Are you looking to paint on glass? Not sure where to begin?

After all the questions I have been asked, I decided to put together, a question-and-answer format of what I have learned over the years. 

What do I need to know? 

Painting on glass can be challenging.  Glass is a nonporous surface.   A nonporous surface does not allow liquid or air to pass through.  Being such, glass does not allow liquid or air to pass through.  This means the amount of paint you place on the glass, is the amount that will stay, and not be absorbed as it would on wood or canvas. 

Where do I begin? 

Glass is easy to clean.  Prior to painting, you need to clean the surface.  Rubbing alcohol works great as a cleaning agent.  The oils from your fingers can interfere with paint so it is important to be careful how you handle the glass as you paint.

What paint can be used for glass?

Over the years there have been a variety of paints which has been on the market.  The paint I started out using over 20 years ago, was discontinued... a long time ago.  Ceramcoat brand was my go-to when I painted on wood.  Then I saw they created glass paint.   which involved steps.  The cleaner, the paint, then the sealant.    However, to paint on glass, you should use an enamel paint.  A quick google search will show: DecoArt Glass paint, DecoArt Americana Glass Enamels, and FolkArt Enamel paint.  These are good for beginners.  These paints tend to be opaque and are heat set in a standard oven.

Directions on the paint bottle will give you specifics for: dry time, oven temperature, and duration.  Place your glass in the oven prior to turning on the oven.  After turning off your oven, allow the glass to cool down in the oven prior to removal. 

While there are a variety of paints on the market, some require the use of a kiln to heat set the enamel.  This is not the paint you are looking for when painting on glassware.