Mosaic
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Are you an aspiring, beginner or experienced mosaic artist wishing to grow your mosaic practice?
Do you dream of making unique and complex pieces in a hassle free way and keep them outdoors in ANY weather all year round? Then you’ve come to the right place. Read on to find out why even the most seasoned mosaic artists are calling Pal Tiya Premium a game-changer! |
I instantly fell in love with Pal Tiya Premium. It was so easy to work with, so responsive and textural and is really therapeutic. I've been hooked ever since!” Alison Turner Mosaics, U.K |
When it comes to choosing your substrate, it’s very important to choose the correct one and there are a few things to consider:
You’ll want a substrate that is solid, won’t flex and especially if going outside, and that doesn’t expand or contract with changes in heat or humidity. If the surface has to much flex the grout will crack and the tiles will pop off. Surfaces must be solid, free of any bits and strong enough to support whatever mosaic pieces you wish to apply.
- When complete where do you intend to site your sculpture? Indoors? Outdoors?
- Will it hang up or be free standing?
- What climate will the piece be in? One with freeze/thaw cycles or high humidity?
- Will it ever come in contact with water?
You’ll want a substrate that is solid, won’t flex and especially if going outside, and that doesn’t expand or contract with changes in heat or humidity. If the surface has to much flex the grout will crack and the tiles will pop off. Surfaces must be solid, free of any bits and strong enough to support whatever mosaic pieces you wish to apply.
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These are some of the traditional mosaic substrates
INDOORS
OUTDOORS
AND NOW THERE'S...
- WOOD - Wood is prone to changes in humidity and will warp so remember to seal and we recommend only using for indoor projects.
- MDF - Medium density fiberboard is a good choice for indoor pieces.
- MARINE PLY/PLYWOOD - As with wood this is prone to changes in humidity so recommended for smaller indoor projects.
OUTDOORS
- WEDI BOARD - a foam board covered with a thin layer of fiberglass mesh and a cement coating. Preparation to the edges is required to protect the styrene centre. The edges are the weaker part of the form. It will also need to be sealed as moisture can get inside if outdoors. You can create simple carved shapes for 3D work in Wedi board using an electric jigsaw if you wanted to create bigger complex pieces.
- CEMENT SHEETS -a cement-based product formed in sheets and reinforced with fiberglass mesh. When cutting shapes the edges can be rough so covering these may be required. It would be challenging to get any big 3D pieces with this substrate.
- CERAMIC/TERRACOTA - You can use these for the outdoors. Some caution is advised if your piece is top heavy as breakage can occur.
- WALL/FLOOR TILES - Good for outdoor pieces that are to be hung on the garden wall.
- GLASS
AND NOW THERE'S...
- PAL TIYA PREMIUM - a sculpting medium that goes on top of your crushed tinfoil shapes meaning you can create ANY shape you like and can go out in ANY weather.
How cool to be able to use this to make items to mosaic on. I am in no way a sculptor, but found the product to be easy to work with. It is so great to be able to make the shape out of simple tin foil! I can't say enough how excited about all the possibilities this gives me. Love, this product!” Shaylynn Clark, Michigan
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Pal Tiya Premium is now being used across the globe by beginner and seasoned mosaic artists.
Our sculpting medium allows you to take your mosaic work in a completely different direction. It has been called a game-changer by our customers for good reason. Read on if you want to free your imagination and make mosaic creations of any size, which can go outside in absolutely any weather, come rain, snow or shine. It requires no firing, cures easily under plastic and doesn’t require you to have to mess around with wire meshing or learn welding or mixing concrete. Pal Tiya Premium is incredibly strong and supportive so you can put a lot of weight down on it without worrying about breakages. |
Spider Substrate
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Spider Mosaic
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I really love to work with Pal Tiya Premium. I used to work with finished substrates which I covered with glass, marble and stones but since I know Pal Tiya I have endless more possibilities. Even though I never learned how to sculpt I could do it right away because it´s very easy to use." Uschi, Germany
Here’s all you need to know about working with mosaic and Pal Tiya Premium
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SURFACE PREP
When making your sculpture from Pal Tiya Premium with mosaic in mind make sure your surface is well prepped. Any large lumps or bumps in the wrong place may affect the level when you come to place your tiles on it. Any deep furrows will make the tiles dip creating an uneven surface. Of course, this may be intentional depending on your design, but please keep in mind if you want a smooth level surface finish. Once your foil armature is complete go over it with the back of a spoon and smooth the whole thing. Then make sure your Pal Tiya Premium is pressed really well into the foil. For sculptures under 1 foot tall you do not require a scratch coat but if your sculpture is larger than this we advise to put a scratch coat layer on and then do a detailed layer the following day(s). |
This is a great product. It is good to sculpt with and easy to make large objects. I am a potter and I love that I don’t have to worry about cracking and attaching items that could break off. This is so good for students who have issues with clay. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.” Cheryl Hann-Woodlock, Hann Made Studio, Victoria Australia |
You can draw your intended mosaic design directly onto your cured and dry sculpture with a pencil. It can help to have your design sketched out so you have a template to follow as you work.
