� 4th EditionCopyright © 20�0 Williams & Byrne Limited
Glass Painting Techniques & Secrets from an English Stained Glass StudiobyDavid Williams & Stephen Byrne
Dog roses, Daffodils & Poppies
2 4th EditionCopyright © 20�0 Williams & Byrne Limited
Hello and Welcome!Thanks for joining the newsletter and for
downloading this guide.
The idea here is to give you a good sense of
the kind of glass painting that you can expect
to learn about with us through the newsletter
and within the web site itself.
Yes, it’s kiln-fired glass painting for sure.
It’s also properly done, by which we mean
that we don’t cut corners or try to do things “on
the cheap”: high standards are important.
We are very keen on technique and doing
things properly, taking as much time as needed
to do the best job, and so forth.
Therefore this guide is only an introduction
so that you can be sure that you’ll be happy
with the newsletters which are to come.
If this guide looks interest to you, then
that’s wonderful — please stay with us and
join in with the conversations that we’ll have
with you and others in the weeks and months
ahead.
(If the guide isn’t right for you, we’re sorry,
but it’s better to know about this as soon as
possible.)
Over the next few pages, here’s the kind of
information that you’ll get from us:
A list of the basic tools and materials you’ll
need for this particular project;
The design itself, pretty much full-size;
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A brief step-by-step guide with
photographs of the glass at each stage. We
start with the cut-line itself, then move onto
the coloured glass that’s been cut to size, then
onto “undercoating”, “copy-tracing” and so
forth, finishing up with painting with oil (this
is a huge and wonderful subject — check the
web site for more information) and firing;
And we show you how to get in touch with
us and ask questions, and how to get more
information when you need it.
Now some people express surprise that
we’re happy to “put in” this work for other
glass painters around the world.
Actually we make no secret of the fact that
it’s a pleasure (in 5 years there have only ever
been two people who were rude, and we’re
sure they must have just been having a bad
day, which is awful for them, since they ended
up by losing out on so much).
Time and time again we hear from people
who say how relieved and excited they are
to find this wealth of information all readily
available.
We’re all very lucky to live when we do.
Even �0 years ago, it wasn’t possible to
share information as we now can. It would
have been hard for us to have encountered
one another.
For our part, we regard it as a privilege
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that you’re willing to spend time with our
newsletters, videos, photographs and posts on
the web site.
And we look forward to hearing back
from you by way of e-mails or comments or
whatever.
Here’s to whatever it takes for all of us to
bring our own glass painting to a new level
of beauty — and also to share that skill and
knowledge with others, wherever they are.
� 4th EditionCopyright © 20�0 Williams & Byrne Limited
Flat wide brushes for the undercoat. Flat wide blenders for blending and softening water-based paint.
Small round blenders for blending and softening oil-based paint.
Various thin tracing brushes. Various large tracing brushes. Various scrubs, stipplers, sticks and needles.
Also:
Oil-based paint
Paper tissue e.g. kitchen roll
Kiln
Controller
Glass
•••••
Light box, paint palettes, covers, water, palette knives, water-based paint (our usual
mixture of tracing black and tracing red).
Copyright © 20�0 Williams & Byrne Limited4 4th Edition
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1. The cut-line. Our original design measures 2�0
mm wide by 297 mm high — roughly 8 �/4 inches
wide by �� �/2 inches tall: in other words, exactly
the size of this piece of paper. Therefore re-scale the
image if you wish to. Then use good quality tracing
paper and prepare the cut-line either for leading or
for copper-foiling. (We prepared ours for leading.)
Notes to leaders: the example cut-line shown here
only goes to the inside edge of the border lead, so you
will need to choose the size of your border lead and
also draw the border lead accordingly. Also note that
the thickness of the lines in ink must match the heart
of your lead.
� 4th EditionCopyright © 20�0 Williams & Byrne Limited
2. The glass. Choose your glass and cut it to size.
You can use whatever colours you like. Groze each
piece of glass. This prevents the glass from cutting
your fingers. It also prevents the glass from damaging
your brushes when you are painting. As you wish, also
prepare an easel to stick your glass to so that you can
correctly assess the colours and (later on) assess your
painting. Clean the glass thoroughly several times.
Note: in England, we don’t use cutting shears (as
many people do in the US, for example). Rather, we
put a piece of glass on top of the cut-line. Then, with
our glass cutter, we cut to the inside of the lines on
the cut-line.
