Glass 'drypoint etchings'

 

Geisha (after Karhu)

I have been using ‘liquid glass’ paints for a while and really like their colour range and versatility. I use them to create ‘glass drypoint etchings’ where the fusible glass paint is applied as a line to resemble an etching. It’s a great way to combine fused glass with printmaking though I admit it is more of a drawing technique. My techniques are certainly not unique but I have not seen any other artist create framed glass art in exactly this way.
This is not glass painting though –it is still kiln-formed fused glass. The first glass artist to make ‘liquid glass’ was Richard la Londe who mixed glass powders into CMC (carboxy methyl cellulose) and then applied it using a small bottle or a cake-icing bag. His technique was then to fill in the outlined space with frit and powders to create a picture.
‘Glassline’ and ‘Colour Line’ paints are ready to use glass enamels where the enamel is suspended in a paste/medium that allows them to be applied as a lining and shading material for glass art. They're easy to use, can be thinned with water and come with a metal tip set, recommended for fine line drawings on glass. The colour range is impressive – over 30 colours - and because they can be blended and diluted there is a lot of room for experimentation.
They can be applied between multiple layers of glass (any COE including float glass), on the top surface for a complex dimensional look, sprayed using an airbrush kit to achieve subtle shading variations on glass, applied using a brush and in printmaking (screen and relief). If the glass has been sandblasted or engraved (say with a Dremel diamond tool) then the paints can be used just like etching inks. This is really a modified vitreograph (the artist uses 10mm thick float glass as the matrix and etches into the glass surface then prints with etching inks) where a one-off fused piece is made.
These glass ‘etchings’ were created using fusible Glassline paint and two layers of Spectrum 96 glass. The piece was full fused to 810°C and then framed in a recycled frame for display at home or work. This is a unique and affordable piece of glass art created and handmade in Australia.
If you have a photograph that you would like to have as a glass ‘etching’ then get in touch and I will happily create it for you.

 

Venice III - Grand Canal