See more about creating your sculptures with our medium here
GLUES
The adhesive that you can use for applying glass, tile or mirror onto a completed piece is silicone. The base is weatherproof so make sure whatever adhesive you use is too.
Thinset by Laticrete for example is also a good choice.
Always use an exterior grade adhesive if your sculpture is designed for the outdoors. Mosaic artists often use Weldbond (PVA) for interior artwork but it is water soluble and your tiles would pop off eventually if outdoors exposed to the elements.
If you are using smalti for example, you can butt the pieces up to each other using thinset as your adhesive. The thinset should ooze up in between pieces keeping them firm and removes the need for grout.
Same applies to grout.
GROUT
When you have finished your mosaic allow to cure overnight. Mapei grout is a good choice. Mix to the consistency of peanut butter and work it into all the crevices.
Wipe over with a damp sponge/rag then leave to cure. You can polish the grout haze off later with a soft cloth.
See more about creating your sculptures with our medium here
GLUES
The adhesive that you can use for applying glass, tile or mirror onto a completed piece is silicone. The base is weatherproof so make sure whatever adhesive you use is too.
Thinset by Laticrete for example is also a good choice.
Always use an exterior grade adhesive if your sculpture is designed for the outdoors. Mosaic artists often use Weldbond (PVA) for interior artwork but it is water soluble and your tiles would pop off eventually if outdoors exposed to the elements.
If you are using smalti for example, you can butt the pieces up to each other using thinset as your adhesive. The thinset should ooze up in between pieces keeping them firm and removes the need for grout.
Same applies to grout.
GROUT
When you have finished your mosaic allow to cure overnight. Mapei grout is a good choice. Mix to the consistency of peanut butter and work it into all the crevices.
Wipe over with a damp sponge/rag then leave to cure. You can polish the grout haze off later with a soft cloth.
Foil Armature
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Pal Tiya Premium Substrate
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Mosaic and paint
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Mosaic Detail
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APPLICATION WHILST CLAY-LIKE
Alternatively you can push crystals, glass, mosaic, shells etc into Pal Tiya Premium whilst it is still soft (on application) and scrape any excess off the tiles before curing. If you are pushing mosaic pieces into wet PTP then there is no need to grout. The pieces could even be pushed in so that they are level with the surface of the PTP. When you are finished wipe over to smooth the edges where PTP meets mosaic before curing. Unless you have pre-cut pieces it would be best to do small sections at a time for this method. Grout would be advised in all other circumstances. MIXED MEDIA As Pal Tiya Premium has microscopic shrinkage, you can also put it around glass. This was you could have lights inside that shine from your sculpture. |
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Shaylynn Clark
"I discovered Pal Tiya when someone recommended it on a mosaic site. How cool to be able to use this to make items to mosaic on. I am in no way a sculptor, but found the product to be easy to work with. It is so great to be able to make the shape out of simple tin foil! I can't say enough how excited about all the possibilities this gives me. love, this product!"
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RE-USABLE CORES
If you want to create multiple copies of the same sculpture you can do that with Pal Tiya Premium. Watch how in this 14 min tutorial: If you want to find out more whilst you wait for your product to arrive then we recommend checking out our Get Started pages, which takes you through the whole process and gives you everything you’ll need to rip the bag open as soon as it arrives at your door!
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I have been searching for a clay or cement to hold the stones on my fairy houses. I have tried cement, mortar all sorts of things. This clay is the best one I have used. Easy to work with. I used a wine bottle and covered it with aluminium foil. made the window sills and door sill out of foil and covered the bottle with the clay, I made the roof out of the clay as well. In the past I didn't know what to do about the roof. This clay makes my product look professional." Valerie Boyle, New Jersey
