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03/24/2006 Archived Entry: "Video Game Glass"

I had this idea, since I work with flat glass to take all the images of stained glass in video games and RPG's and turn them into reality. One of these days I'll do it. There was a really pretty one in ChronoCross and another in the Pre-Searing Ascalon map of Ashford in Guild Wars.

I always laugh when most RPG's break through the stained glass. I keep thinking they must either be really strong or the lead came was on its way out from the get-go. I'm such a nutjob, I overanalise these things when I play games. Original stained and silverstained glass is kinda thick stuff since it was all originally mouthblown and not machine made on reeds. And it would take a lot to shatter a cathedral piece if it hadn't fallen victim to searing heat already and had thick and thin spots, I think. Sometimes I think the older pieces are more sturdy than the newer ones, the more I read up and see pictures despite how old the came is.

Though I've yet to truly master the stains and enamels, but I think I've got a feel for the ones in my collection so far. I really need to sit and make a true portfolio of what makes what and on what kind of glass and catalogue it, especially now that I'm making my first church piece. I've found that I prefer gum arabic instead of the liquid medium and liquid gum arabic. The liquid GA does really odd things sometimes if you apply too much whereas the powder is easier to control the amounts and more forgiving for me since I'm still learning.

Thing is, I'm a cartoonist and everything I do is reflecting on that. Particularly with this "Christ and the Children" piece I'm doing for St. Mark's. It's a direct transfer from the original cartoons I drew for approval. The faces are not photorealistic nor are they in the original "sleepy faced", flat dimensional look of older pieces. I like the black trace a lot, because it's like playing with really, really smooth ink. It's sometimes much better behaved on my trace brushes than an ink pen would be... but I've heard that calligraphers will use pens to apply their trace! I want this magick! D: I want to steal this fire from the gods! I'll be looking it up later today.