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Course intent

Course intent

By the end of the course, you’ll have gained the skills to safely and confidently produce and present a stained-glass panel of your own design.

Offering a practical and creative approach to stained glass, focusing on both traditional and contemporary methods you will explore how to develop a design and produce a detailed cartoon. Experiment with glass painting using grisaille, enamels, and silver stains, and learn to cut, solder, and cement your piece with precision. Measuring a window to ensure your panel fits a specific space — including how stained glass can be installed into a double-glazed unit enables you to build a unique, beautiful stained-glass piece for the home or to hang decoratively. Continue to develop your knowledge and techniques — including leading, glass painting, and incorporating fused or tack-fused elements into your work.

What will I learn?

What will I learn?

Design Techniques

• Develop your own designs and learn how to create a more complex ‘cartoon’ to work from.
• Use different sizes of lead came to emphasise elements of your design.
• Note: A leaded project with more than 20 glass pieces may take longer than one term to complete.

Material Knowledge

• Discover different types of glass and understand the properties of solder, copper, and lead — and how to use them safely.
• Explore how light passes through glass to create visual effects.
• Experiment with glass painting using grisaille and enamels.
• Use silver stains to change the colour of glass when fired.
• Try glass fusing techniques to create textured glass elements that can be incorporated into your design.

Craftsmanship

• Learn the essential skills to assemble a stained-glass panel.
• Practice techniques for polishing and presenting your finished work.
• Understand how to measure a window accurately to enable a stained-glass panel to be made.
• Explore how to make a stained-glass window that fits into a double-glazed unit.

Production Process

• Master the art of hand-cutting glass with precision using your cartoon.
• Learn to assemble your work using lead came or copper foil.
• Accurately solder and cement your glass piece for durability and finish.

Workshop Practice

• Understand the importance of a safe working environment.
• Follow health and safety protocols specific to a glass studio setting.

  Who is this course for? Is there anything I need to know before joining?

  Stage 2 - Suitable for learners who have completed stage 1 and would like to gain more experience and refine their skills within their chosen subject area. The focus will be on developing more control and proficiency in practice and learning and completing more complex projects.

  What do I need to bring to the first class? Will there be any extra costs?

  • A notepad, pencil, pen, and rubber

• Waterproof fine or very fine marker pens (ideally a metallic Sharpie and a very fine black pen)
• Graph or squared paper to the size of your project (available to buy in class if needed)
• One piece of greenhouse glass (new or reclaimed — not toughened or safety glass), approximately 1 sq. ft. in size, any shape (used for practice cutting — available to purchase in class if needed)
• Safety or over-spectacles goggles (available in the studio if needed)

Note on glass:

Glass for your final project is not included in the course fee. It can be purchased from the studio. Expect to pay between £25 and £30, depending on project size and your choice of colours. Prices may vary with market rates. ________________________________________

What Will Be Provided

• All specialist tools and materials required for stained glass work
• Access to equipment and supplies for classroom use only
• One FFP3 face mask (if your chosen technique requires it)

  What can I do when I finish the course?

  You can continue at Stage 2 for 3 terms. After that you can progress to Stage 3 then Stage 4. With glass, you can take this course as far as you wish to go, from a simpler project to a larger more complex one. Our Glass Fusing courses provide you with the opportunity to produce fused glass pieces that can be included in the making of a stained-glass panel or object.

  Additional Information

  We welcome learners with additional needs and disabilities. When you enrol, please let us know if you would like to discuss your extra support needs with a member of the Supported Learning Team who will then contact you as soon as possible. If you are enrolling within 10 days of the course start date, we may not be able to contact you before your first class.

We value and support equality, diversity and inclusion by promoting fairness and respect at all times.

How to enrol

Our courses are for adult learners aged 19 or over. If you are under 19, please call 0300 200 1044.

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