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Studio | Tips
Learning how to paint glass involves a particular thought process, and the mastery of some basic stained glass techniques.There is a huge difference between painting on glass and putting paint on glass. The former involves a special kind of intention and attention that the latter doesn't own. This is why painting on glass is both tiring and exhilarating: when you do it properly, your mind is completely focussed on this one particular task. The process of glass painting is a kind of meditation from which there is no distraction.So, always imagine each stroke before you paint it. In your mind, see where it will start. See where it will end. Decide how thick or thin it will be. Decide how light or dark it will be. Imagine the stroke clearly in your mind. Then you will be prepared to paint it.
Always keep an area of your light box to test your paint before you use it on your glass. If the paint is successful on your light box, it is probable that it will also work on your glass. This is good for your confidence; and a confident brush stroke is more expressive and beautiful than an uncertain one.Another point is this. Good paint is often a lot less watery and runny than many people realize: being dry, you actually have more control over it. But, being dry, you must get it flowing down the brush. By first testing it on your light box, you also start the (dry) paint flowing.
Take a rest as often as you need to. The glass is going to last for many years, so it is important always to paint with a fresh and relaxed mind. Of course, we all sometimes think that we must push on, that we mustn't stop until we get to such-and-such a point. True, targets can be useful, but not if their pursuit prevents us from doing our best work. Except for flooding and softening lines, it's mostly an excellent idea to take a rest whenever you want to. What does 5 minutes matter, or 2 hours, or a day, or a week when you paint beautiful glass that will shine for many years? (We run a busy studio; and, all the same, this is what we believe.)
Always move the glass to suit your own anatomy. Never let yourself feel cramped: you want to paint beautiful and expressive strokes, and these are only possible when your body is comfortable. So, if a face must be upside-down on the light box in order for you to paint the eye lash, just move the glass. Then move it again when you come to paint the nose. If something is making you uncomfortable, change it. We owe this to the noble tradition in which we are all fortunate to work.
It's a good idea to practice a stroke in the air just above the glass before you paint it on the glass. This is a good way to think about your posture and the position of the glass: you can then make adjustments as needed. It helps to rehearse a brush stroke: you have a sense of how long it will last and of what your body must do to paint it. This means you are prepared.
Clean your brush regularly. This is particularly important when you are using water-based paint. If, as we suggest, you are painting with a lump of paint which you dilute a little at a time and which you also re-mix constantly, then it is easy for your brush to become clogged with paint. Clogged brushes can stop your strokes from flowing gracefully. Clogged brushes can also make it difficult for you to paint light strokes. So remember to rinse the brush in slowly flowing cool water until the water runs clean. Dry the brush: the best way (if your work space permits this) is to flick it. Load your brush again with paint, and test it on your light box. So, whenever your paint appears one color on your palette but appears a different color when you paint with it, clean your brush.
What do you do if someone tells you that something can't be done? (This is not the same as someone telling you that something mustn't be done because, for example, it is dangerous.)This is a good question, because the glass painting culture is hampered by dogmatism on the one hand and by secrecy on the other. The first approach says: "This is the only way of doing things". The second approach speaks for itself. (Or rather, it doesn't say anything.) What kind of experience will lead someone to a broad understanding of what is and isn't possible with stained glass painting, so that you can trust them to give you good advice? An important factor is whether they have had wide experience of stained glass restoration. A good stained restorer will have experienced a thousand different techniques and more, whereas an indifferent stained glass artist might have just one technique. That's why we think you should ask people who understand stained glass restoration and conservation: they can often have a wide perspective and an open mind.For a step-by-step guide to one of our restoration projects, click here.
When you're painting with water-based paint, don't let your glass become too warm. If it does, you'll find it harder to control your paint. It can also be especially difficult to flood or soften lines. Always test the temperature of your glass before you paint on it. Make sure it's cool.We lightly place an unpainted side against our cheek to see how warm it is. If it's warm, we take it off the light box and let it cool down. Whenever you're not painting, either switch off the light box or put your glass in a cool place until you want to paint it. Cool glass give you the control you need to paint glass beautifully.
Paint with a lump of paint not with a teaspoonful. There is of course an up-front investment in a large amount of glass paint, but it is in fact a false economy to try to paint with a tiny amount. Mix the lump as we describe, then, as you paint, dilute a little at a time to the consistency that you need. This is the basis of our recipe in Chapter 1. It is also the foundation of all our glass painting. We know this method works. That is why we share it with you: so that you can paint like we do.
How do you resurrect a lump of paint that has dried out? We've written a step-by-step guide which is yours to download and for which there is no charge.There's also a short video demonstration on Facebook. You'll need to join and become a Friend before you can see it. Go to Free Guides for the free download, go to Free Video for the free demonstration.You'll see exactly what to do to bring your dried paint back to life.
Also on video, watch the demonstration on how to paint straight lines on glass. This video is there on Facebook to show you what we do.For the video link, just click here.
If you have the option, why paint on bare glass when you can first prime the surface of the glass with a light dry undercoat of water-based glass paint? When this undercoat is dry, it will provide a good "key" for your trace lines and your shadows: you'll find it much easier to control the flow of the paint when you're painting on an undercoat. This is another technique which is central to our approach. (Full details in Part 2 and also on our Facebook site). We are glad to show you our stained glass techniques, so that you can learn how to paint glass. Yes, there are many other ways, but we know that our way works.
When you have questions about stained glass painting techniques, we want to hear from you. When you write to us, we will reply to you. If you don't hear back from us, that means one of two things.Perhaps your e-mail didn't get through to us, or perhaps our reply didn't get back to you. So please write again. We will reply to you.
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