Glass Painting

What is Glass Painting?

Glass painting is a contemporary art which has been derived from the age old art of stained glass painting which involves putting smaller coloured pieces of glass together. It was a common feature in high windows and doors etc in the olden times and can still be seen in churches and old buildings. These days glass painting is becoming a popular feature and catching up as a hobby due to its awesome results and easy availability of glass painting equipment. Many companies launch glass painting ideas for hobbies. They can have different levels like beginners, which is basically for experimental purpose for children. At home (as a hobby), glass paintings can be as wall hangings, wine glasses painting, on windows, acrylic sheets, cups, mugs, tiles, mirrors etc.


Glass Painting Craft

If you are interested in glass painting and want to try it, go ahead and experience the joy! All you need is a glass piece, sheet of paper of almost same size as that of the glass sheet, glass paints, an outliner, a design, silver foil (if required) and some amount of patience. Water based acrylic glass paints are readily available in market. They are ready to use, convenient and suitable for beginners. Do not be afraid of mistakes as they can be removed after the painting has dried. This can be done for the outliner and paint, both. They can be carefully scraped off with a paper knife etc. But this has to be done very carefully as it can also put scratches on the glass. Cotton can also be used to wipe off the wet paint or outliner in case of a mistake. The most common and easiest glass paintings designs are that of peacocks, floral, marine life etc. These days stencils are also available, so if you are not too confident about your drawing, you can take their help.

Glass paintings look most beautiful when illuminated by sunlight. The sun rays going through the transparent coloured glass gives it a glow that no other artificial light can give. It looks simply awesome!(however, too much exposure can sometimes result into fading of colours). Some glass paintings are framed with silver foil to reflect light to create a similar effect. This technique can be used when it is not possible to expose the painting to required amount of light. 



Marine Life Glass Painting

So what are you waiting for???? Go and get your glass painting kit today and start exploring the world of this art and gear up for a journey filled with joy.... Happy painting :)

Tips For Making A Good Glass Painting

Earlier we saw what is Glass Painting and Instructions for Glass Painting. Now lets see some tips which will help you to paint well on glass.

1.   Before you start the painting, ensure that the surface of the glass is clean and smooth and void of any dust particles or fibers.

2.   Always start painting/outlining from top to bottom. If you start from bottom and then got to the top, then there would be no space for you to support your hand and could lead to bad results. Keeping the hand supported is essential in glass painting, especially for outlining. Otherwise, even minute shaking can ruin a beautiful design.
3.   If your hand is not yet stable enough for making outlines then it is better to choose random shapes rather than circles or straight lines in it as they require accuracy.
4.   Attaching clips to the paper and glass can ensure that they are in their places and do not move with respect to each other. If the glass moves slightly and the change is not noticed, the design would be made at a different position and not at the decided one.
5.   Keep checking the position of the glass and paper from time to time to avoid the design to go bad.
6.   Make outline of the design on the paper with sketch pen to make the outline darker and easily noticeable even after the sheet of glass is placed over it. This is a must for tinted glasses.

7.  Before outlining on the main sheet of glass, it is advisable to first try on old mugs or spare glass you don’t need. This will give you an idea about how to go about it, how much pressure is required on the tube, how fast you should move the tube to make the outline thin or dark. Getting a practice of regulating the flow will definitely give some practice and help make the painting better.
8.   Sometimes the outlining or paint can come on the palm and then that can come on the glass. To avoid such a situation, always keep a piece of cloth or cotton ready so that if the paint or outline comes on the palm, it can be wiped off without creating a mess.
9.  In case of a large continuous area of the same colour, create sections with the outliner and fill one section at a time.
10.   If there are certain areas where the outlining has become smudgy, too thin or disjoint, it can be corrected by scraping off the part and re-doing it. But while doing so it is very important to maintain the thickness of the outline according to what it is in that portion and match it accordingly so that it doesn’t stand out.

LEARN HELPFUL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR PAINTING ON GLASS.

TOOLS FOR PAINTING ON GLASS:

To paint on glass, you’ll need pigment that’s specially formulated for it. There are many brands that produce this type of paint. Here, I’ve selected several pigments from Liquitex Glossies and Pebeo’s Fantasy Moon paints.

Be sure to read the label before selecting a brand of paint. For example, the Liquitex paints are water soluble, meaning you can thin the pigments with water (and wash them, too!). The Pebeo pigments are oil-based and must be cleaned using mineral spirits or turpentine.

Much of painting on glass require small brushes. I alternated between two liner brushes.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR DESIGN:

STEP 1:

The first step is making a guide. To determine how big to draw your guide, first cut a piece of paper and roll or fold it so that it fits into your glass. Then, while the paper is still in there, trace the glass’s top edge using a pencil. Then remove the paper and you have the guidelines to create your design on.

STEP 2:

Sketch your design in the space you outlined on the paper. Once you’ve got your design finalized, use a pen to trace over any pencil lines. That way, it will still be visible even as you paint over it. 

STEP 3:

One of the biggest questions you might have is: “How do I transfer my design onto the glass?” It’s easier than you’d think. Once you’ve drawn your image on the paper and washed and dried your glass, simply tape the paper to the inside of your glass. Since the glass is transparent, any design will show through!

PAINTING YOUR DESIGN ONTO GLASS:

Once you’ve got your guide set, it’s time to start painting on the glass. I altered my usual painting technique for this project. Usually, I work in thin layers and gradually build up color. With these pigments, however, it’s best to apply the paint in semi-thick layers. They take up to 24 hours to fully dry and are prone to cracking or fracture if you paint on top of them too soon. 

When you’re painting, imagine that you’re icing a cake. Gather a generous amount of pigment onto your bristles and then apply them to the glass. Then, carefully smooth the paint into shape, using your paper design as a map. 

Tip: You might find it easier to paint if your glass is turned upside down! That way, you’re focusing on abstract shapes rather than your design — you’ll probably paint slower and exercise better craftsmanship.

Tip: Once you’ve painted within your guide, you can remove it from the glass. You’ll see how light still shines through the pigment. Once the paint is fully dry, feel free to add additional layers of paint.

FINISHING YOUR GLASS PAINTING:

The final step in painting on glass is “setting” it. For this, you can use the bake method: 

1. Place your glassware in a cool oven.
2. Set the oven to 350 F.
3. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Turn the oven off, leaving the glass inside until completely coo.

The glass must gradually heat and cool with the oven — otherwise, it will break.

Note: Read your paint’s label for exact oven temperatures. The Glossies paints, for instance, instruct you to bake at 325 F.The answer lies on your paint label, but as a general guideline, food should not come in contact with a painted surface.