Proof that the undercoat is versatile

Making two new windows – left and right – to go each side of the existing image of Saint Chad in the middle (who was made some 30 years ago):

Stained glass design: new windows left and right
Sketch design for two new stained-glass windows (left and right)

Left and right, you could just use unpainted glass.

But this wouldn’t really work, because the light would be uneven.

Horribly uneven …

The one thing

Mix great paint to start with

A few months ago, a student from Illuminate, mixing paint for the first time, accidentally made “soup”.

That is, runny paint.

So runny it was uncontrollable – impossible to work with.

Help! What shall I do?” they asked.

And we replied. Because that’s how we work inside our online courses: we help you solve your problems.

Not just while the course lasts.

Also afterwards.

Now, if this happens to you – that you accidentally make soup: sloppy, runny paint – in brief the options are:

  1. Add more powder, or
  2. Add more gum.

But, suspecting from our student’s words that the answer was “more gum”, we made a short film just for them to give them confidence.

After all, you might think, if you have runny paint to start with, how can you thicken it by adding liquid gum?

This film you’re about to watch is not the film we made for our student.

It’s a new film.

We’ve given it more context.

It’s all part of the glass painter’s method – the method which we’re thrilled to share with you, because learning how to paint stained glass is such a wonderful experience.

It’s why we wrote a book.

https://vimeo.com/304558566

The Glass Painter’s Method, Book 1 is ready.

Flicking Water on Untroubled Oil

Hello again!

Yes, remember it’s a case of …

  1. Doing all your water-based painting as usual
  2. Doing all your oil-based painting as usual
  3. Loading a soft toothbrush with a watery solution of water-based paint
  4. Flicking spots of water onto the oil-based paint, especially where there is a good covering of oil

This creates texture and the appearance of age.

A large part of the effect is outside of your control, so it’s a good idea to practice on a test piece first.

Remember: less is often more.

Here’s a close-up which I’ve taken from the picture top-right:

Remember - less is often more

Remember - there's a lot of chance here, and less is often more

And why did this come to mind today?

Well, David and I had tea with a tycoon, and he loved our glass painting, but he wanted us to paint something that looked 18th or 19th century and as if it had come out of one of the world’s finest auction houses …

Actually, his exact expression was: “I don’t want anything that a footballer’s wife would chose”.

Note: in this country, footballers are paid an extraordinary amount of money which is not matched by the taste of their (very temporary) wives whose responsibility it is to spend it all.

Sincere apologies to any footballer’s wife who happens to read this. Rest assured, we can paint you something that looks brand new

P.S. Doing all this work on the front of your glass means that the back of the glass is nice and clear and clean for all your silver staining. And yes, you can also use this technique on the on the back of your glass where your silver staining is – provided (of course) you learn to stain with oil (not water or vinegar, which just waste your time and money).