Making a stained glass panel

A full-size working drawing called a cartoon is made

It shows the lead lines around each piece of glass

It also shows the colours of the glass and details that the glass painters will copy

Each piece of glass is carefully selected for its colour and texture

The glass is then cut to size following the cut-line drawing which shows the precise shape of each piece of glass

It matches the cartoon exactly

The paint is a powdered mixture of metallic oxides and ground glass

Different tools and brushes are used to create a variety of effects

The outlines of the design are marked on the glass

The glass is shaded with a wide brush

This is called matting

The paint is dabbed with a special brushto create texture and highlights

This is called stippling

To create detail, the paint is picked out with a needle

To harden and fix the paint, the glass is heated in a kiln

Sometimes a silver compound is painted on the back of the glass

This is called silver stain

When heated in a kiln it penetrates the surface of the glass producing a transparent colour from yellow to orange

The term stained glass comes from this process

The individual glass pieces are assembled on the cut-line drawing

Lead strips are used to join the pieces of glass

The lead is cut to size and joined on both sides of the panelusing a soldering iron

The individual pieces of glass now form one panel

The panel is cemented on both sides to make it waterproof

The glazing cement is scrubbed into the gaps between the glass and the lead

To help the cement harden a chalk mixture called whiting is spread over the panel

Later, the excess cement and whiting are cleaned off

The panel is left for a few days to harden

The panel is now finished and ready to be installed

With thanks to Goddard & Gibbs Studios, Stratford, London, where this video was made