Choosing the right mosaic method

mosaic techniques
Direct method mosaic on marine ply. Photo and mosaic: Helen Miles Mosaics

Which mosaic method?

When you decide to make a mosaic, you need to choose which mosaic method you are going to use – the direct method (for a simple ‘how to’ project using the direct method, follow this link) or the indirect method.

The Direct Method

This involves putting the mosaic pieces, or tesserae, directly onto the base. There are a number of different substrates to choose from including wood, stone, concrete, ceramic and compressed foam board. On completion, the mosaic is grouted and that, more or less, is that.

Alternatively, you can apply the pieces directly onto fibre glass mesh. The mosaic on mesh is fixed to its final substrate using tile adhesive (indoor or outdoor as appropriate) and grouted on site.

The Indirect Method

This mosaic method is slightly more complicated. The tesserae are fixed upside down with water soluble glue onto brown Kraft paper. Once the mosaic is ready, there are two things you can do:

1. Put a frame around it and pour a concrete mixture into the mould. You then wrap the piece in plastic to make sure the concrete sets slowly, without cracking. When it is fully set you turn the mosaic over, dampen the brown paper, pull it off and reveal the true face of the mosaic.  OR 2. Prepare a bed of tile adhesive/thinset and press the mosaic into it with the paper side out. When the mosaic is fixed, you then dampen the paper as above and pull it away to reveal the front.

Why would you want to use the indirect method when the direct method seems infinitely easier?

More about the direct method

Think table tops, garden pots, kitchen trivets, mirrors – (almost) any surface can be mosaicked. Shop dummies, skulls, shoes…I’ve seen it all. Spain’s Antoni Gaudi was the king of the direct method:

gaudi mosaics

It is used in all sorts of different contexts including on simple flower pots:

mosaic techniques
Mosaic flower pot made using the direct method. Photo and mosaic: Helen Miles Mosaics

The advantages of the direct method are:

  • 1. You can see what’s going on as you make the piece.
  • 2. You can correct mistakes as they occur because they will be apparent as you work, as long as you do it quickly before the glue has set.
  • 3. You can go mad covering all sorts of surfaces and use an enormous range of materials from conventional tesserae such as glass and ceramic, to bottle tops, found objects, buttons and beads.
  • 4. You can make direct method mosaics on mesh and transport them to whenever they are going to be installed which means they are lighter and easier to handle.
More about The indirect method.

 

Disadvantages
  • Placing the tesserae reverse side up means that you cant fully appraise your work as you progress. In theory this should not be a disadvantage especially if you are using tesserae which have the same colour all the way through.
  • If you are using the mould method, the completed piece will be extremely heavy so transporting and hanging the mosaic is difficult.
  • Faffing around making a mould to go around the mosaic adds an extra layer of complication to the mosaic making process.
  • Mixing concrete is not everyone’s cup of tea.

    mosaic techniques
    Indirect mosaic cast into a metal frame. Photo and mosaic: Helen Miles Mosaics.

BUT there are a few very good reasons for choosing the indirect method.

Advantages
  • The completed mosaic will be entirely flat, so if you are using tesserae which are different depths and need a flat surface then this is the the method to use. Obviously, it’s perfect for floors.
  • You can easily undo mistakes. The tesserae are stuck down using water soluble glue so all you have to do is wet the pieces and they will easily come off the backing material and can be reapplied once the backing has dried out.
  • With the mould method, the completed work will be extremely solid and durable. You are essentially making a slab of concrete with a mosaic embedded in it, so as long as you make sure that you get the right mix of sand and concrete (not difficult) and that the cement dries slowly (be patient), it will set as hard as rock and be completely weatherproof.
  • You can make mosaic ‘fragment’ pieces. This, in my view, is where the method really comes into its own.

Click here for a tutorial on how to make a mosaic fragment like the one above.