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Mixing Glass Enamels
Click here for a page with basic information about enamels.
Although it's possible to buy pre-mixed
glass enamels, it's more common to find them in powder form.
Enamels can be sifted or used dry directly on the glass, but in many
cases it's preferable to mix the enamels with a binder to create a
liquid mixture that can be painted, airbrushed, or otherwise
manipulated wet on the glass.
There are a number of ways to mix glass
enamels, but this is one of the easiest and most straightforward.
It requires the following supplies:
Enamels
Use a good, high quality enamel powder
that has been formulated for use with glass.
A glass palette
This is just a small piece of smooth
(usually clear) glass upon which the enamels are mixed. Many
people use a small rectangle of float (window) glass; because it is
very smooth, it's generally easier to use than piece of
textured art glass.
A spatula or palette knife
Easily found in craft shops and artist
supply stores, the palette knife is a small, flexible tool
which is used to mix the enamels.
Make certain the palette knife is clean and dry. It's also
possible to buy a thin piece of wood (such as a popsicle stick), but
a flexible metal or plastic tool is preferred.
Binder
The binder is the medium which is mixed
with the enamels. You can use either an oil-based medium (such
as pine oil, clove oil, etc.) or a water-based medium (such as
Thompson's Klyr-fire). Water-based binders are easier to
clean, but oil-based binders tend to do a little better job of
mixing with the enamels. Most people choose to learn the
process with a water-based binder.
Once you have gathered these supplies,
you're ready to begin mixing the enamels.
Click here for the next
part of this tip, which deals with instructions for mixing enamels.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
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