Painting on Glass
by Linda Lover

Painted glass has been an art form throughout history, a "window shopping" trip to stores will reveal the popularity and diversity of painted glass still very much in tact. There are several products on the market today which allow this craft to come into the home with painting ease. Air-dry paints, cleaners and sealers have been formulated especially for glass surfaces. Pearls, frosts, metallics, and transparent finishes have been created to offer a variety of effects; textures and mediums or more dimention are also an option. With the selection of brand name products available for painting on glass, creating a set of painted goblets to designing the look of stained glass is open to your imagination.

Choosing the correct brushes are important as well to give the best coverage and desired strokework. Dynasty DB-5 paintbrushes were used for the wedding rose pattern. This set offers the perfect selection for the large and small strokework in creating the roses and the leaves in addition to the linework and dots.

A few things to consider when painting on glass begin with the preparation. Wash the surface with soap and water, rinse and dry. Use a soft cloth to wipe the area to be painted using rubbing alcohol, vinegar or a specially formulated glass cleaner to remove any surface residue. Wash hands with soap and water to remove oils or lotions and avoid touching the area to be painted. Always read label directions as use of similar glass painting products may vary among the brand names. Use only small amounts of paint as they tend to dry quickly. Do not thin paint with water; instead, use the suggested medium for this purpose. If applying two coats of paint, be sure that the first application has completely dried before painting a second coat or the paint will "lift". When painting on glassware intended for food use, leave about an inch at the rim of cups and glasses unpainted; paint areas on plates only that will not come into direct contact with food such as a decorative border or the reverse side of clear glass. Glass paints take several days to air dry and can also be oven cures; refer to label directions for this information. Be sure that the surface being painted is oven save before proceding with this step.

Purchasing glassware at thrift shops, yard sales or dollar stores is a great way to try out this painting technique. The limit to what you can do is practically endless frompersonalizing giftware for special ocassions to designing your own dinnerware. Various paints inteded for use on glass are also suggested for painting on tile, porcelain, plaster, terra cotta, prepared metal, wood, vinyl, jewelry, and ceramic surfaces; check the label.

Glassware (as shown in sample project): Champagne glasses Brandy glass Clear glass platter Cake server White vinegar Paper towel Water basin Tracing and transfer paper (optional) Glue gun/glue Scissors Embellishments: Miniature silk red roses with leaves White satin ribbon 1/8" and 1/4" Red satin ribbon 1/8" White Styrofoam™ snow bead stem or baby's breath White pearl spool, 3mm (found in wedding supplies)

Materials
Dynasty Paintbrushes Set DB-5
DecoArt Ultra Gloss Air Dry Enamel Paints:
Christmas Red
Gloss White
Sage Green
Hunter

Directions
1. Wash glassware with soap and water. Rinse and dry. Using a soft paper towel or soft cloth wipe area to be painted with vinegar. Wash hands with soap and water to remove oil or lotion and avoid touching area to be painted.

2. Double load the desired size-of round brush with Gloss White and Christmas Red to paint the roses. Paint beginning with the top petal and paint working downward.

3. Lettering and stems are painted with the smallest brush.

This pattern has been designed to be easily painted freestyle (without tracing or transfer papers).- The roses and foliage are simple brush stroke work. The size of the brush determines the size of the roses and teardrop shaped foliage. Being able to paint the design freestyle allows for various sizes of glassware to be used and also allows the painter to place flowers and petals as desired. For example, it might be preferable to paint one large rose on a glass rather than small clustered ones. Use paper to practice painting the roses and teardrops using the variety of sizes of Set DB-5 to determine the outcome that you desire. When using glass paints, water can be used to rinse the brushes; however, be sure to remove all excess water before loading with paint. Squeezing gently between paper towel will work. Also, even though paints are non-toxic, paint should be place where it will not come into direct contact with food, so paint borders or the reverse side of clear glass.