How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (2024)

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (1)
For this painting, I learned how to imitate glass. It iscalled “We Will Protect You,” and it’s about parents trying to protect their children. The parentshave good intentions, and they do their best, but in the end, they have tolet the child step into the world. I have painted two glass vases to represent the parents. The child sees the world through the parents, and even if they want to protect the child,they are fragile too.

Artistic Inspiration from Glassware

The idea for the painting began last Saturday when I went to the local library to get some ideas for the future blog posts. I saw the book called The Art of Glass. It was about Kaj Franck, a Finnish designer who was extremely skillful in designing glassware.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (2)Most Finns have Kaj Franck’s glassware. He didn’tdesign uniquepieces only, but everyday glass as well. My most precious glass item from him is this red “Goblet” which was originally owned by my aunt. She passed away ten years ago, and the color of this Gobletreminds me of her vivid character.

After browsing few pages of the book, I knew I had to make something glass-related. It’s not the first time the glass has inspired me: see the collage inspired by Nanny Still, and I have also knitted a folk bag inspired by Oiva Toikka. Both Nanny Still and Oiva Toikka are Finnish glass designers as well.

This time, I wanted not only to find out how to imitate glass but to explain it to you too. Before beginning the bigger painting, I painted few circles on a small paper and tried to make them look like glass.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (3)

I used acrylic paints to paint the circles and then watercolors to add more circles around the previous ones. The shapes weresoftened with colored pencils. Then I added white with acrylic paint and a gel pen, and black with a PITT Artist Pen.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (4)

I made each circle a bit different. I was not fully satisfied with them, though. The center circleswere too solid in color. I decided to start the bigger painting with watercolors as theyare easier for making transparent layers.

8 Tips on How to Imitate Glass

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (5)

1) Paintseveral transparent layerswhich intersect each other.Use a lot of water to create thin layers.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (6)

2) Use a lot of hues and shades of the same color. Mix colors to get new tones which have slight differences from each other. Use small spots of othercolors too as glass reflects its surroundings.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (7)

3) Paint geometric shapes like circles, squares, half-circles, and triangles.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (8)

4) Add white with acrylic paint. When painting thewhite shapes, soften one side of them by adding water.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (9)

5) Use ablack colored pencil to add dark near the sharp edges of white areas. Make the dark areassoft too.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (10)

6) With correction pen, add brilliant white to highlight parts of the white areas.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (11)

7) Add jet black with a black marker (I used a brush tip PITT Artist Pen) to make dark areas pop as well.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (12)

8) Finish with thin lines using a gel pen and a black marker. It will make your glass look a bit thinner and more elegant.

How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (13)

What kind of glass do you like the most? Does mimicking materials interest you too?

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How to Imitate Glass with Paint - Peony and Parakeet (2024)

FAQs

How do you make paint look like glass? ›

8 Tips on How to Imitate Glass
  1. Paint several transparent layers which intersect each other. ...
  2. Use a lot of hues and shades of the same color. ...
  3. Paint geometric shapes like circles, squares, half-circles, and triangles.
  4. Add white with acrylic paint.
Nov 10, 2014

What can I mix with acrylic paint to paint glass? ›

You'll want to be equipped with high-quality acrylic paint and a clear acrylic medium to achieve a thinner consistency if you desire. You should never use water to thin your acrylic paint since this will make it less likely to stick to the glass surface even if it's primed.

Can you make acrylic paint look like stained glass? ›

Mix about 3 tablespoons of clear glue to a few drops of acrylic paint. Heavily add the paint being sure to go all the way to the leading. Even overlapping a bit is fine. All project to dry for several hours.

What kind of paint do you use on glass to make it look like stained glass? ›

What kind of paint do you use for faux stained glass? For this project, you'll use acrylic paint! Just craft paint from the craft store. You can also use glass paint if you have some.

Can Mod Podge be used as a primer on glass? ›

Can you use Mod Podge on glass? Absolutely! Here are my best tips, including how to paint and prep your glass for the perfect results. If you've always wanted to learn to Mod Podge, there's no time like the present.

Can I use Mod Podge to seal acrylic paint? ›

You can use it to seal acrylic paint on anything from paper to metal or even fabrics. Mod podge is also extremely safe to use anywhere as it is non-toxic, non-flammable, and can be easily cleaned up with soap and water.

How do you paint glass with baking soda? ›

For a beautiful matte finish that makes ordinary glass look like ceramic pottery, add 1 tablespoon baking soda to any color water-based paint and mix thoroughly. Use acrylic or latex paint only (oil-based paint will not work). Apply to a clean glass surface with horizontal brush strokes.

