About
Visiting artist Cheryl Chapman is back! She taught our popular Pet Portraits on Glass class in July of last year. This time, you choose the subject (be it a pet, landscape, or favorite subject) and translate the image onto glass.
These painting techniques will familiarize you with the use of high-fire opaque powdered enamels, mediums for mixing them, tools for applying them, and processes for kiln firing them. These techniques can be used in future reverse glass painting projects as well as surface painting (rather than reverse) for fused glass, stained glass, mosaics, etc.
Becoming familiar with enamels allows you to view more of what is possible beyond what you may already know. It can be a simpler, more cost-effective way to create glass work, as well, because the basic materials are simply clear glass and enamels. You will learn:
- How to mix powdered enamels with several different mediums.
- How and when to use different painting mediums.
- Best-practice painting techniques using a variety of application tools (nib pen, foam brush, paint brush, badger brush, etc.).
- How to successfully apply and fire glass enamels.
Details
- Skill level: Beginners to glass and painting are welcome. You don't need to have painting or drawing expertise.
- Day 1: Work on your drawings, learn about and accomplish the lining/tracing stage of the painting process using a quill pen, black enamel, and propylene glycol medium. Work is kiln fired after class.
- Day 2: Learn about and accomplish the shading/matting stage of the painting process using black enamel, gum arabic medium, foam brush, badger/blender brush, and other miscellaneous tools. Work is kiln fired after class.
- Day 3: Learn about and accomplish the two-part coloring stage using colored enamels, water medium, foam brush, badger/blender brush, paint brushes, and other miscellaneous tools. Work is kiln fired after class.
- Day 4: We'll talk about ways to finish your projects, go over questions, and have time for critiques and photos.
Project
Your completed project will be an 8-inch by 8-inch design of your choice on 5mm glass. You'll also have the opportunity to create several sample/practice tiles to take home for future reference or to use in a future project. Cheryl is open and flexible to help students create what makes them happy and accommodate their needs and skill levels within reason.
