Art Class, Level 4: Stained Glass Nativity Window

Product Description

Stained glass may be a medium that’s too expensive for amateur artists, but that needn’t stop one from making an imitation of stained glass on paper! This lesson offers two ways to do this.

In the MARKER version, we begin with a large piece of vellum (11” x 14”), the translucent paper that some people call tracing paper. We color it with washable makers—cheap in cost, and surprisingly versatile on the vellum! Once the picture is colored, we put in the “lead” lines with dimensional paint.

In the WATERCOLOR version, we draw the picture on watercolor paper and redraw the lines with a mixture of glue and black paint. Then we learn to use several layers of paint to create complex coloring for the “”window.””

Either way, you get a stained glass effect. We like the watercolor version better, since the colors are much more complex. But don’t worry–you can try both versions for the price of one!

The lesson offers the following challenges:

1. Choosing either a balanced palette to create harmony, or an analogous palette to create a mood (given the limited range of colors in a marker set, the balanced palette is easier to work with).
2. Exploring the possibilities offered by using washable markers on vellum, or using layers of watercolor on watercolor paper.

This lesson includes both 2 POWERPOINT and 1 VIDEO version of the lesson plus 2 downloadable printouts: a warmup and a drawing of the window.

Approximate Time to Complete the Art Class:

• Warm-up: 15 minutes
• Drawing the window: 30 minutes
• Coloring the picture: 45-60 minutes
• Applying the dimensional paint for the lead effect: 30 minutes
• Total time: 120-135 minutes

Families will have access to the online lesson for one year from the date of purchase.