| People often think that mosaics are made by | | | | covered up! The tiles are stuck to the paper upside |
| pressing the pieces (tesserae) into a background | | | | down. Glass mosaic tiles have a flat surface (which |
| medium, such as cement. This is one possible way, | | | | will appear in the final mosaic) and an uneven surface |
| but the most widely used techniques are the direct | | | | (designed to grip to adhesive). It is the flat surface |
| method and the indirect method. | | | | which is being stuck to the paper. A water-soluble |
| With the direct method, the tesserae are stuck | | | | glue, such as soluble craft glue or wallpaper paste, is |
| firmly into place to a backing surface. When the | | | | used. It is easy to see if the pieces are in the right |
| adhesive has dried, grout is applied to the mosaic to | | | | place because the tiles are more or less the same |
| fill in the gaps. | | | | colour on front and back. This starts to be a problem |
| The indirect (reverse) method involves sticking | | | | with ceramic tile, for example, where the back of the |
| tesserae face down on to a temporary surface | | | | tile doesn't give much clue as to the colour on the |
| (such as a sheet of brown paper) with a | | | | front - it can be hard to spot a misplaced tile until |
| water-soluble glue (e.g. wallpaper paste). When set, | | | | much later. In this case, mirror glass is being used for |
| the entire mosaic can be taken to its final site and | | | | the outline of the swimsuit - the reflective side is |
| pressed into a bed of adhesive or cement. When it is | | | | face down and the grey backing can be seen. |
| set in place, the paper can be soaked off and | | | | Another advantage of this method is that a large |
| grouting completed from the front surface. | | | | design can be divided up into several sections which |
| The indirect technique is very useful, for example, | | | | can be worked on by different people. For this |
| where it would be difficult to spend time making the | | | | project there were four separate sections, and the |
| mosaic in its eventual location. This might be the case | | | | paper was trimmed to the edges of them when the |
| for a large outdoors mosaic, or a wall mosaic high off | | | | work of sticking the reversed pieces in place was |
| the ground. More about this method... | | | | finished. |
| Another way of using the indirect method would be | | | | Once the glue is dry, the paper and mosaic sheets |
| to make a paving stone (where a flat surface is | | | | are very robust. |
| needed). The tesserae are stuck down to paper as | | | | A layer of adhesive is spread where the mosaic is |
| before. When dry, a mould is placed over the mosaic | | | | going to be situated. In this case it was a wooden |
| and filled with a mortar or concrete mix, to create a | | | | board, but it might be a wall or floor. The sections of |
| slab containing the mosaic (still face down). This is | | | | mosaic on brown paper are pressed into the |
| given plenty of time to set and then released from | | | | adhesive, tile side down. In this picture the other |
| the mould. The paper is soaked off and grouting of | | | | sections have been fitted into place and the mermaid |
| the front of the mosaic is completed. | | | | is about to go, literally, face down in the adhesive. |
| The reverse, or indirect, method is more complicated | | | | When the adhesive has set fully, the paper can be |
| than the direct method, but is very useful in many | | | | sponged with water. The water soaks through the |
| situations. The mosaic mermaid was made using this | | | | paper and dissolves the wallpaper paste or glue, |
| technique, and this page will explain how the | | | | allowing the paper to be peeled off. This reveals the |
| technique works. You can find more details of each | | | | mosaic with the flat sides of the tiles showing (and |
| stage throughout the project. | | | | the baby mermaid on the left again). The tiles are |
| As the name suggests, the mosaic is built up in | | | | embedded in the layer of adhesive and now need to |
| reverse, and involves using a temporary surface | | | | be grouted to fill the remaining gaps. |
| (brown paper) to transfer the mosaic to another | | | | Another way of using the indirect method would be |
| location. | | | | to make a paving stone (where a flat surface is |
| Notice that in the finished piece, the baby mermaid is | | | | needed). The tiles are stuck down to paper as |
| on the left of the picture. In the picture below, the | | | | above. When dry, a mould is placed over the mosaic |
| design has been drawn on to brown paper in reverse | | | | and filled with a mortar or concrete mix, to create a |
| (a mirror image), with the baby on the right. An | | | | slab containing the mosaic (still face down). This is |
| advantage is that this allows the detail of the design | | | | given plenty of time to set, released from the mould |
| to be seen while the mosaic is being made. If you | | | | and turned over. The paper is soaked off and the |
| were putting the tiles into an adhesive paste spread | | | | front of the mosaic is grouted. |
| out over the surface, the pencil lines would be | | | | |