Painting on Glass

[Mary Sparrow]

Has anyone here ever painted on glass? I have been asked to paint a portrait on a window. I have a client that used to live in California who had an artist paint portraits of her two girls older on old windows, I know it sounds odd, but once I actually saw them they are really beautiful!

Imagine an old window with the paint chipping off used as the surface and the window casing is the frame. It is long and narrow with six smaller panes at the top and one long plain piece of glass on the bottom, all of the glass has been turned into a painting with the girl in the bottom as if she is in a garden so that it looks as if you are looking through a window at the child in the garden. It still sounds a bit odd to describe and if I get a chance to take a picture of it I will share with you.

At any rate, she is wanting one done in a similar manner of her third daughter. After examining this window from behind, it looked as if the back of the window was sprayed with a thin layer of something sort of speckled. Looking through that, it seems there is another thin layer that I believe to be on the front side of the glass like some sort of primer. Then the painting itself which has a high gloss varnish over it.

I put off meeting with this lady for a long time because all she kept saying was come paint a portrait on a window. But now that I have seen it, I REALLY liked it and wouldn't mind trying it, but am unsure of what needs to be used to properly prime the glass. Any thoughts?

[Richard Bingham]

Originally Posted by Mary Smith

Has anyone here ever painted on glass?

Having plied a 35+ year career in sign and display work, I've painted and gilded literally acres of glass. No "priming" is necessary, good oil paint and the varnishes commonly associated with it (damar, copal) stick like a limpet to clean glass. Scour the surface of the glass at least twice with Bon Ami, rinse, then wipe with denatured alcohol.

Linseed oil is the necessary vehicle, it forms a very tough, durable film. Do not use oil paints mulled in safflower oil. Resin mediums improve adhesion and handling on glass, and unlike painting on flexible surfaces (canvas, wood) eventual embrittlement of the paint film is not an issue. It's oftimes advantageous to render using paint near transparent by admixing a varnish medium.

Not being a good comprehensive reader, I'm unclear whether you intend to paint in reverse, on the backside of the glass, so that the viewing side presents the "perfect" glossy surface of the glass pane. I presume so, otherwise there's no advantage to choose such a fragile, breakable support. This requires a lot of fore-planning and "inside out" thinking, since the very darkest passages have to be laid down first, working into the light . . . no room to make overpainted corrections.

[Mary Sparrow]

Hi Richard, no, I will not paint in reverse, It will be painted right on top of the glass with a glossy varnish.

So, just regular oils and linseed will suffice?

I do sketch it out first, so could I put a thin layer of gesso on the window pane first?

[Richard Bingham]

Yep. Linseed oil paint, and resin mediums. Attesting to the permanence of such applications are the great number of street numbers gilded or painted in the transoms of old buildings, many well over 100 years old. Humidity and washing are the enemies of paint on glass.

Gesso, either the "real thing" (whiting and gypsum in hide glue) or the acrylic variety will not stick well to glass and are unnecessary.

Perhaps the coating you referred to on the back of the glass was intended to supply a visible "ground" for the painting. If so, a coat of flake white extended with damar and linseed oil stippled on the backside will make a pleasant background for the painting, toned by the natural color of the glass. If you wish to "draw" before beginning to paint, I'd recommend using a Stabilo pencil, works texturally like a grease pencil, but the material is both compatible with paint (i.e. it will not cause paint to "crawl" nor will it strike through) and easily removable with a damp rag.

Paint "stacks" rapidly on glass, and the thicker the "build up" the worse it looks. A levelling medium like stand oil and canada balsam will help keep your layers thin and lying flat.

[Mary Sparrow]

Gosh, I'm so glad you are here! I probably would have used some gesso..and I do have a box of those stabilo pencils left over from my graphic artist days. Don't know WHY I have them but I do

Thank you !

[Steven Sweeney]

As always, it would be very hard to add to Richard's storehouse of knowledge, but just out of curiosity, I earlier ran your title, "painting on glass" [without the quotation marks], through Google and came up with pages and pages of sites on the topic. I hadn't yet had an opportunity to sift through much of it. It may be some interesting reading if you want to run that query yourself.

[Richard Bingham]

You guys are kind, and I 'preciate it. I get a lot of flak at times, trying to be "helpful" . . .

One thing I didn't mention, which is probably obvious enough. Soft brushes (sables, fitches, mongoose) work well on glass, bristles are "out" (too stiff).

Steven, you're right, there have been (and are) a lot of amazing things done on glass.

[Carol Morimoto]

Does the same technique apply to plexiglass?

[Richard Bingham]

Not exactly. Plexiglas is rigid acrylic sheet, a plastic which expands and contracts dramatically with temprerature changes. It's much softer than glass, so to avoid scratching it, should be cleaned with soft cotton flannel and lacquer thinner. It will accept oil paints reasonably well, cerrtainly well enough for the "life" of the plexiglas.

[Carol Morimoto]

Thanks!