5 Mosaic Tips for Beginners

TIP 1

Lay the fiddly bits which fit into awkward spaces at the same time as the neighbouring tesserae. That means that if necessary you can gently ease the neighbouring tesserae aside while the glue is still wet.

TIP 2

Backgrounds tend to look best if they are not one uniform colour. The use of slightly different hues in the background is called ‘peppering’. This technique serves to liven up the background design which is obviously a crucial part of the whole.

TIP 3

Check your spacing as you work.

However much you think about this during the planning stage, it is still important to keep it in mind as you work. The dark tessera at the front of the photo above marks the border of the piece. The design above it (not shown) is complete and a layer of tesserae has been laid around it.

TIP 4

When designing a larger mosaic and working on the layout and spacing, it helps to make cardboard cut outs of the key elements in the design. This allows you to move them around easily and see how they work in different positions.

TIP 5

Mosaic making involves hours of work often spent sitting down hunched in the same position. This can put an enormous strain on the back and upper body. So perhaps the most important of the mosaic tips is to make sure you take frequent breaks. Do some quick stretches to avoid doing yourself any long term damage. I find one of these elastic resistance bands does just the trick.