Fade to Black Working Tips Trautman Art Glass Working Tips Fade to Black 033-58 Fade to Black
(FTB) is truly a unique and remarkable color within the colored glass palette. The black rod can go clear, white, blue,
green, and back to black as it is worked. This is a soft working black that sculpts
nicely and can strike into bolts of blue/white lightning in re-heated areas. The
final version of this color is much more stable than our experimental batches, however,
this is an advanced color, and there are some important guidelines that can
help you get the most out of it. · Maintain an even heat base and employ
a soft flame to keep a uniform temperature. Also avoid moving Fade to Black in
and out of the kiln while you work it. A great way to achieve this is to
complete your piece in one session, and by occasionally bathing your work in a bushy
annealing flame or annealing burner. · Apply clear glass to Fade to Black
carefully and conservatively. Thin dots
and layers result in the color turning a nice white, however heavier
applications like a clear encasement can result in cracking. Artists will commonly use a “buffer” of an
intermediate color like TAG Black Jack or TAG Whiteout between FTB and a clear
section.
· To bring the unique whites, blues,
greens etc. out of Fade to Black, the color must be selectively re-heated. This
is best accomplished by using a small hot flame, such as a mini torch flame, quickly
bringing areas up to white hot. The
various colors will appear in the heat gradient created between hotter and
cooler areas.
· Fade to Black’s colors can only be attained
at higher than annealing temperature, and the color must be selectively struck
in the flame to preserve them. Enjoy
playing and experimenting with this amazing color. You will quickly learn how
to use heat gradients to bring out the many colors of FTB. Trautman Art Glass,
Inc would be grateful to hear about your adventures with this mysterious color! |