Choosing and Using Glass Paints

By: Geraldine Jozefiak
Submitted: 2007-01-17 10:57:29
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How you choose and use your glass paints can make all the difference to your projects. It's wise to know the pros and cons of paint options before you make a purchase.

There are many manufacturers out there selling their products through retailers and online stores, but essentially there are only 2 types of paint.

First though, be clear that whilst you may choose to use glass paint on ceramics, ceramic paint is opaque and will not give you the clear transparent look you may be after. Some ceramic paints also need to be set in the oven, and this could bring up some health and safety issues if you are working in groups.

Once you've decided on the type of paint you are going to use you can select the carrier: water-based or methyalted-based. There are pros and cons to both and the final decision really rests of the resulting look you are after.

Water based paint is widely used in schools and with groups as it is more easily washed off hands and clothing, and doesn’t give off fumes. The water based paints can be easily mixed on a plate to get the right colour tone, though of course, you can't 'make' white or black.

Water based paint flows differently from methylated-based paint, and, is in my opinion, rather thin. That means that you will need a lot of paint to get the depth of colour you might be after. The problem with this is that as glass paints dry quickly, any extra layer of colour that you add, will look just that: additional, and it will be possible to see where you have added it. The resulting colour area will not be uniform as it would if you were to use methylated paints.

Methylated-based paint, on the other hand is vibrant and rich in colour. Again, the colours can be mixed on a plate to suit your purposes. This paint however has 2 big considerations:

1. it is not easily washable (use meths. To remove any spillages)

2. it gives off fumes.

It's important when using these paints to ensure adequate ventilation by working with an open window. As an extra precautions I always keep the tops on the bottles for as long as possible. Your paint brushes will need to be washed in meths too rather than water. I decant fresh meths into an individual serving jam jar + lid. Don';t worry if the colour changes as you clean your brush. The meths is still effective as a cleaning agent. Just make sure the brush is wiped off on kitchen paper before inserting back into a new colour.

You can build up a deep colour with this paint by loading your brush and pushing, rather than brushing the paint between your outlines. Brushing out too small an amount of paint can leave 'thin areas' on our glass, mirror or acetate. If this dries, before you have seen it, again, this paint is more forgiving, allowing you to add another layer of paint to increase the vibrancy/depth of colour.

If you can, push the paint to lie within your outline like a raised (convex) mound. When it dries the colour will be fuller than if you had brushed out the colour. This is one of those crafts where being generous with the materials will make a difference to the result.

Do though weigh up the fumes factor and be aware of any susceptible indivduals who may be prone to asthma or bronchial difficulties. If possible I try to do my painting sessions in a little used room, and better still, confine these activities to the afternoon, allowing any fumes to dissipate overnight.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours and hands-on use with a variety of products will help you may the decision right for you.

Geraldine Jozefiak is passionate about crafts and their place in education. Be part of raising standards in teaching and learning with craft instruction at its best. http://www.the-craft-teacher.com

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