A Useful Way Of Deciding Where To Put Your Highlights

We’ve been a little silent for a while. Here’s why – plus you’ll find a really useful tip about highlighting.

Some of you will remember how last year the tycoon summoned us to his Soho boardroom and – to win the enormous commission for his London mansion – he challenged us to prepare two fine forgeries of ancient painted glass.

Which we did. And duly won the challenge.

Which meant the commission was ours – 16 massive stained glass skylights: 16 pages from an illuminated medieval manuscript, fashioned from painted glass.

Original sketch proposal for the tycoon's stained glass skylights

Original sketch proposal for the tycoon’s stained glass skylights

Each piece required to look old … as if bought at auction from Sotherby’s or Christie’s. (Or maybe even stolen from a private collection in the deepest vault of the best-guarded bank in Switzerland.)

So since Christmas we’ve been developing the techniques to use.

Like for this fine dragon just below (he’s one of 8 ferocious beasts).

And you can imagine how, when you’ve got to this stage and you haven’t yet fired the glass

Stained glass dragon

Unfired stained glass dragon – distressed so as to look old – waiting for highlights in the border

… you don’t want to bungle the highlights in the border.

Which brings me to the useful point for you.

Namely, work it out on paper first.

Like this:

stained glass highlights

It helps to draw the highlights out on paper before you make them on the glass

You’ll be glad you did.

Best,

David