Behind the Glass: My Pet Portrait Process
Take a behind-the-scenes peek at how your pet becomes a one-of-a-kind stained glass portrait!
Every piece starts with a sketch and ends with a little sparkle. A lot of time, love, and tiny details go into each one - from picking the perfect glass to capturing those signature ears, spots, or soulful eyes. It’s all about bringing your pet’s personality to life in a way that’s colorful, light-catching, and totally unique.
It all starts with a favorite photo (or two) to jumpstart the pattern design
I create a pattern based on your photo and adjust lines as needed to make workable glass cuts
For some portraits, I will create a full color mockup of the pattern to see how the glass pieces will come together, even if the colors may change
I number each piece in the pattern, print a copy to bring out to the studio and begin the cutting process - I usually select all of my glass before getting started, but sometimes I'll make selections along the way
I set up a frame to be sure all pieces fit neatly inside. I need some wiggle room between pieces for the next step
Each piece is foiled by hand - one of the most time-intensive steps! The foil adds a little space to each piece so everything (hopefully) fits together nice and snug in the frame
Once all pieces are foiled, they are placed back into the frame - and I give my fingers a break!
I get my workbench set up for soldering and pick a great playlist before getting started
After soldering the front, I carefully flip it over and finish the back. Depending on the panel style, I will attach a lead or zinc border for better stability (not pictured)
When soldering is complete, I wash the panel thoroughly and dry. After fully dry, I apply black patina to the solder lines. *This step is optional, however I prefer the look of black lines on my portraits.
After patina has dried, I polish the piece, attach the chain, then grab my camera and take a few creative photos for my portfolio.
Another view of the panel in different lighting
I carefully package up the piece and deliver! Sometimes I'm lucky enough to receive a photo of my happy customer holding their own portrait :)
