Category: Improving Your Art
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Opus Pixellatum Mosaic Class Photos and Videos
Frederic Lecut’s “Opus Pixellatum” Mosaic Class was a lot of fun, and I think the mosaics were very successful, especially with the improvised tweaking and colorization that students did in phase two of the process. In the photo above, instructor Frederic Lecut kneels in front of the class. When people are in position at the…
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Mosaic Artist Michael Kruzich’s Must-See Work
Mosaic Artist Michael Kruzich has a body of work worth taking a look at, especially if you have any doubts about how well dramatic lighting can be rendered in mosaic portraiture and other figurative mosaic artwork. But that’s not all that you need to see of his work. Michael has also made some mosaic-clad figurative sculpture that is as…
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Inspiring Mosaic Portraits Using A Grid Pattern
David Armstrong has created some inspiring mosaic portraits, and he did it using whole tiles arranged in a grid instead of irregular pieces cut and fit as needed. Normally, I dislike mosaic designs based on grids because they lack the extra visual element provided by tile arrangement (andamento), but David’s work has tons of visual interest that more…
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Class with Mosaic Master Frederic Lecut
Artist Frederic Lecut has agreed to teach a class in which student will create a naturalistic mosaic portrait of their own eyes using Frederic’s Opus Pixellatum technique. We are very excited! Take a look at Frederic’s mosaic eye portraits to get an idea what you will make in this course, and we think you will be…
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Pan’s Head Mosaic: A Classical Interpretation
Artist Frederic Lecut’s “Pan’s Head” mosaic has a style that matches its theme, and it is a great example of using classical elements in a contemporary mosaic. The face of the “goat-footed god of Attica” or Pan is the subject of Lecut’s mosaic, and consequently the artist incorporates several aspects of ancient Greek mosaic in his…
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Interpreting Artwork In A Different Medium
Interpreting a work of art in a different medium is a matter of capturing the essence of the original without being an exact copy, although most people would prefer to see a copy that had no departures than something that was unrecognizable. With that in mind, the first step in creating an interpretation of an existing work…
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Mosaic Interpretation of Picasso Painting
Brian Kyle’s mosaic interpretation of Picasso’s painting “Man With Ice Cream Cone” is a refreshing departure from the cute themes that seem to dominate contemporary mosaic artwork. Brian calls his mosaic “The Lecher” and says that some people are creeped out by it. I say that makes it real Art (with a capital A) in the sense of…
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Creating Visual Interest In Mosaics
Contrast is a good way to create visual interest in your mosaic, and when contrast comes in the form of highlights and shadows, it also creates verisimilitude (the appearance of being real). Highlights and shadows can be as simple as shading the edges of a figure and leaving the center lighter so that the figure…
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How To Choose A Mosaic Background Color
The background in a work of mosaic art serves two purposes: contrast the colors of the figures in the foreground. suggest motion by arranging the tile in contours around figures. The first point is obvious, but the second is often overlooked even though it can make the difference between a great mosaic and a mediocre…
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Long-Term Art-Studio Experiments and the Pace of Mosaic Composition
Don’t Rush The Design Process It is easier for me to explain what I mean about pace and long term experiments if I discuss my painting instead of my mosaic artwork. Compared to most mediums of visual art, mosaic isn’t typically executed in a rush because the amount of work usually requires multiple sessions in…
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Advanced Tips For Selecting A Grout Color
The primary reason for grouting tiled surfaces is to prevent water from penetrating behind the tile and weakening the adhesive or the backer and the structure beneath the backer. In mosaic artwork, the grout also has a visual function, and that is to contrast (not match) the tile colors. If the grout color does not…
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How To Make Custom Shapes For Mosaic Backers
Rectangular backers are fine for most mosaic designs, but sometimes you want to make an irregularly-shaped mosaic or a mosaic with a custom shape, such as the silhouette of a common object: tree, automobile, flower, turtle, etc. How you make such a backer and what materials you use depends on whether or not the mosaic…