A completed faux stained glass painted design.
I started distributing glass stain paints awhile back which people have been enjoying on Amazon as shown here http://amzn.to/2dgVpdu , but I wanted to get more feedback so I invited a friend over to experiment with it as well. This was her first time glass painting so it didn’t turn out perfect but this tutorial on how to paint glass will be great to get you started.
These permanent paints provide a vibrant translucent color finish that looks almost like real stained glass. They work great for coloring in your etched glass or for making faux stained glass.
Here are some beginner instructions to follow below.
1. Clean Glass: It is best to clean the glass with a paper towel and glass cleaner that doesn’t leave streaks. You can also use diluted rubbing alcohol. This will ensure there is no grim or oils on the glass so the paint can adhere well.
Part 1: use a paper towel and wipe the glass clean.
2. Find Stained Glass Pattern: Since I haven’t used all my circular glass sheets (which I got for free using this technique here), we decided to use it for painting.
So we looked for a round stained glass pattern, resized it in photo editing software, and split it up in half to fit on two printouts of 8.5″x11″ sheet of paper.
Then we just taped those two papers together and placed it behind the glass. You can also find stained glass pattern books on Amazon here.
3. Simulated Leading: With the pattern behind the glass, you can begin tracing over the lines with what we call liquid lead which resembles lead lining of real stained glass.
This can be tricky to get a smooth consistent line out. It was her first time so it wasn’t perfect but with a little practice, it isn’t too hard to get smooth lines. Be sure to have paper towel nearby to wipe the tip clean when the material builds up.
You will undoubtedly mess up a few lines. Don’t worry about it, because you can let it dry and use a razor blade to trim up and scrap off the excess lines.
4. Figuring Out Color Scheme: At this point, we recommend pre-planning by coloring in the paper pattern to help guide you while painting. This will help you visualize what it will look like and change your mind on the color scheme before you begin painting. As you can see, she filled in some areas with a color and changed it by writing the preferred color later on.
Coloring pattern to help decide on color combinations.
5. Begin Painting: After you let the simulated lead dry at least for 20 minutes, you can begin painting the glass. We used small bristle brushes but I later found out that for small projects, Q-tips work well. These are great because you don’t have to spend time cleaning the brush with Acetone or Lacquer Thinner in-between colors each time which is frustrating. Since Q-tips are inexpensive, you can just throw them away after each use. If you do use one brush, it is best to start with the light colors and work up to the darkest last.
Left picture shows the start of painting on glass and the right is almost finished.
6. Once finished, let it dry and display where ever you’d like.
If you paint on glass, whether you use my paints or other brands, I would love to feature you and a photo of your work here on the blog. Just send it to me via email or through this form here.
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I would like to etch glass with a color. What would you use to color the etching i.e. pink?
Thank you,
Victoria Lee
How would you go about framing a piece like this to hang on a wall or from a chain? I’m thinking about odd sized pieces that you might get as scraps that won’t fit standard frames. I thought about ordering snap together frames that can be ordered to create various sizes (I’ve seen those at Dick Blick Art Supply online) but these have space for glass + photo or watercolor, etc. Looking for ideas while I save up money to get some basic etching materials and tools.
Thanks for all the great ideas and a great website. I’m really excited about the ideas you’ve shared and am anxious to try my hand at etching.
@ Victoria, pink is available .
@ Genevieve, great question. You could try to find a source for wood frames, then cut them to size with a miter saw. Or you could buy some inexpensive wood, then use a combination of a miter saw and something like a router to make the groove for the glass. I was planning on making a tutorial sometime but haven’t got around to it.
Thanks
Really great ideas……thanks so much for sharing.
Will these paints hold up in the dish washer? Say if one wanted to use them on the etched cutting boards (underside of course).
thanks,its really,i like it, thanks once again.
How to etch glass with colour like silver or golden etc n thnx
@ Cyreathia, they are more for decorative items – these are not ideal for the dishwasher.
@Nooosa, are you referring to gold and silver leafing or paint? We have gold paint here http://amzn.to/2dzkMSB and silver here: http://amzn.to/2dNxwqr
Where can I find the paints?
Barbara, you can find them on the website also here: https://www.glassetchingsecrets.com/Glass-Stain-Paint-Pack but I haven’t listed the individual paints for sale yet. Thanks
Unfortunately, it seems like I must have ordered double! It wouldn’t let me adjust….I believe I’ll use them eventually BUT I like to control when and how much. I can’t afford it right now……I’ll post a photo when I’ve got one done. Can you refund me for 1 order of paints? Frustrating…..I love the idea tho.
Barbara, I certainly will but I don’t see an order that came in from you. I will follow up via email. thanks
Where would someone find colored glass etching cream? I saw someone asked about etching in pink, you commented back that pink is possible…where would I find this or other colors?
@Kathysue, colored glass etching cream isn’t possible, but we do have pink glass paint with all the colors listed here http://amzn.to/2e6M9rH
You would just need to select the pink when over there. You can certainly etch the glass first, then paint it- this will allow it to adhere better.
I’m learning a lot from your blog, so thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have just recently gotten into glass etching and am having fun. I did a set of wine glasses for a friend and she wanted to know if I could color the etching. I have tried Rub n Buff, alcohol inks but both just wash off. I’m not sure that I have a steady enough hand to paint the glass without leaving the stencil in place. I did try this with the stencil but I pulled some of the paint off with the stencil. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I’m not doing real good finding the right option (especially since it needs to be food safe). I know there has to be something out there somewhere since I see these same types of wine glasses all the time in stores.Thank you, Kathy
Kathy,
We actually just recently posted an article about how to prevent the paint from peeling up here: https://www.glassetchingsecrets.com/how-to-paint-glass-with-stencils-without-it-peeling-off/