Glass painting is also known as "reverse glass painting", which more closely describes the technique used to produce it. With reverse glass painting, the artist is working on the back of the glass, which is the opposite of what a painter would do on canvas.
Have you ever walked into a church and been spell-bound by the stained glass windows? These widows with light streaming are extremely successful in creating a rainbow like effect. The artistic delights innervate your mind and soul and make you appreciate the beauty that the effect of the stained glass creates. Glass painting is a technique of art that can be traced back many centuries. Do you know how these paintings are created? To create a glass painting, the artist paints on the inside surface of glass with hard resin and oil. This technique of glass painting is also known as reverse glass painting. No one can ever deny the fact that this creates stained glass that is beautiful in its clarity and the palette of colors used is only enhanced in appearance.
The beginning of glass painting originated in Europe and by the 15th century it was considered to be a classical art form. The beauty of glass painting lies in the fact that it allows the painter to play with form and dimension. If you take a look at different Indian designs used in glass paintings, then this expressiveness can be observed with great clarity. There are different types of paints used for glass painting which include vinegar trace paints, matte paints, silver stains, and oil paints. An artist who indulges in painting on glass will generally use an etching of some sort in order to create glass paintings of flowers, landscapes, and other features. Ahead in this article, we tell you the basic steps involved in creating a glass painting and give you some easy designs.
Tips for Creating Glass Paintings
Glass painting is a beautiful art and it is actually not very difficult to try. Of course, it may take some time of concentrated practice for you to be able to create masterpieces that are fit to be hung up in churches, there are always easy designs you can use. Before you start painting glass, keep this simple tips in mind.
◆ As a beginner it is always tempting to create your first piece of art on a beautiful glassware but avoid doing so. Try your hand out on small squares of glass before moving on to create more intricate designs on more expensive types of glass.
◆ First you will need to decide on the kind of glass painting you want to create. This will help you decide the kind of paints you should work with. If you do not want to work with paints, you can buy glass paint pens that are available at many stores.
◆ If you are working with acrylic paints, then glass painting tips dictate that you choose the brushes you are going to use next. The logic for this remains the same as the logic you would apply to normal painting. Use wide brushes for broad, wide strokes and fine brushes for detailing. Use sponge for textured surfaces.
◆ You should have ideally chosen the design you want to work with by now. While choosing glass painting design ideas as a beginner, choose simple designs like floral designs or geometrical designs. Do not jump straight into designs that are detailed and intricate in nature. Draw the design on paper so that you can stick it to the reverse of the glass and then etch out the design.
◆ Before starting the glass painting process, ensure that the piece of glass you are using is squeaky clean. Clean it with white vinegar as it will ensure that there are no streaks or residue. It will also help remove any kind of fingerprint or dirt that can spoil the design.
◆ Once you have learned how to make stained glass and created the glass painting design you wanted to, then learn to handle the same with care. Once it has dried, apply a coat of a sealant. If you want to clean it use only mild soapy water and a damp cloth.
These are some of the simple tips that you should definitely keep in mind while painting on glass. Given below are some easy designs for glass painting that you can use.
Designs for Glass Painting
Now that you are aware of the glass painting technique that you need to use in order to make glass paintings, let us take a look at the different ideas that you can use for painting glass. All the ideas given here are easy to recreate and the perfect stepping stone for a beginner to start glass painting.
Squares and Stripes
The easiest of all designs to emulate are geometric shapes like rectangles, squares, stripes, etc. Take a piece of glass and clean it thoroughly. Now take different pieces of masking tape and cut it into tiny rectangular or square pieces. Now tape them to the reverse of your glass. Now use your glass paints to paint the area taped with masking tape in different colors. Once the paint is dry, remove the pieces of tape and reverse the glass. You will have a beautiful piece of stained glass.
Swirls and Circles
To paint directly on glass is to create a random design of dots all over the piece of glass. This can create a hypnotic design. If you are confident with your skills with the brush, then you can choose to use swirls and circles also as a design for the glass that you are painting. If you want stencils, you can use masking tape to create circles, stick them on the reverse of the glass and then paint of them so you can create a design that looks more professionally done.
Abstract Art
Another popular design idea with beginners to glass painting is to create abstract art on the piece of glass that they are using. Create single lines with glass paint markers. If you are fond of graffiti, then choose to embellish the glass with words or phrases that mean something to use. You can also use different geometrical shapes like triangles, octagons, pentagons to create an interesting design on the piece of glass. While using geometrical designs, try to play around with the placement so that you create interesting patterns from staid elements.
Using Templates
Once you have familiarized yourself with basic elements of glass painting, you can try using different templates for the same. Templates need to be just kept on the underside of the glass piece and then etched onto the glass. You can use one of the glass painting design templates available in the market to create different glass paintings. Alternatively you can cut out designs from different books and magazines or make freehand paintings.
Using different designs and ideas to create stained glass artifacts can be a great project for the weekend. Just decide on the designs you like, get your supplies together, and you should be good to go.
