Drawing on Fused Glass
You can draw on fused glass with colored frit -- powdered glass with colored pigment added to it. Mix the powder with aloe vera gel in an applicator bottle, and use the bottle's narrow tip to draw shapes and faces, or to apply abstract color to a flat piece of base glass. When you kiln-fire the glass, the pigment fuses into it as the gel burns away. The result is a glass art piece that can be cut and used for making original jewelry or other crafts.
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Things You'll Need
- Various colors of frit powders the same COE (coefficient of expansion) as the base glass
- Base glass the same COE as the colored frit powders
- Plastic applicator bottles with narrow tips -- one for each color you want to use
- Paintbrush, medium size
- Aloe vera gel
- Water
- Respirator
- Kiln
Instructions
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1
Mix a single color of frit powder in one of the applicator bottles, by adding two parts powder to one part aloe vera gel and shaking it. Squeeze out a little on your work surface to test the consistency, and add a few drops of water to thin it, if necessary. Mix the other colors of frit powder the same way.
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2
Draw on the base glass with the colored frit powders, using the applicator bottles' tips to apply the colors. Blend the colors as desired with a paintbrush. Let the colors dry completely before continuing.
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3
Place the base glass with the dry colors on it in the kiln, and gradually increase the heat to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Fire it for five to 15 minutes. Vent the kiln to 1,000 F, close the lid and turn off the kiln. Let the kiln cool completely before removing the glass.
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4
Cut the glass with a regular glass cutter, for making jewelry or other craft items.
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Tips & Warnings
The colored frit powders are essentially colored powdered glass, and must be the same COE as the glass to which they are fused. Otherwise, the base glass will crack and break.
A respirator is mandatory when working with frit powder, as it is powdered glass.
