With my B.Tech exams over and plenty of time with nothing to do made me to venture into a field that I believed  was unreachable for me, “Painting”. Well for someone like me with a very bad artistic sense and a very bad handwriting I found that there is a field of painting known as glass painting that I could try out. Well to be frank I never thought I would love doing anything other than electronics and programming, it was quite a surprise for me realizing that I have finally put down my soldering iron and have taken the painting brush. Glass Painting is an easy to start hobby, I am not an expert in this field but let me share with you what I did, It may serve as an idea for the many bored people out there, after all

You never know what you are good or bad at, without trying it out.

Glass painting as an art form is a combination of both folk and fine arts and since middle age it was used for sacral painting. Later spread its root to Italy and influenced its Renaissance art. In the mid of 18th century it became favored by churches and spread to entire central Europe and in 19th century it became a main folk art in Austria, Bavaria, Moravia and Slovakia.  In India, Glass painting took birth in the state of Gujarat (around eighteenth century). As a subjective art Glass painting came into picture in India when Chinese artists settle down near coastal region of Gujarat state. There is no decisive acquaintance about the foundation of Glass Painting in world, but some assumption are made that may be Egypt or Byzantium has introduce Glass painting technique in 4th century A.D. France, England, Germany (14^th century), Italy (16^th century) were the next places where the Glass Painting art enormously flourished. Glass painting is one of the best options one can opt to transform their lifeless wall with a work of genius.

So let me tell you what I did

Step 1:

First take a picture or pattern you like to paint.

Step 2:

Take a glass piece of required size ( I used acrylic sheets as they are easier to handle) . Thoroughly clean the glass surface with soap water or use thinner for cleaning. Use cotton or clean cotton cloth for cleaning. Make sure that glass surface is always clean clear and dry before starting the painting process.

Step 3:

Place the glass piece over a flat surface table. Put the proposed glass painting pattern underneath the glass piece and ensure that it does not  move.

Step 4:

Now time to start your process of outlining I used a pointed tip marker pen to trace the pattern to the glass. While making outline you must be very careful because your outlines should be thin, clear and precise with out scratches and cuts.

Step 5:

Once outlining is over, its time to color the design now the important thing to remember here is that a glass painting is viewed from the reverse side, so while painting make sure the details are done first. Always remember that you are painting will be viewed from reverse direction.

Step 6:

When the drying process is over and the paint get completely dried you can  frame the painted glass .

http://www.glasspaintings.org This link will guide you in the right path.