Sketching & a Glass Door Design
This sliding glass door will be in a prominent place. It should be subtle in design and yet be interesting with a “timeless” image. The design will be etched into the 25mm glass in layers and finishes making the door opaque and sculptured. I began exploring patterns which lead to images and the notion of scale with regards to the size of the door.
Natural elements in our landscape produce pleasant effects; however the etching of tiny leaves could be delicate and costly. And a tree without leaves depicts winter conditions.
Why not create a design of large leaves?
Hopefully the finished product will be close to 90% of the last design. For manufacturing simplicity we, my wife Chan Yee Man Daphne, the contractor and myself, decided that the finished glass door should be sculptured and opaque without any colour.
Here’s the finished Glass Door installed on the 2nd October 2010.
Sketchingjourney's Blog 
The manufacture of the sculptured glass door began on Tuesday: 27/7/2010.
You took the readers through a journey of translation of your thoughts to become a sculptural glasswork. I’m anxious to see the finished product in about a month’s time.
The suspense will be daunting, but the reality could be magical.
The Glass door has been the center of attraction of the whole decoration, the different shades of green and the fullness of the banana leaves pattern gives both the privacy and transparency to the rooms.
Thanks Clara. While sourcing accessories with Daphne and the contractor, in Causeway Bay’s Lockhart Road, I came across this distributor’s display of beautiful sculptured glass doors. It immediately struck me that the bedroom door should be a custom designed sculptured glass door. I am happy we spent time ‘window-shopping’.
My Barbados Facebook freind, Emmanuel A. Beryllia, writes:
“Sketching like you’ve Never seen it…by Errol Hugh.
This Elder right here is serious about his freehand drawings. With
intricate detail, Mr. Hugh takes you on a journey that will leave you
questioning the definition of Perfection…this is a must see. Thank you
for sharing your wisdom Errol…Nuff Respect.”
My reply:
“Gee Emmanuel, it’s wonderful of you to say all those nice things. Thank you kindly. In my next blog Daphne Chan took photographs of my process while sketching a street scene in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. It will give light to the layers and scale that I employ while doing on-site free-hand sketching. Each photo will show the time they were taken.”
The final Glass Door execution is close to my drawing since the glass door artist used my drawing as a template, however the final product is short on details and relief.
I like it.
The door is part of a renovation for my mother-in-law. It is a door to her bedroom at the ground floor of her flat, which is actually part of the Living room! So I thought it should be a special door and not just a blank bedroom door.