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ART OF STAINED GLASS Below is a table for quick reference:
Let's explain in detail. Tiffany Lampshades Tiffany shades are renowned for their delicate leading and the intricate nature of the pieces of its glass. This could not be achieved with lead came. Furthermore, lead came construction is not well suited to mold work. Old Style Lampshades In the forties and fifties, many coarse-looking, multi-panel shades were made using lead came construction. Many of these shades end up at repair shops as the lead sags over time. If for some reason you require this old look, it is achieved with the use of lead came. Suncatchers and Boxes Suncatchers and boxes are generally made with copper foil for a lighter looking result. Wobbly Lead Lines If you are seeking a look where the lead lines are of a width that varies along their length, copper foil is the choice. Different Width Lead Lines Should you be interested in having lead lines of uniform widths along their length, but of various sizes, lead came is your choice. Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie Mackintosh made ample use of variety in the widths of their lead lines, it is an inextricable part of their designs. Glass Painting While nothing stops anyone from using copper foil in their painted project, there an unspoken rule among practitioners of the art that glass painted pieces are traditionally assembled in lead came. It's not often that glass painters use copper foil, even if they could, technically speaking. The emphasis is on simple pieces, intrically painted - so little reason to fuss over a lot of precision pieces and multitudes of lead lines. Architectural Look Expected to have significant numbers of straight lines, the architectural look is only achieved with lead came. Door insets and windows are nearly always in lead came. This is not a representational style, but one that is designed to fit with the house itself. Another reason to use lead came is that architectural stained glass is frequently exposed to temperature changes, and the putty of lead came constructions serves to cushion the expansion and contraction of glass, as well as mecanical shock (from shutting a door, for instance). Architectural Look Expected to have significant numbers of straight lines, the architectural look is only achieved with lead came. Door insets and windows are nearly always in lead came. This is not a representational style, but one that is designed to fit with the house itself. Another reason to use lead came is that architectural stained glass is frequently exposed to temperature changes, and the putty of lead came constructions serves to cushion the expansion and contraction of glass, as well as mecanical shock (from shutting a door, for instance). Copper foil and lead came, in practice, are rarely combined in a single work; however, there is no contra-indication if this serves your artistic vision. |