Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque in Mosaic Art with Carol Shelkin

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Mosaic Arts Online presents “Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque in Mosaic Art with Carol Shelkin.” In this online course Carol shares the techniques of how to create a mosaic with a transparent and translucent effect. Carol is well known for creating her mosaic art in a painterly style using stained glass.

Carol starts with an in-depth 40 minute powerpoint presentation describing how a transparency mosaic can be created. She discusses ways to create reflective qualities, values, and shades using individual colors of glass.

Next, you will be introduced to the photographic model that Carol uses to create the transparent/translucent mosaic. This image is available in the PDF for your use or you may choose your own image. Once you have your image ready, Carol walks you through the steps of how to manipulate your image in warm colors and black and white. This step by step process will help you to understand values and shading. Next, you will transfer your design to the substrate before coloring it in with your colored pencils.

Once you have completed your color drawing, you will then choose your glass palette for creating your transparent/translucent mosaic. Carol shares how to best choose the values in the glass before starting to create. Carol chooses small pieces as she works slowly and precisely with each piece that she lays down for her mosaic. Sometimes she finds that ripping them out and making subtle but important changes is necessary.

Carol recommends her “Realism in Mosaic Art” online course as prerequisite to this course. If you feel you understand the elements of how to work in light and dark, how to see the different values of colors using a gray scale chart, and how to see the shadows in a photographic model then you are prepared for this course.

This course will give you the skills and confidence to create a transparent and translucent mosaic with a variety of images.

This course comes with a PDF for download with all the suggested tools, materials, and resources as well as the image Carol creates with in this course.

All MAO courses come with comment sections in each segment to ask questions of the instructor.


"I am really enjoying watching your courses and also say that your instructions and explanations are really nice and clear, which I appreciate." Kathy W.

Your Instructor


Carol Shelkin
Carol Shelkin

Carol Shelkin, a visual artist is creating contemporary, fine art, original and intricate mosaic designs that eminent care and attention to detail with hand cut, high quality stained glass and other glass materials.

Taking to art as soon as she was able to hold a crayon, she started attending Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia at seven years old. It was made clear at a young age that her life would be centered on her passion for art.
She continued her artistic direction with studies at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and studied under mosaic masters in Ravenna, Italy. Before becoming a full time artist and instructor, she owned a successful arts nursery school/child care program.
Carol accepts week long and weekend workshops, commissions and creates one-of-a-kind works of art that are displayed in galleries, community centers, libraries, commercial and residential settings. She works with the clients to form a partnership to help make their visions into a work of art. She also offers workshops and tours as far as Costa Rica, Mexico, and Spain, to name a few with Worldwide Mosaic Art Workshops and Tours.
Carol received several grants from The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Upper Darby Arts and chosen to receive the prestigious Robin Brett Mosaic Scholarship for continued education from The Society of American Mosaic Artists. She is a Founding Member and past President of The Mosaic Society of Philadelphia.
Carol finds a very eclectic approach to surface design, placing glass where she, as a painter naturally places paint.

Course Curriculum


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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days and we will give you a full refund.

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