How to Draw Stained Glass?

by My Store Admin 08 Aug 2026

Table of Contents

A plain window on a coloring page can become one of the prettiest parts of the whole scene. With stained glass, it can feel dreamy, a little classic, and full of soft colored light.

For anyone figuring out how to draw stained glass, we’ll keep it easy and clear.

Mosaic-Stained Glass

Mosaic-Stained Glass is easy to recognize by its many small, uneven glass pieces, with dark lead lines separating each section. This style is inspired by ancient mosaic art and classic stained-glass windows, creating a colorful, broken-light look.

How to color it:

Step 1: Sketch an irregular mosaic pattern lightly with a pencil.
Step 2: Color each sketched section from light to dark (G120, YG66, G360, BG212, PB7, B080, BV311, PB4, V370).
Step 3: Trace the pencil lines with a black marker (120).
Step 4: Use a white acrylic marker to add highlights.
Step 5: Use a white gel pen to add sparkle to the glass.
Step 6: Use a marker to add the shadow (BV26).

Tips:

Try not to blend every glass piece too much. Mosaic-stained glass usually looks clearer when each small section keeps its own color and shape.
Leave a tiny white or lighter spot on a few glass pieces to make the window look like it is catching light.
A nice fit for: Mosaic-stained glass works well for big windows, church-style windows, cottage windows, café windows, or any scene where you want the window to become the main colorful detail.

Floral Stained Glass

Floral-stained glass usually stands out through flowers, leaves, vines, and soft curved lines instead of random glass pieces. It has roots in classic stained-glass window design and nature-inspired styles like Art Nouveau, so it often feels romantic, gentle, and a little vintage.

How to color it:

Step 1: Sketch the layout and floral patterns with a pencil.
Step 2: Color each sketched section with any colors you want (G110, G420, BG311, B070, GY6, R10, BG314).
Step 3: Cover the black lines with a white acrylic marker.
Step 4: Trace the pencil lines with a black marker (120).
Step 5: Use a white acrylic marker to add highlights.
Step 6: Use a white gel pen to add sparkle to the glass.

Tips:

For floral stained glass, choose one main flower color first, then build the rest of the window around it.
Use light background colors to make the flowers stand out and save your darkest shades for small shadow areas.
You might try it for: Floral-stained glass works well for cottage windows, garden doors, café windows, bathroom windows, and any coloring page where you want the window to feel soft, classic, and a bit dreamy.

Diamond-Pane Stained Glass

Diamond-pane stained glass has a neat, classic look because the window is built from repeated diamond-shaped panes. You may have seen this style on old cottage windows, vintage doors, or cozy kitchen windows where the glass feels simple but still has charm.

Instead of making the whole window very bright, this style usually works better with a softer color rhythm.

How to color it:

Step 1: Sketch the diamond layout with a pencil.
Step 2: Color each sketched section randomly with markers (G030, G340, B02, GY6, B05, Y110, BV58, PB7, BV310).
Step 3: Trace the pencil lines with a black marker (120).
Step 4: Use a white acrylic marker to add highlights.
Step 5: Use a white gel pen to add sparkle to the glass.

Tips:

For diamond-stained glass, keep the color layout more planned than random. Instead of filling every diamond with a different bright color, repeat a small set of shades across the window, so the pattern feels clean and classic.

A good way to start is to choose one soft base color, then add 1–2 accent colors in a gentle rhythm.

Best for: Diamond-stained glass works well for cottage windows, old house windows, café doors, kitchen scenes, and coloring pages where you want the window to feel clean, cozy, and a little vintage.

Grid Stained Glass

Grid-style stained glass divides a window into neat square or rectangular panes.

Instead of following a repeating color pattern, the colors are placed freely across the grid, with a few panes left clear. Dark, clean outlines help define each section and create the look of traditional leaded glass.

How to color it:

Step 1: Sketch the grid layout with a pencil.
Step 2: Color each sketched section with a random marker color (R150, YR090, Y030, G43).
Step 3: Trace the pencil lines with a black marker (120).
Step 4: Use a white acrylic marker to add highlights.
Step 5: Use markers (G220, YG36) to add a tree reflection to the window (optional).

Tip: Sketch the grid with a pencil before coloring. Once the colors are finished, trace the pane lines with a black fineliner or dark pencil to create clean, defined edges.

This style can work nicely for large windows, café corners, sunrooms, studio scenes, glass doors, or pages that could use a little more color and structure.

How to Draw Patterns

If you want to keep trying more small details, How to Draw Patterns has simple step-by-step ideas you can follow at your own pace.

You’ll find pages for things like city night lights, flower bushes, water effects, nature textures, and other little patterns that can make a coloring page feel more finished and personal.

FAQs

What is stained glass?

Stained glass is colored glass used in art and architecture, often seen in decorative windows. The glass gets its color during the making process, then separate pieces are cut, arranged, and joined together with lead strips or copper foil to create patterns, pictures, or window designs.

What tools are good for coloring stained glass?

Colored pencils, alcohol markers, and gel pens can all work. Use lighter colors for the glass sections, a black fineliner for the outlines, and a white gel pen if you want to add tiny light spots.

Do I need to blend colors in stained glass?

Not always. Stained glass often looks clearer when each section keeps its own color. You can add a small highlight or lighter corner, but too much blending can make the glass pieces look less defined.

How to make a stained-glass pattern look clear?

Keep the lines between each glass section clean and dark. You can sketch lightly with pencil first, color inside each shape, then go back with a black fineliner or marker to make the stained-glass pattern stand out.