Beginner's Guide to Making Mosaics: 16 Easy-to-Make Projects for Any Space

By Delphine Lescuyer

Transform areas and items in your home into beautiful works of art! Unique and fun to do, this introductory guide to mosaic art covers everything from window sills and wall murals to flower pots and picture frames. You’ll learn everything you to know about the materials, tools, and techniques, and create 16 beautiful mosaic projects with step-by

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Release date: Oct 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781607657149

Delphine Lescuyer

Delphine Lescuyer is a self-taught mosaicist. She started studying theater and dance, but also enjoyed photography and writing. In 2011, her workshop Anai and Celadon produced original works where the mosaic was imprinted with fantasy, yet had a timeless elegance.

Book preview

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Initiation à la mosaïque © 2018 by Éditions Massin, collection Savoir & Faire-Société d’Information et Créations (SIC)

© 2019 Fox Chapel Publishing

All rights reserved. Beginner’s Guide to Making Mosaics is an unabridged translation of the 2018 version originally published in French by Éditions Massin under the title Initiation à la mosaïque in France. This version published by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0017-6

eISBN 978-1-6076-5714-9

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

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Printed in China

First printing

Because working with mosaic tiles and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.

Project Team (French Edition)

Editorial Director: Thierry Lamarre

Editor: Adeline Lobut

Project Design/Construction and Step-by-Step Directions:

Delphine Lescuyer

Proofreader: Isabelle Misery

Photography: Pierre Nicou

Design and Layout: Either Studio / Sylvain Kaslin

Cover: Either studio / Sylvain Kaslin

Project Team (English Edition)

Translator: Donna Vekteris

Editor: Colleen Dorsey

Designer: David Fisk

Introduction

Materials

Tools

Techniques

Projects

Floral trivet

Striped flowerpot

Garden ornaments

Doily-style trivet

Pixel number

Flower bouquet

Dot mirror

Teardrop tray

Pixel rock ‘n’ roll

Cloud paperweight

Sailor’s shirt

Upcycled planter

Garden light

Odorico windowsill

Cloud table

Exotic bird

IllustrationIllustration

Materials

Illustration

Tools

Illustration

Techniques

IllustrationIllustration

Floral trivet

Illustration

Striped flowerpot

Illustration

Garden ornaments

Illustration

Doily-style trivet

Illustration

Pixel number

Illustration

Flower bouquet

Illustration

Dot mirror

Illustration

Teardrop tray

Illustration

Pixel rock ‘n’ roll

Illustration

Cloud paperweight

Illustration

Sailor’s shirt

Illustration

Upcycled planter

Illustration

Garden light

Illustration

Odorico windowsill

Illustration

Cloud table

Illustration

Exotic bird

Illustration

The word mosaic describes a wide variety of creations throughout history: the mosaics of ancient Rome and Greece, Byzantine art, the elegant floors of the Art Deco period, the whimsical Maison Picassiette in Chartres, France (a house completely covered in mosaic), the architect mosaicists of the 1970s, the building façades of Odorico (a famous French mosaicist), the magnificent creations of Gaudí in Barcelona, and more. History has seen a multitude of styles and forms of expression. Mosaics are as well suited to the walls of a royal palace as they are to the lawn ornaments of a humble backyard. Indeed, the mosaic’s charm is that it is a handicraft both noble and yet accessible to a broad audience.

Who hasn’t hoarded a little batch of tiles or broken plates in the hopes of making a mosaic someday? Or gazed at a mirror framed in glass or ceramic mosaic tiles, thinking, I can do that!—only to discover that technical assistance was required?

The purpose of this book is to introduce beginners to the basics using contemporary designs that don’t require having a background in drawing. Advice and tips throughout will help you succeed in your first mosaic creations.

There are a wide variety of materials to choose from to make a mosaic. The most important is to select those best suited to your mosaic’s destination (the substrate on which it will be created) and how