Here is the first featured glass artist of 2015! This marvelous artistic glass bottle was completed by Radivoj Jovanov. He states that it is a special technique through the combination of glass carving, sand blasting and painting (with colors for metal). He provided the following images and the steps he takes to complete this below.
I think this is unique technique because it is a combination of few techniques:
- Sandblasting body of the bottle to make it’s shape more visible. I leave window for carving (protecting from sandblasting by the label). Sandblasting of the other side of the bottle also make the back of the window/picture non-transparent. This make the picture more exposed and gives additional dimension to composition.
- Carving the motive – carving lines, grinding shadows,… (by Power Carver and Proxon carving machines, using dentist diamonds and grinders)
- Filling carved lines and shadows with felt pen
- Applying paint for metal on motive
- Drying the paint
- Carving additional details (mostly white/cloudy, mistic). Motives like clouds, halo around saints head, eyes, Sun rays, Moon, letters…
- Window is edged with the gold/silver contour color for glass
Every bottle is unique and can be personalized by the request.
Close up of artistic glass bottle. Click to see the details closer. They are amazing!
This bottle on the photo is old more than 10 years and colors are still looking good. Those bottles are used for rakia (Serbian Whiskey) during the celebration of the family “SLAVA.” In Orthodox Faith, every family has his own saint – protector. Every year on a certain date, by the Christian Calendar, every family celebrating his Saint in house of the oldest family man. This is the greatest family and family friends gathering during the year.
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What kind of metal paint did you use? Never thought of using it for glass. Nice work! Love the details and history behind it! Makes it a unique piece!
Hi Cheryl,
I’m glad you like it. I’m using a common metal paint named in Serbia “email lak”. This is oil based paint.
You are right, each bottle is unique piece.
Beautiful work Radivoj…. Are you self taught?
I think starting my own business is an idea to consider
Thanks Eric for all the great information. The bottle is a great piece of work. Thanks for sharing this!
Radivoj that is wonderful work. Let your efforts be put on a video to enable many, I am sure, to see what you do and the results you achieve. I have been to your country many times and found many beautiful objects which form an inspirational background for your work. Wish you good luck and you say to a fisherman: Petri Heil!
Looking for some good used sand carving equipment.
Ok, I have a comment…… What kind of paint did you use on your project here? I have tried the paint that they say to use on the glass, but it never really worked very well, and half the time it just came off after twenty minutes….
I’m curios, maybe you could tell me.
Rick