoal onto board.
Drawing: A very basic line drawing is all that is/will be required. Enlarge or reduce images with a Photocopier, cut out and draw round them or create a collage to copy. Part of the beauty of mosaic is the material used, so the materials help make decisions about design.
Contrast: This is the key to creating a strong piece of work; between image and background, border and central image, within images and patterns to create fine definitions and strong outlines. Check the following points on contrast:
Size: Large enough to give impact and small enough to give detail
Color: Areas of strong definite color against each other give strength to the design; shades of one color give vibrational quality and depth
Texture: Create textures by combining different quality materials. For example, put matte and glazed ceramic together to create tones of a color or reconstruct the patterning on broken china to create interest.
Technical consideration: The choice of tesserae will depend on the project. Outdoors, be sure to use weather resistant tiles and cements.

Mosaic Materials

Board: Use plywood preferably 5 ply (five layers) minimum thickness 9mm. Ensure that it is WPB quality – waterproof board.
Glue: Waterproof Unibond glue.
Tesserae: If the mosaic is for indoors use any of the ceramic and glass materials. If outdoors ensure that the materials are frost resistant. Regular ceramic bathroom and kitchen tiles are NOT frost resistant.
Tile adhesives and grouts
Soak tiles off sheets: Use warm water and paper will come away in about 10 minutes. Make sure to rinse the tiles thoroughly to take off excess glue. Lay on a towel to dry.
When using mirror: Remember to use mirror glue from a glass shop. Other glues over time eat the foil back away and reveal black marks.
Cement-based tile adhesive.

Mosaic technique
Direct method

The direct method of mosaic construction involves directly placing (gluing) the individual tesserae onto the supporting surface. This method is well suited to surfaces that have a three-dimensional quality, such as vases.

The direct method suits small projects that are transportable. Another advantage of the direct method is that the resulting mosaic is progressively visible, allowing for any adjustments to tile colors placement.

The disadvantage of the direct method is that the artist must work directly at the chosen surface, which is often not practical for long periods of time. It is unsuitable for large scale projects. Also, it is difficult to control the evenness of the finished surface. This is of particular importance when creating a functional surface such as a floor or a table top.

A modern version of the direct method, sometimes called "Double Direct," is to work directly onto fiberglass mesh. The mosaic can then be constructed with the design visible on the surface and transported to its final location. Large work can be done in this way, with the mosaic being cut up for shipping and then reassembled for installation. It enables the artist to work in comfort in a studio rather than at the site of installation.

The indirect method of applying tesserae is often used for very large projects, projects with repetitive elements or for areas needing site specific shapes. Tiles are applied face-down to a backing paper using an adhesive, and later transferred onto walls, floors or craft projects. This method is most useful for extremely large projects as it gives the maker time to rework areas. Mosaic Murals, Benches even tabletops are some of the items usually made using the indirect method, as it results in a smoother and more even surface.

The double indirect method can be used when it is important to see the work during the creation process as it will appear when completed. The tesserae are placed face-up on a medium (often adhesive-backed paper or sticky plastic) as it will appear when installed. When the mosaic is complete, a similar medium is placed atop it. The piece is then turned over, the original underlaying material is removed, and the piece is installed as in the indirect method described above.

In comparison to the indirect method, this is a fussy system to use and leads to a significant probability of damaging the work. As a rule, it is important to move your un-installed artwork as little as possible. If there is a great need for a 'true' view of the tile, then a digital photo can be taken and reversed on a computer monitor.