How do you make fake stained glass without glass? ›

First, you trace the window that you'd like to install “stained glass” into, and then transfer that tracing over to a transparent plastic sheet or piece of thin plexiglass. Once you cut out your plastic, you can draw your design in pen.

How do you make acrylic paint look glazed? ›

To glaze, you'll need a glazing medium and a brush. Mix the glazing medium with your paint to create a transparent layer. Then, apply the glaze over your base layer, using smooth brushstrokes to spread the paint evenly. You can build up multiple layers of glaze for even more depth and richness.

How do you mimic stained glass? ›

Use about a tablespoon of clear glue to one or two drops of acrylic paint. You will be surprised at how easy it is to add pigment to clear glue. Use a blunt paintbrush and add your colors where you want them.

Does hobby lobby sell glass paint? ›

Create the elegant look of stained glass by painting surfaces with this Crystal Clear Gallery Glass Stained Glass Paint. This waterbased, non-toxic paint is designed to give a translucent tint to glass, mirrors, and plastic surfaces.

What paint makes glass look like mirror? ›

Apply Mirror Effect spray paint to the reverse side or inside of glass or clear acrylic to create a reflective, mirror-like finish. It works on glass vases, jars, framed glass, tabletops, candle holders and more.

What medium makes acrylic paint transparent? ›

You can use either an acrylic glazing medium or a gloss medium to make acrylic paints more transparent. Standard glaze mediums are better for subtler effects.

How do you paint glass acrylic without brush strokes? ›

How to Avoid Brush Strokes With Acrylic
  1. Start with a pre-gessoed smooth panel, or apply your own gesso and wet sand between coats.
  2. Use a soft brush, like a synthetic squirrel tail. ...
  3. Soft brush still too brushy? ...
  4. Try Golden fluid acrylics instead of heavy body paints.
  5. Choose colors that are opaque, not transparent.
Oct 2, 2016

What can I mix with acrylic paint for texture? ›

Cornstarch or flour can be used as acrylic thickeners.

Which acrylic colors are translucent? ›

Pigments that are more translucent in nature are: permanent rose, permanent crimson, alizarin crimson, dioxazine blue, ultramarine, pthalo blue, Prussian blue, viridian green, terre verte, sap green, burnt sienna, raw sienna and raw umber.

Can acrylic paint be made translucent? ›

Acrylic paint can be made translucent by diluting with more water, mixing with acrylic mediums such as matte medium, gloss medium, glazing mediums, using acrylic paint with transparent pigments, using low-quality paint with fewer pigments, and not mixing translucent colors with opaque acrylic colors.

How do you make cheap acrylic paint more opaque? ›

Put two layers of gesso or three before you paint. The gesso does a good job of preparing the canvas for painting and improving color vivacity. Or, add a small amount of paint to the gesso or vice versa to create a tinted background base. That is because its ingredients work to increase the acrylic paint's opaqueness.

Will Mod Podge peel off glass? ›

If the Mod Podge happens to be dry, you can remove it from glass with a razor blade or scraper. If you find it's difficult to remove, spritz with some water and let it get a little soggy.

What kind of paint do you use to paint glass? ›

At least three types of paint may be used on glass: acrylic enamel, acrylics marked as suitable for tile or glass, and specially formulated solvent-based paints.

Will Mod Podge dry clear on glass? ›

Let me give you the short answer to the question “does Mod Podge dry clear?”: YES!

How long should I let acrylic paint dry before Mod Podge? ›

It feels dry within an hour, but I wouldn't hang up a project or use it until it's been dry for 24 hours. For Hard Coat, the recommended dry time is 72 hours.

What kind of Mod Podge to use on acrylic paint? ›

Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealers can be used over water-based and oil-based paints, glazes, lacquers and varnishes . They dry clear, are waterproof, and non-yellowing .

How many coats of Mod Podge do I need to seal acrylic paint? ›

You can use two or more coats depending on the type of affect you are trying to achieve. If you want a soft smooth surface with no ridges, apply at least 5 to 6 coats.

How do you paint on glass and make it permanent? ›

You must free the glass surface of any impurities such as dirt and oil, and then you can apply an all-purpose sealer to help the paint to stick to the surface better. You can then apply varnish on your finished work to help prolong its life.

What happens when you mix baking soda with paint? ›

Adding baking soda to paint creates a ceramic look and texture, much like a terra cotta pot. Basically, it creates a chalk style paint that will easily adhere to just about any surface without a lot of preparation, like sanding or finishing.

Can you paint glass with acrylic paint and baking soda? ›

Can you paint with baking soda and acrylic paint on glass? Yes! You totally can. I do recommend however that you do not use water on the painted part of the vase or it can chip.

