Glass painting for celebrating my 100th review (Glass Painting)

Member Name: Diane3

Product:	Glass Painting
Date:	08/11/09 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: relaxing

Disadvantages: takes a lot of time

This is my 100th review. I know I should share some information about myself but I don't want to do it the regular way. I will share with you my technique of relax: painting glass.

I got a lovely candle holder painted by a very kind friend of mine. I loved it as its colours are beautiful especially when I lit the candle. I asked her how she made it and a few weeks later I asked her to come with me to help to buy a starters' pack. I bought a contour paint, 6 different colours of glass paint, paint thinner, 2 paintbrushes and two glasses.

I was very excited to try them so after I arrived home I started painting the first glass. It was a triangle based glass which is now used for storing cotton buds. I painted a heart shaped floral tribute on all the three sides of it. It is quite a basic one if I look back but we still love it and use it in the bathroom.

Since that glass I prepared about 25 different paintings and I have my very own technique. Painting glass makes me relax because I can be creative what to draw on the glass then how to colour it. It takes me a few hours to prepare something but I enjoy each moment of it.

When I started painting we had no children. Since then we have two sons and moved 1,500 km away. I used to work late in the office then after we had dinner I calmed down myself by painting a little. My masterpiece was a vase. It took me about half a year to paint it. I gave it to my mother. She loved it but once it fell down...yes, painting can't protect glass from breaking. Since we have two kids I am physically and mentally tired by the time I can put them to bed so I don't really have energy for painting.

I came to my parents for 3 weeks to have the ganglion on my left wrist surgically eliminated. They can take care of my sons because my husband has no holidays left. Before the surgery I could paint again. It was such a good feeling. Now I have to protect my left hand so I type with one hand and can't paint for a while.

I'd like to share my technique if you are interested. I start with choosing a bottle. I have to know first what I will use it for. I paint vases, other decorative glasses and mugs usually. When I paint on a glass and I want a special figure I print it on a paper, put it under the glass and draw its contours (I used it 3 times) with the contour paint. I use gold or silver contour paint most often. It is quite easy to work with it, you have to push continuously its tube. Sometimes I am patient enough to put it away to dry a few hours, sometimes I start colouring immediately.

I use a very thin brush and I try to colour evenly within the contour I painted before. If you take a look at it you won't really like it. I found that the second layer makes it look better. When I paint the second layer I push the brush a lot of times on the glass as if I want to paint points. By painting this way my surfaces have a very special texture and the painting looks quite even.

When I paint on a mug I draw the figure on it by pen. You can use carbon paper if you want to. Then I paint the contour and do everything the same way as at painting on glass. I use that kind of glass paint which can be fixed by burning it in the oven. I don't burn vases because I don't wash them daily but I do burn mugs. Well its smell is terrible and fills the whole house. I do it only once or twice a year. I don't put these mugs in the dishwasher because the paint can resist only a few washes in the dishwasher.

I think painting glass is quite easy. My friends say that I'm very creative and talented. Well probably I paint beautifully because I really love doing it. I hope I covered everything essential about glass painting to get you interested in it. Lol

Thanks for reading and rating my reviews, I try to do my best to return them. I really like reading other people's reviews and I made a lot of friends here. I haven't met anyone personally but reading your reviews, your kind comments and messages makes me feel really good.

Summary: My favourite relaxing technique.