Painting Stained Glass

An artist may have learned the how to construct stained glass, but when facing actually painting it they can be fearful. Many of the people who do stained glass are unaware of what it takes and the materials they need to paint the stained glass, this should be considered part of the process as a whole in making your lovely stained glass pieces.

Color is added to the glass when it is in a molten form by using metal oxides, most people believe that the stain glass color is painted onto the glass itself. The design work and coloring is already in the painted-stain-glass.

For the most part you only actually paint on the stain glass to add details and shading to the piece such as on the face, hands, and feet. By painting these features it helps with cutting and leading very tiny pieces of glass. When the stained glass is painted it brings out more of the beauty in the piece.

It is helpful to know somthing about drawing and event he human body but in general you do not have to be a trained artist to paint on stained glass windows. By taking classes in stained glass you will be able to use the knowledge of someone who can teach you what is the best and worst way to go about your project. There are also many other ways to find out information on stained glass, such as the internet, books from craft stores and even the library.

Starting out you can purchase as much or as little supplies for creating stained glass as you want. By making your own stained glass painting equipment you can save a lot of money, your start up costs can range between $20-$100 dollars. You can buy your supplies and tool for stained glass making through the internet, and also at supply and craft stores. It is very important that you buy the correct paints for stained glass painting, you can only use certain kinds.

The paint used for stained glass making is a permant paint that is high-fired and contains actual glass which is refered to as the vehicle, lead and other agents that are used for coloring including sand, alumina, red and white lead oxide, sodium, boric acid and clay. When you are working on your stained glass painting you also have the option of using a matt paint by applying the paint taking out in the tracing, fired, and then reapplied this will depend the the look you are going for.

TO start out doing your stain glass painting you can purchase a few things to get you started such as a couple of brushes, an easel with thick-plated glass surface and a small, cheap electric kiln. To save even more money you can consider buying the kiln used and building your own easel and light box. You may need help to support your hands and arms when learning the technique for painting and you can make your own wooden supports, which are called mahi sticks and bridges.