How to Do Glass Painting

Glass is so beautiful! Paintings too are eyes' delight! When glass and paints are combined, they create amazing works of art. The art of glass painting is becoming popular, especially with them who want to decorate their homes with an artistic touch. In fact, it is not very tough to do. You can create a beautiful painting in a day.

All you need to do glass painting is a little imagination and patience along with, of course, certain things like a clean piece of glass (size 8X8” is sufficient for the first timers), glass liners, paints, paintbrushes, nail polish remover, and a soft piece of cloth. You don't have to bother yourself in collecting these items. They are all included in the Painting Kits, that are so easily available in the market these days. Even before buying a glass painting kit, you'll have to decide what colors are you going to use for making your glass painting. If you are a first timer then you must opt for water-based color and get the beginners kit. Water-based paints, as compared to oil based paints, are easier to handle.

Basic Steps for Making a Glass Painting

1. After getting the piece of glass and the painting kit, clean the glass so as to get a smooth surface.

2. If you are not going to oven cure your finished painting then you need somewhat rough surface. Firing in a kiln can help oil paints dry and adhere better otherwise paints tend to peel or chip off. This can be countered by roughening up the surface a little with wet or dry sandpaper. Roughing the surface in this manner will help the paint adhere better and last longer.

3. Select a pattern which has clear outlines with minimum possible curves and pointed corners.

4. Trace the pattern on a piece of paper which is exactly the size of the glass piece. The pattern should be drawn exactly at the center with at least 1 or 1-1/2 inches margin on all sides.

5. Keep the glass on the patterned piece of paper aligning them perfectly.

6. Make outlines of the pattern on the glass with the help of glass liner. Use black glass liner for maximum clarity. These borders help in holding the wet colors within them and avoid spilling of the paints.

7. While doing all these, be careful not to mess up the pattern. If, however, it happens, swab the smudged part with cotton-wool dipped into nail polish remover and wipe away with piece of cloth.

8. Leave the pattern to dry up. It may take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to get completely dried. It can also be blow dried for quickening the process.

9. Now use the colors to fill in the pattern with uni-directional strokes. Avoid taking too much of paint or spilling it. Any corner or part that is not painted can be seen from the reverse side by lifting up the glass. Be careful, not to hold the glass vertically to avoid dripping off the colors.

10. If any bubbles are made in the colors while painting, then pierce them with needle or a pin. They can also be gently brushed towards the outlines bringing them out of the borers and then wiping them away with nail polish remover.

11. Avoid applying two coats of paint in any portion of the pattern.

12. Allow the painting to dry for at least 24 hours.

13. After the painting has dried, place it in a cold oven. Set the oven to 160 deg C (325F). When temperature reaches 160C, time it for 40 minutes. Switch off the oven and allow it to cool. Once the oven is cold, remove the Glass Painting.

14. Alternatively, you can let the painting air dry only by not klin firing it.

15. You can use beads, glitter, and sequins into the wet paint before it dries for decorating the painting.

Not only paintings, this method, with little changes, can be used to make a painted stain glass window or mirror. You can even make glass painting greeting card and use it on any special occasion.