I started painting on glass in 2009 when I saw a painted glass at a store in my local mall. I saw the price they were selling them for and thought... that's too expensive for something so simple.
First you need to know a little about the paint. First I tried acrylics covered with a spray clear enamel. That worked on plastic if you hand washed them, but not on glass for everyday use. I went to my local craft store, NASCO, and looked to see what I could find. I found pebeo vitrea 160, transparent paint for glass that you bake on in the oven and it makes it dishwasher safe. Problem with this paint is the limited color selection and it's TRANSPARENT! I didn't want a stained glass look. So I turned to the Internet. I know I should have just looked here first. I found Enamels for glass. I can buy them anywhere, online, at craft stores and even Wal-Mart. They are less than $3 for a 2oz bottle and they have so many colors, some even with glitter in.
Enamels are dishwasher safe, something you want for glasses that you plan on using. After they dry for an hour, place them in a cool oven, turn oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes. I start my timer once the oven reaches 350 degrees it's about 45 minutes total in my oven. Then you let them cool in the oven. Wash and they are ready to use, or sell!
Now I told you I was going to teach you how to paint it and make it look GOOD. It's easy. Create a design on paper first, whether you draw your own or use clip art, that depends on your artistic talents. Make sure the size of the image will fit on the glass you want to paint on. I use Microsoft Word and Paint to create most of my images. I have big glasses (20 wine glasses) that I use and I know that I can't make the total image bigger than 4"x4" if I want it to look right on the glass. Once I have the font and image just right I print it out and cut it out. I just cut a square around the image so it fits better inside, yes inside the glass. Tape the image inside your glass so you can follow it when you paint.
Take your time and make sure everything is lined up and looks the way you want it to look. Remember the paint is going to be permanent and if you want to give them as gifts or sell them they need to look great! Before you bake the paint, you can still clean up some boo-boos but it can be tricky, especially if you don't want to start all over and wash the whole image off.
Get used to the brushed that you will be using. Have water, a rag and paper towels near by. I also have my x-acto knife and a orange wood stick near by. (An orange wood stick is a nail tool you can ask your manicurist for one next time you get your nails done.)
Once you have a clean glass and the supplies ready, you can start painting your glasses. If I want to make a set, I print out the image more than once and tape each of them into place, this helps me make sure they are all lined up in the same spot (again, little attention to details will pay off big).
Make sure you have enough paint on your brush or re-dip in the paint frequently to get a nice even coat. I've noticed that certain colors need more than one coat. The more you use your paints the more you will know about them. Think of the image taped inside the glass as a paint by number or a coloring book page. All you need to do is follow the lines to make sure the image turns out like the one you printed or drew.
Glasses curve so your image will do. If you have horizontal lines or really long words or phrases, they will tend to look like they are bending up on your glass. The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure they fit on the glasses without wrapping around too much. Another way to fix that is to curve the lettering on the paper slightly before you tape the image inside the glass. This will make your letters straighter on the glass. Another option is not to have things straight ... make it crooked on purpose but make sure it still looks good. Use your best judgment and artistic eye.
Using this method, you will have beautiful glasses in no time! Happy Creating!
Check out my Facebook page for hand painted glasses! A Glass of Art & More
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