This book by Leslie Gibbs, is a sequal to her TROPICAL WATERS reviewed by us previously. It contains numerous sea designs, simple to complex with quite a lot of narrow wavey pieces of glass to cut.
I like some of the example photographs where Leslie has shown how using
textured glass gives a real look of the sea. This book is excellent for
that. There is a good section showing clever techniques for decorating
stained glass projectsby painting, etching or adding wire, etc.
It does have rather too many mermaids for my taste, so I cannot place
it accurately in adult or children designs. Both, I guess.
Another plus is that the colour plates show actual projects completed
from the book.
Patterns include:
Mermaid sprite, Sea Sprite onSea Horse
California Octopus, Squid, Octopus
Portuguese Man 'O War, Moon Jellyfish
Blue Tangs, Octopus, Grouper
Mermaid with Dolphin, Sea Horses
A fantastic Coral Reef Panel
Atlantic Spadefish, Angelfish
Fairy Basslet, Conch, Manatee
Clownfish, Sea StarReef Shark
Golden RAy, Sailfish
How do we rate this book?
EASY TO INTERMEDIATE
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Available from your stained glass merchant.
This is a further book by Leslie Gibbs, again based on wild life. In Leslie's tried and tested mould. It will delight her fans as it gives them a wealth of new easy to produce designs.
There are many sea life pictures, mostly designed for the young. As I have said with some of her other books, a little judicious work on the eyes and you can mature the designs easily.
Patterns include: Sea Horse, Manatee, Shark (very good) Marlin, Spinner Dolphin, Clownfish, French Angelfish, Sea Turtle, Sea shells, Mermaids,Dolphin
and calf, Orca and calf, Blacktip Shark (also excellent), Spotfin Butterflyfish.
How do we rate this book?
EASY
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Available from your stained glass merchant.
Another excellent book of tropical birds, animals and plants in Stained Glass. At least 30 full size patterns with colour photographs.
Excellent artwork, and useful notes on how to achieve good results are written alongside each design.
Another book that will make somebody a super Christmas present.
Patterns include: Flamingo. Tree Frog, Magnolia, Heliconia, Luna Moth, Lovebirds, Scarlet Macaw,Orchid, Pineapple, Plumerias, Green and Yellow Macaw, Hummingbird, Calla Lily.
How do we rate this book?
INTERMEDIATE
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Review copy sent in by the author
Available from your stained glass merchant.
This book is HOT off the press.
An excellent follow up to Bob's A Dog Show in Stained Glass reviewed here previously.
18 full size patterns with colour photographs.
Excellent artwork, and every dog clearly recognisable.
Each pattern has a few notes: a paragraph about the breed and a few construction tips. This book will make somebody a super Christmas present.
Patterns include: Afghan Hound, Airedale Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Bichon Frise (cross between a Maltese Poodle and a mop!), Boston Terrier,
Chihuahua, Dachshund, Great Dane, Labrador, Old English Sheepdog, Papillon, Pointer, Poodle, Schnauzer, Shih Tzu, West Highland Terrier, Yorkshire
Terrier, and a Girl with two Chihuahuas.
How do we rate this book?
EASY
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Available from Decorative Glass Supplies.
In this, her fifth book for CKE, Leslie Gibbs has 22 wild animal patterns. The designs are pitched at hobbyists and are mostly children's designs. This is shown up by the tendency to have "humanised" faces with large eyes and smiles.
Nevertheless, many of the animal shapes are good, and the designs could be used for mature projects as well (with some artistic changes where required). The African Elephant and the White Tiger are two examples of this.
Although the author suggests the use of hobby paint to enhance the designs, there is no reason not to use more robust methods such as soldered foil, or even better, kiln fired paints. There are full instructions on how to achieve the required detail in these designs.
How do we rate this book?
EASY
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This is a fantastic book. Not just for dog lovers either. The quality of the patterns is top notch. These dogs look like dogs, and look like the dogs they are meant to represent. I cannot praise the artwork enough.
Just look at the Boxer here, and the Greyhound (my favourite!). There are 24 full size patterns.
The author is also an accomplished stained glass technician and he has written a comprehensive how-to section in respect of making the eyes, and mounting the dogs on plinths etc.
How do we rate this book?
INTERMEDIATE
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Available from Decorative Glass Supplies Limited
reviewed 8th November 2000
This is another excellent book from the prolific Aussie Jillian Sawyer.
There is a wealth of wild life light catchers in this book. The drawings are very detailed. Just look at this close up of part of my favourite, the Roths Tree Frog (on Page 15).
There are over forty designs, all shown with excellent line drawings. Nineteen colour photographs give very good ideas for colours. As an aside, these photographs can also inspire us to improve the quality of our work. The lead work and finish of Jillian's work is beyond comparison.
You do have to like making light catchers to want this book. There are lots of slim and difficult cuts to make so the projects will take time and effort. But what a result!
How do we rate this book?<
ADVANCED
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Available from TEMPSFORD STAINED GLASS
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