What is alternative stained glass? ›

Alternative Stained Glass utilizes a unique process of combining glass, lead, multi layered films and bevels to create a stunning solid piece of decorative glass for your home.

Can I make my own stained glass? ›

Stained glass is easier than it seems. Although it does require a special set of tools and equipment, once you have access to these, you'll find that the process of turning your designs into gorgeous stained glass pieces is really quite simple!

How to make faux stained glass with crayons and wax paper? ›

Melt your crayon shavings

The paper is to soak up the oils from the melting crayon. Run the iron over the paper/wax paper/crayon shaving sandwich slowly and evenly to melt the crayon. We use low heat, such as the silk setting. Lift the top paper off to reveal your new melted crayon stained glass.

How do you make glass into privacy glass? ›

Frostbrite frosted window film remains an incredibly popular choice for making clear glass into privacy glass. Once applied, the film gives glazing the appearance of acid etched glass or frosted glass, blocking the view from both sides of the glass without blocking natural light.

Can you paint a window to look like stained glass? ›

Now you can create a beautiful Faux Stained Glass Window in no time! A simple pattern and glass paint make faux stained glass window panels like this one an easy and creative decoration for you or a loved one!

How do you make faux glaze with paint? ›

The ratio of glaze to paint is from 4 to 6 parts for 1 part paint. We recommend using 6 parts to 1 part paint to get more open time. Add 1 part glycerine to the mix to increase your open time even more.

What can I mix with acrylic paint to make it glossy? ›

To achieve even more gloss, apply a high gloss varnish once the painting is finished and the paint is dry. There is a product by Liquitex that is both a gloss medium and varnish, so you could use it to mix with the paint as well as use it for a final coat of varnish.

Can you paint with acrylic and then glaze? ›

Glazing can be used with most painting mediums including oil, acrylic and watercolor.

Is there fake stained glass? ›

Imitation or faux stained glass is essentially fake stained glass that tends to be much more affordable. There are several different types, including glass paints, colored film, and colored paper. Though you'll save some money, faux stained glass tends to fade in color over time and can appear cheap.

How do you make temporary glass paint? ›

How to make Washable Window Paint
  1. Mix equal amounts of paint and dish soap. It doesn't make much difference what type of paint you use, tempera paint or acrylic paints. ...
  2. Mix in a tsp of flour. This step is optional. ...
  3. Enjoy painting.
  4. When you're finished painting, wash it off with regular water.
Feb 18, 2023

What is the best glass painting paint? ›

Acrylic paints or enamel paints are a good choice because they dry quickly and have a glossy finish that mimics the look of glass. Oil-based paints may also be used but they take longer to dry and can be more difficult to clean up.

Can I make glass paint at home? ›

This quick-and-easy glass paint recipe, made from glue, food coloring and a few drops of liquid dishwash soap, can be used for painting on glass and clear plastic. Unlike commercial glass paint, this homemade version is washable.

How do you make acrylic paint look glossy? ›

All you need to do is mix the gloss medium into the paint on the palette, and then paint as normal. The paint should dry to a glossy finish. To achieve even more gloss, apply a high gloss varnish once the painting is finished and the paint is dry.

How do you make paint look like sea glass? ›

  1. Mix Mod Podge with food coloring. Pour mod podge in a bowl, add 4 drops of blue, 1 drop of green for aqua blue. ...
  2. Mix in dish soap. Add a few drops to each bowl of colored mod podge and mix.
  3. Paint glass pieces. Put down newspaper/craft paper/paper bag for easy clean-up. ...
  4. Apply frosted finishing spray.
Jul 26, 2019

What can you use instead of glass paint? ›

At least three types of paint may be used on glass: acrylic enamel, acrylics marked as suitable for tile or glass, and specially formulated solvent-based paints.

What paint gives a shiny finish? ›

Semi-gloss and gloss paints reflect light, giving them a bright, shiny finish. While semi-gloss and gloss paints require more prep work and sanding than their matter counterparts to ensure a smooth application, paints with a glossy finish can be scrubbed once dry and are easy to clean.

What color is mirror glass? ›

According to BBC Science Focus Magazine, most mirrors are technically white with a slight green tinge. According to Live Science, color is a result of reflected light.

Can you fake sea glass? ›

While there are a few people on these sites selling the real thing, there are MANY selling the manmade version . There is nothing wrong with fake sea glass for crafts and decorating as long as it is labeled as such.

What colors make sea glass? ›

The most common colors of sea glass come from glass products that are still in use today; clear, brown and green. Most clear sea glass comes from items such as soda bottles, glass food containers, liquor bottles, wine bottles, Mason and Ball canning jars as well as old milk bottles and medicine bottles.

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