GLASS PAINTING
by Ann Wagner
also from China Decorator
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Most china painters feel that painting glass is
difficult. Actually by following a few simple rules,
it is quite easy and very rewarding to the painter.
I suggest first sketching and painting the design you
plan to put on your lamp, on an eight or ten in. coupe
plate.
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DESIGNING YOUR PIECE -- HOW IT WILL LOOK
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Keep in mind that your strokes will show through the
glass globe when it is lit.!
When you are satisfied with your design and strokes,
sketch your design on the glass with a black grease
pencil, only! These pencil marks will fire off in the
firing! If you are unfamiliar with glass paints,
I strongly suggest testing them on an inexpensive piece
of glass, such as a glass mug or simialr pieces of
white glass that can be easily found in the local ten
cent store. Glass paints may look one color in a tube
or when mixed, and fire an entirely different color.
Follow this suggestion, especially if you are trying
to match a color such as on an antique lamp you may be
trying to make a replacement shade for. Always test
fire them, rather than ruin a lovely and expensive
shade.
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| MIXING YOUR GLASS PAINTS |
I always mix glass paints with a good china medium. The
paints, when mixed, must be very firm and almost to a
dry state on the palette.
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| PREPARING TO PAINT |
Use a good imported olive oil to paint with, and
especially use #8 and #10 French quill brushes. "Load"
or saturate your French Quill brush with the olive oil.
Then press out the excess oil on a paper napkin. Use a
half circular motion into the glass paint, keeping in
mind to rotate your brush in a couterclockwise direction
and into to righthand side of your pile of paint, and
not more than one half the width of the brush! This
will "load" your brush properly!
Remember too, if too much oil is used in mixing your
paints, or an excess of oil is not pressed out of your
brush before working its edge sideways into the paint,
the paint on your glass will run when fired. If, on the
other hand, too little oil is used, the paint will wipe
off after it is fired! Experience, and experiments as
mentioned on a piece of cheap glass are the best teacher.
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| CHECK YOUR DESIGN AND STROKES BEFORE FIRING |
However, a good rule to follow, is to observe how your
paint looks before firing. It should have a dull,
satin sheen. If your paint does run, an excellent
mode of removal is to use "Barkeeper's Friend", with
a little water, on a cellulose sponge or nylon "Scrubbie
such as one might use in cleaning ceramic greeware.
This product may be found in any supermarket where
cleansers and copper cleaners are found on the shelves.
There is another method of taking paint off globes but
it is highly dangerous, if extradorinary cautions are
not used. This is to use a product called Whink. It is
a diluted hydrofluroric acid and should be used only as
a last resort, and then only with a mask and rubber
gloves, outside in no wind and a large tank of water
nearby. I do not suggest its use.
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FIRST FIRE |
The first painting should be thought of as only a rough
draft of your design. Keep your design simple. Details
can be painted in a second or even third firing.
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| FURTHER FIRINGS |
I generally begin to "pad" or color the background only
before the third or fourth firing. I pounce the entire
globe once, using a pure china silk, surrounded in a
ball of cotton, "Please note, if lamb's wool is used
instead of cotton, you must thororughly wash and rinse
it before using! If this is not done, the oil from the
lamb's wool will leave marks on your globe! Pounce
your globe again, and possibly even for the third time,
for it should be a "dull satin finish" and if you have
too much oil, and don't pounce or pad it enough, it
will run when fired especially on a curved surface like
a globe. (My note, this is the way you apply the glass
etch or satin etch and most people prefer to do this as
it gives a tooth to work with when you start your
painting.)
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| FIRING |
Be sure that you have kiln wash on the shelf of the kiln.
Never "stilt glass! This may cause sagging. The widest
opening or heaviest part of the glass should be placed
directly on the kiln shelf. For example, a "student"
type shade should be set on the kiln shelf in the same
position that it would be on a lamp. Ball type globes
should be set directly on the shelf in the same position
as the glass is to be on the lamp is not a guide to
follow, though in every case. For example, founts are
often smaller at the bottom than the top hence the
above rule for positioning in the kiln. The kiln
shelf itself, should be posted up from the bottom of the
kiln with posts two to three inches high. Again, just
how high will depend on the size of the kiln you have
and the size of the glass to be fired. However, the
purpose of this is to center the glass in the kiln.
IMPORTANT! Never fire more than one piece of glass at
one time in a kiln. Never place one piece of glass next
to another, even if your kiln is large enough to do
this. Should you do so, you will get both a gas
reaction and a reflection of heat and you will find that
you will burn off paint on at least one of the pieces of
glass. You will find that it is almost impossible to
repad this spot and not have it show in the finished
work. Even if your kiln is large enough to put a shade
on the bottom, then shelf, then another shade, you will
find that the bottom one might underfire or the top one
overfire! Considering the work you have put into doing
these, this is no way to save a few cents of electricity
Always use a 022 cone for firing.
Remove all plugs from the side of your kiln. Prop the
lid of your kiln "open" with a one or two inch post.
The lid and plugs are left in this state throughout the
entire firing! They are to remain thus, until the glass
is cool and removed. Kilns vary in the "number" of
switches on them. If your kiln has a "low", 1,2,3,4,
and 5 and it has an automatic shutoff, always put all
switches on low or #1 for one hour. At the end of
one hour, turn all switches on #3 for one hour, then
put all switches on"high" or #5. Your kiln will
automatically shut off in about 18 minutes, depending
of course on the size of your kiln and the size of the
glass that is being fired. For example, when an "8" in.
globe is being fired, it will take about 10 min in an
18X18" Paragon kiln. A ten in. in the same kiln, about
15 min. and a 12" globe 18 min. If you do not have an
automatic timer, follow the same rules and watch closely
when the kiln is put on high or #5 switch. When the
cone begins to tip over at the top, even slightly, shut
off the kiln (shut off all switches) and let the glass
cool. There is ONE EXCEPTION to the above rules that I
follow. When firing a 'TAM-O-SHANTER type, or a glass
with a reverse curve in it, I fire it one and one half
hours on low and the same time on medium before turning
it to high. This will prevent such a shaped piece from
sagging on the reverse curve portion.
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| APPLYING ON GLAZE DECORATIONS |
One word of caution concerning white enamels. Since
these are often found on antique lamps you may want to
duplicate a shade and you may be faced with a particular
problem regarding these. They are accents put on after
the entire painting has been done. I have found,
unfortunately that many of these fire gray instead of
white, like they are supposed to. This can ruin all
your work! I therefore, suggest in such instances, you
use a white, or off white acrylic such as "Biskchrome"
This will adhere nicely and is not to be fired. On new
lamps I paint, I never use white enamel. I do not feel
such effects add anything to a nicely painted lamp.
(The author goes on to state other teachers may do
things and fire a little differently, but this is what
she has found to work the best for her.)
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| NOTES FROM NEBRASKALASSIE |
Another word about how to check your work. The easiest
way to check whether your brush strokes show or whether
your work and backgrounds are even is to place the globe
of your lamp over an incandescent light bulb that is
lit. This will show all flaws and defects before you
get them fired into the work. It also allows you to see
what your finished piece will look like. It is really
surprising how much the lamp will fade out under the
lighted bulb. If you make a mistake which you do not
like, you can remove it by using some whink, but that,
as we know is a dangerous practice. nebraskalassie
P.S. Happy painting, I hope your piece turns out well!
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