How are mosaics made?

Answer 1

Mosaic is the art of decoration with small pieces of colored glass, stone or other material. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral. Small tiles or fragments of pottery (known as tesserae, diminutive tessellae) or of colored glass or clear glass backed with metal foils are used to create a pattern or picture.

There are three main methods: the direct method, the indirect method and the double indirect method.

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.

Indirect method

The indirect method of applying tesserae is often used for very large projects with repetitive elements. Tiles are applied upside-down to an adhesive backing paper, and later transferred onto walls, floors or craft projects. This method is most useful for mosaics with simple or geometric patterns, solid blocks of color, and extremely large projects. Mosaic tabletops are usually made using the indirect method, as it results in a smoother and more even surface.

Double indirect method

The double indirect method is often 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

Both indirect and double-indirect methods are often performed in sections, allowing extremely large projects such as murals to be completed off-site and transported to their destination without large trucks being needed

Answer 2

tile mosaics are made by making a drawing and then labeling the colors - then filling with small fragments of tile ( paint by numbers with ceramic chips ) if you are going to do this just put the grout in one small area at a time - for each color ( tedious but safe )

some artist are so good they skip the steps and just glue the tiles by eye

Answer 3

you place tiles or glass pieces in the design that you'd like on a thin layer of grout, then spread grout over the top of them, wait a bit, then take a wet cloth to clean off the tiles/glass.

Answer 4

With small pieces of semi-precious stones, pieces of broken tile or minute pieces of multi-coloured glass.

Answer 5

They are made with lots of different things and they do look quite good when they are finished

Answer 6

with broken pieces of tile

Answer 7

with little bits of coloured glass and terracotta into cement like stuff :D they also get planned out too

Answer 8

juntando uam tuia de pedra pintada