Mosaic DesignYour mosaic studio…….

Glass Tesserae Byzantine (5th-6th) 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 EquipmentGoggles

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

SealerProtects 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, cd’s etc.

Step 6 - Seal

Grouts……YouTube how to grout

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_xmlE6P9Ug

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8DcqR-kGsc

Step 6 - Seal

Jim Power“The Mosaic Man”

YouTube Powers… http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourc

eid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS286US286&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