Arts & Crafts Painting on window glass? Window splash??

ILuvShopping

ILuvShopping

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Jun 4, 2007
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3
#1
Does anyone know how to paint on window glass? I've recently found it might be called "window splash".

Someone I know has recently purchased a shop and they want me to paint their store name on the window... they've seen my work (on regular walls or canvases) and love my stuff and are determined to have me do it. I would love to do it! except i don't know how! I'm terrified it will look like crap.

My plan is to experiment on some glass at home, on whatever i can find. I was able to find a 'preview' for a video that you can buy that shows you how and right before the preview stops, the guy says he uses interior house paint.

Just curious if anyone has done this... or knows anyone that does... i'm just looking for any tips or help that i can get! :smile:

here's a link to what i'm talking about
http://www.windowgoddess.com/VIEW_ART.html
 
#2
I have done the "fake painted on stain glass" before and it was really fun! The biggest advice I have is to remember that you have to paint backwards (which for some reason really threw me off) and that the glass surface is very smooth... so a lot of my brush strokes showed up (not sure if there is a special brush for painting on glass).

Best of luck and hope you share a quick picture of the results with us!
 
#4
Let me try again... you will probably paint on the inside of the store and then customers will see the art from the outside of the store, so if you are painting a name for example you will have to paint it flipped horizontally, so that it looks correct on the other side of the glass. Does that make more sense? Of course if it's no words just an image than it won't make as much of a difference.

Here's a picture to help explain (always easier in a picture!!)
demo.jpg
 
#5
oh yea! I thought maybe you meant some sort of painting technique. in my google searches i found a page that talked about painting backwards in regards to what layers of paint to put on first.

I found a really good article about how to do it from the outside, so i think i might try to use some of those techiques and just switch them around a little to do the work from the inside. and lots and lots of experimenting first!
 
#6
I totally forgot about the layering too! Should be a really fun project (aside from the nervousness).. will you be doing more of a large picture or the store name? Are you also designing the image you are painting?
 
#7
It'll be the store name. The husband said he would like it to be about 3 foot wide and however tall.

Here is what i just sent them to see if they like it. colors and stuff could vary, this was just a quick thing i put together last night.

esthersign2.jpg

If they approve this, my plan is to just experiment with one letter on some glass. try to do it a few different ways with different types of paint to see what works best.
 
#8
all done! I did this sign in 2 windows, took me about 6 hours including a lunch break and another break. a little difficult to get a decent photo one of the windows. the store owners loved it but i think i might test some different materials and applications... I used americana acrylic craft paint which i read that a lot of people use but the perfect amount of paint applied was hard to control. i think i might try indoor house paint next time.

this job got me 1, possibly 2 more jobs! :yahoo:

estherswindowsign.jpg
 
#13
ILuvShopping said:
all done! I did this sign in 2 windows, took me about 6 hours including a lunch break and another break. a little difficult to get a decent photo one of the windows. the store owners loved it but i think i might test some different materials and applications... I used americana acrylic craft paint which i read that a lot of people use but the perfect amount of paint applied was hard to control. i think i might try indoor house paint next time.

this job got me 1, possibly 2 more jobs! :yahoo:

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Nice job! I used to hand letter windows. If you really want them to be durable, I would suggest using One Shot lettering enamels available at Paint Stores or Sign Supplies. They are oil based so you would need turpentine for thinning. Practice a little on a frame with glass to get used to the consistency. It actually will work better on your lettering as the enamel will "grab" the glass while acrylics can be more slippery. Also, it's way easier to paint if you get some lettering quills in natural squirrel. They are long and flat and work really well for lettering.
 
#14
^^^Thank you!!! i will definitely check out out those supplies!! i had the hardest time trying to find suggestions for materials online.... the most i could find were acrylic craft paints and indoor house paints.
 
#15
^^They are a little pricey, though they will last a long time...be careful getting the paint on you, when I used to work with them, that type of paint contained lead though I'm not sure if they still have lead in that brand of paint nowadays.
 
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