These colored glasses are often available in many different textures -- smooth, wavy, rippled, hammered, pebbled, or very rough. These different textures cause the glass to have light and color transmission characteristics that, even for the same color, can provide surprising results.
Example of a stained glass window depicting Mr. Punch. Created by Steve Ignorant
Non-figurative stained glass in the Montreal metro by Marcelle Ferron
Most often these colored glasses are cut into pieces, shaped by grinding and then assembled using lead, zinc, lead cames or copper foil and then soldered together to create windows, panels and/or lamps shades in brilliant patterns and are colorful pictures and designs.
Stained glass is an Art and a Craft that requires the artistic skills necessary to conceive of the design and the engineering skills necessary to assemble the piece so that it is capable of standing up to its own weight and the environmental elements of wind and rain where it may be placed.