Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Stained Glass Windows at The Farm Cafe in Portland Oregon Carved and edge-lit glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Face etched in glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Face etched in glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington Slumped form by Ray Algren of 'Fireart' in Portland Oregon. Carved fluting by Ron Branch Comissioned stained glass and wire sculpture by Ron Branch Etched glass - Ron Branch at Glasstone Studio in Vancouver, Washington

Lincoln

June 6th, 2011 by Ron Branch

Lincoln etchedThis latest etching is composed of 12 stages. It’s the face of Abraham Lincoln obviously, and is based off of Alexander Gardener’s amazing photo which I love very much for it’s shallow depth of field. From here I’m going for a 20 stage image – I haven’t yet decided on whose face to do. I’m also anxious to get beyond just the face, so I think it’s time for a full body composition.

Click on the image to see the comparison between 9 and 12 stages.

etched faces comparison

etched faces comparison

Nine Stage Face

November 1st, 2010 by Ron Branch

a 9 stage sandblasted face etched in glassThe first attempt at Elizabeth Taylor was tiny in size and consisted of what is called “stage blasting”. It was a six stage blast, and because it was so small, that was more than enough to do the job. This next one is larger and is a nine stage blast. The enlargement allowed for more detail, but nine stages were not enough to maintain the softness. The result is an edgier look that in many cases is a fun way to go, but I think for a female face I like a softer look and so, I ‘ll do this one more time with more stages.

(click image to enlarge)

Advancement in Portraiture

October 16th, 2010 by Ron Branch

a face etched in glassThere’s been another improvement on how I approach photo-realism. This is not a photo-resist process. It’s really just traditional stage-blasting, but taken to an extreme level.

This example (based on Philippe Halsman’s photo “Elizabeth Taylor 1948”) is the first in a series I’m going to be posting. The ones to follow are going to be much more intense, more dynamic, and more detailed.