Types of Glass Painting
Glass painting is an enjoyable art medium using paints to color glass. It's also a creative way to give home items such as drinking glasses a new decorative look. There are various methods for painting on glass. While some artists prefer using air-dried glass paints, others fire their paints to glass using a kiln. Subjects may include anything from decorative designs to landscapes and exotic birds and flowers. Besides paints formulated for glass, other paints such as acrylics and oil paints also can be used on glass.
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High-Fire and Low-Fire Painting
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The two kinds of glass painting that require firing are high-fire glass painting and low-fire glass painting. For high-fire painting an electric kiln is used with temperatures up to 1,300 to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Big Ceramic Store website. Firing glass is done at lower temperatures than firing ceramics. Low-fire painting can be done in a conventional kitchen oven at around 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Traditional Glass Painting
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Traditional glass painting is a firing method that involves painting on the surface of glass intended to be part of a stained glass work. It's used for adding details that couldn't be included with traditional lead lines. The types of paints used for traditional glass painting include matte paint, silver paint and oil-based stained glass paints. The paints are fired onto the glass, either brushed by hand or by airbrushing. The heat from the kiln causes them to permanently bond to the glass.
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Glass Enamels
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Glass enamels are paints comprised of finely ground glass particles. Available in both transparent and opaque colors, glass enamels come in a wide variety of colors. It's also easy to mix colors, so an almost unlimited palette is possible.The tiny glass particles must be compatible with whatever base glass is used as a painting surface because incompatibility causes cracking or poor bonding.
Methods of Applying Glass Enamels
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Glass enamels can be applied with a brush or applied dry. Applying with a brush involves mixing the glass particles with a medium, which can be either water-based or oil-based. After the application is done, enamels need to dry before being fired in a kiln.
To apply glass enamels using the dry method, sift enamel powder in a sifter and then draw patterns in the sifted powder. It's important to wear a mask for protection from inhaling airborne glass particles.
Paints Used for Non-Glass Painting Surfaces
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Paints used for other surfaces can also be used, such as oils and acrylics. Patterns are painted on a clear glass, resembling actual stained glass. Outlines may even be used for resembling stained glass lead lines. Besides being easier than using glass paints, this method is also less expensive and doesn't need a kiln. However, because a kiln isn't used for permanently fusing paint onto glass, non-glass paints peel or chip when used on glass.
Air-dried Glass Paints
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Air-dried glass paints dry naturally and don't need firing with either a kiln or kitchen oven. They're used mostly used for decorating surfaces that don't receive much handling. However, they aren't as durable as oven-curried paints and can only endure light cold-water washing. The drying process is about eight hours, according to WarmGlass.com, and the paints shouldn't be washed for about 10 days.
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References
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