Art of Glass Painting

Glass Paintings » Art of Glass Painting

There are various forms of art. If we start listing the same, the list will be very long. Besides, every form has its subtypes. Thus, every field in Art is very vast. One such art is Glass Painting. The art of glass painting is quite ancient, such that its origin cannot be traced easily. However, it became prominent in the 10th century, and was seen in most of the churches. Many churches started using this art to beautify the windows of the church. These windows portrayed paintings of Christ, Mother Mary, and other characters from Bible.

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What is glass painting?

Some of us might be familiar with this art, while some might not be very clear with this concept. To put it forth in simple words, we can say that the paintings made on the glass using different colors, techniques, etc., are known as glass paintings. We see many colored portraits, landscapes, free-hand designs, etc., painted on huge pieces of glass. Earlier we could see this only on windows, but now we get to see special paintings made on glass, which are used as wall hangings. As mentioned above, every art has its own subtypes. This art is no exception to this fact.

Types of glass paintings:

Reverse glass painting:

This is the most ancient form of painting. The artist, sketches designs on a piece of glass, or the glass to be used for the windows, etc., and then color it using different colors. This sounds simple, but is not that simple. The trick of painting on the reverse side of the glass is that the artist has to paint everything in such a way that it looks exactly the way it wants to on the front side of the glass. Consider that the artist wants to portray the picture of Mother Mary. In Mother Mary’s statue the baby is seen on her left hand, thus, the artist will have to be careful, and while painting the baby should be on her right hand. Thus, when the painting is turned and put up, the baby is seen on the left hand side, just as in the original picture.

All these techniques can be mastered after a thorough understanding of the concept, and practice. The painter has to be very careful when it comes to reverse glass painting, because the angle of viewing and the angle of painting is not the same. Thus, what appears reversed to the painter will actually appear as it was originally, to the viewer.

Stained glass painting:

This is another type of painting. There are three different methods to it. One of the methods is more or less similar to the reverse glass painting. The other two methods require it to be placed in the kiln once the painting is done.

A traditional method is where the artist collates small pieces of colored glass, and places them on a huge glass, as per the design/sketch, and then places it in the kiln. The latest method is wherein certain metallic salts are added to the molten glass (liquid state) while preparing the same in the kiln. These salts help in coloring the glass in a specific manner.

This is just a brief idea of what this art is. The paintings look beautiful, and now are not restricted to just huge glass windows. There is much more to it. It is pursued as an art all over the world, and many young artists are very much inclined towards this art. Currently, it is quite popular in Asia and China. Glass painting from Gujarat, India are very famous. Having evolved in the 10th century, the art has undergone many changes in sync with the time, cultures, artists, etc. Every design reflects a certain thought, culture, and time. The paintings from the Renaissance era are quite different from what we see today. Today, artists freely portray their thoughts on the glass, and take their creativity to higher levels. Characters from the Bible or other religious scriptures are no longer the only models for these paintings. A glass painting artist today puts forth anything from landscape, to wildlife, portraits, etc.

With the changing time, the equipments used for glass painting have also been modified. Today there are many different colors and tools available in the market. Anyone willing to learn this art can get everything in the market right from designs, stencils, to colors, brushes, sprays, and the entire glass painting tool kit. Contemporary techniques are simpler as compared to the traditional ones.

Anyone willing to learn this art can learn it from some professional artists; or the internet has made it simple by providing all the information. You can learn the concept of glass painting, or make it yourself by referring to online tutorials for the same. Choose a design for your artwork from any such designs available online. With so much information available easily, anyone willing to learn this art can do the same. Get started, and reflect your ideas through your creativity in the form of beautiful glass paintings.