When the artist thinks about the mosaic, they immediately recall the tesserae. The definition of this peculiar word is small pieces that are used to create mosaics. These small objects can make a mosaic excellent or they can spoil a project you have been working on a lot of. To make sure that you choose the best for your part, you need to know about the different types of tessera.
BROKEN CHINA
Broken porcelain is probably the most popular tesserae. The name for this is pique assiette, which means broken porcelain mosaic. This is good material for beginners, as it is so easily accessible. Broken porcelain can be made from these chips, which you have in your closet, or wonderful antique items, which you will find in the sale of the local garage.
Care should be taken with pieces that will be outside. Some porcelain applications will tend to fade in the hot sun. In addition, some Chinese may not be suitable for external use. It must be frost-resistant, or it will break upon the next freeze.
The great thing about porcelain is that you can cut these pieces of any size or shape that you need. Orders tend to be thicker, so they may be harder to break. A hammer is a good way to break plates into workpieces. A thin set of mortar is the best glue, because you can build it so that your porcelain pieces are even on the surface.
FOUND OBJECTS
The objects found are excellent tesserae due to their ease of searching. They can include everything that can be glued together. For example, you can use vintage beads and buttons, salt shakers, paper scales, candy, cork, marble, glass bottles and figurines for dolls. Look into your trash cans and you will surely find a lot of things to use in your next mosaic.
Adhesives need to be carefully selected for finds. You can use a thin mortar set for almost everyone, but preparation may be necessary. If you are using glass paper machines or marbles, you need to drop your back slightly so that it sticks better. The cork must be sealed so that it does not absorb the water from your thin set.
Be attentive to the environment where you place the finished products. For example, you do not want to put vintage beads in the weather, as they can become fragile and break easily. Just use a little common sense, and you won’t mess up your next project with found objects.
VITREOUS GLASS
Fiberglass is a tessera, which comes in the form of tiles and is an affordable option with a large color palette. Each tile has a consistent color, and most of them have a spotty surface. Some colors will be translucent, while others will be opaque. There are several brand names where you can find this tile. Just do a quick search on the Internet to find many suppliers.
When buying fiberglass purchased in one of four ways; the face is mounted on paper, the face is mounted on a tile, at the back it is mounted on a grid and freely. You will want to remove tiles from a fixed surface before using them in your mosaic. These tiles are usually two sizes; "" And 3/8 "and can be used in any area, including outdoors.
The best way to cut this glass is to use a pair of wheel cutters. You will find that this glass will destroy something. Always wear safety glasses to blind your eyes.
Fiberglass is ribbed at the back so that the glue can be better captured. You can use any type of glue, but when using a finely divided solution, be sure to use a latex additive instead of water when mixing. Latex additive gives a thin set of greater strength for the storage of this non-porous material.
smalt
Smalti is another type of glass that comes in thousands of different colors, including metals and irises. Smalti is considered the best tesserae available. This glass looks the same as the painted image. The surface has several bubbles, and the color can vary every detail. It testifies to small.
Smalti is cut by hand, so each piece is irregular, but on average there are about "" rectangles. “Italian and Mexican smalti available. They are free and usually sold as pounds in forms. They can be used both inside and outside, but not recommended for floors or in any place where someone can deal with it.
Any glue will work, and often the smalti pieces are not overwritten. Instead, the pieces are placed where they touch and do not leave joints. You can also use the self-encryption method. Smalti can be cut with wheel cutters or with a traditional hammer and hardy method.
STANDARD GLASS
Since there are so many colors to choose from, stained glass becomes a very popular tessera for use. You can cut through the cuts with full sheets or simply find the scraps in the shop with stained glass. The color palette is extensive because each sheet can have a different color. You can also find it in a flickering dichroic or iridescent look.
Stained glass can be used anywhere except floors. This material is too thin to hold it well, and it breaks easily. If you use clear colored glass, be sure to use silicone glue or PVA glue, which dries. You should also be careful not to let your design come down when using clear glass.
Use tile cleaner to cut full sheets of usable objects or to cut complex structures. Wheel mills can then be used to clamp smaller pieces. Basic nippers do not work well, because the material is so thin.
MILLEFIORI
Millefiori - Italian handmade glass tessera. It literally means a thousand flowers. These pieces are made by hand to form glass rods and hand cut into workpieces. Millefiori is expensive, but worth it to use it in the right project. Usually these pieces are round, but can also be found in triangles and rectangles. They can vary from 5 mm in diameter to 22 mm. It can be used both inside and outside, but should not be used on floors due to different thickness.
GLASSES
Glass gems and figures are popular. Glass gems are flat-coated glass beads that can be found in almost any color, translucent or opaque and even iridescent. Glass forms can be found in many projects, such as stars, moons, sea life, hearts, etc. Dimensions vary greatly. There are many places on the Internet and on the ground that you can buy these glass gems.
You can use any glue, but before using it with a thin set, your back should be covered with sand paper. These forms are thick enough to be used on floors, just make sure they are even with the surrounding surface.
Porcelain / Ceramics
Porcelain and ceramic tiles can be found in many shades. There are also glazed and unglazed tiles. Porcelain is best suited for mosaics, since the rate of absorption of water is much lower, and they are ideal for outdoor installations. If you want to use ceramic tiles, be sure to study when it is or not, it's frost. There are many brands for glazed and unglazed tiles. Search the Internet for a wide range of retailers.
Wheel cutters are ideal for cutting porcelain, but many mosaic artists prefer an old-fashioned hammer. This will give you rough edges that give a mosaic character.
You can also find a lot of ceramic forms. They range from leaves to hearts to mistakes. You can also use special order tiles that have your signature on it. This is a great way to autograph your work.
MARBLE
Marble is how some of the first mosaics were made. It is very durable and lasts forever. You can find it in packaged or polished. The color palette is limited to natural shades.
Because marble is so durable, it is ideal for outdoor use and keeps well on the floor. It is also very difficult to cut. You can use a hammer and a hardy or wet saw. When you buy marble, it will go down in sticks, small squares or large sheets. Then you can cut them to your needs.
CONCLUSION
There are many other types of glass available for use in mosaic. There are metal twisted glass tiles and iridescent tiles. Consult with the supplier about how they will be stored for external use and what types of glue to use.
In principle, everything can be tessery for a mosaic. Try to mix more than one type together to create a beautiful new work of art. Different objects will give you a wide variety of textures and depths.