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3. The undercoat. Now paint a medium-darkness
undercoat on the front of every piece of glass. This
primes the otherwise slippery surface of the glass so
that it’s easier to trace on. To do this, prepare your
glass paint. Take a thin, wide brush. Test the paint
on your light-box and adjust it as needed. Take your
first piece of glass. Load your brush with paint and
clean it thoroughly several times. Then use your
brush to cover it with a medium-darkness undercoat.
As needed, or as you wish, while the paint is still wet,
take your blender and remove any unwanted marks
from the undercoat.
Note: the idea of undercoating may be new to you.
Just write and ask for more information as needed.
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4. Copy-trace. Prepare some glass paint that is
suitable for tracing light, thin lines. Place the design
on your light-box. Put your first piece of glass on top
of the design (that’s why it’s called copy-tracing).
Load your tracing brush. Test your paint on your
light-box and adjust it as needed. Then copy-trace
the lines. Remember to move the glass and the design
around on the light-box so that you are always in a
comfortable position to paint. When you’ve copy-
traced the first piece of glass, put it on one side.
Continue with the remaining pieces in exactly the
same way.
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5. Reinforce and block in. Put your design on one
side where you can see it as you paint. (Sometimes,
with a small design like this one, it is possible to keep
it on the light-box.) Prepare some glass paint that is
medium-dark and thick (but not so thick that it is
impossible to paint with it). Test it on your light-box
and adjust it as needed.
Take your first piece of glass. Look at the design.
Use the same tracing brush as before to thicken and
darken lines as you see here. Also, block in as shown.
Put the first piece of glass on one side and let it dry.
Continue with the next piece. And so on.
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6. Highlights. Take a pointed wooded stick. Make
highlights approximately as shown. When you make
highlights, it is a good idea from time to time to hold
the piece of glass up to the natural daylight rather
than only examining it on your light-box: this can
help you to be objective and sensitive.
Also remember that you can always add more
highlights but that you cannot take them away:
therefore add highlights wisely.
Also remember that you must respond to the pieces
of glass in front of you. There is nothing which
is “absolutely correct and necessary” about our
highlights. It’s the spirit of your highlights which is
important.
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7. Softened highlights. We usually use the tip
of a finger or the fleshy ball of our thumb to soften
highlights. It is essential that your hand is dry. It is
also essential to be gentle and light: work slowly and
respond to the glass in front of you. It’s alright to stop
working on a piece and return to it later when you’ve
done other pieces. Your finger / thumb (or whatever)
must also be clean: wipe it occasionally on a cloth or
paper tissue. When you’ve lightly used your finger
/ thumb to remove some paint, also lightly dust
the glass with your blender, then look at the glass
again: either stop there or rub away a little more,
then dust again with your blender. Wash your hands
thoroughly.
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8. Oil wash and oil-mid tones. Prepare some oil-
based glass paint. This technique is fully described in
Part � of Glass Painting Techniques & Secrets from
an English Stained Glass Studio, our studio’s glass
painting manual that, from time to time, you can
order as a download. If this is new to you, check the
Real Glass Painting site for video demonstrations.
Paint a light oil wash over the entire surface of each
piece of glass. Then prepare a darker mix of oil-
based paint and add some medium-dark shadows to
the darker parts. Lastly, take a small round-headed
blender and soften the shadows by blending them
with the oil wash. Let the paint dry overnight as
protected from dust as possible.
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9. Reinstate the highlights. Either use a wooden
stick and/or take a piece of paper tissue, shape it as
needed, then dab or cut through the oil-based paint.
Always remember to hold the glass carefully: although
the water-based paint (underneath) has gum Arabic
in it, the oil-based paint (on top) has now softened
the gum Arabic. This makes the adhesion of all your
painting more delicate than before. Therefore, your
highlights can also now be subtler than before. This
is part of the “magic” of painting with oil on top of
unfired water-based paint: the highlights can also be
more refined.
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Choose a firing schedule which is suitable for oil-
based glass painting and fire your glass.
Then assemble it, cement it and polish it.
Note: the colours of our panel look different because
the picture above was taken against daylight and the
other pictures were taken on a light-box.
Practical Suggestion
Cut your glass. Then choose only one piece of glass:
some leaves, for example. Paint this one piece of glass
all the way through from start to end as described here
(steps � - 9): this will give you a clear understanding
of the whole process. Then clean the glass. Now paint
all the pieces as described.
�5 4th EditionCopyright © 20�0 Williams & Byrne Limited
Important - Do Read ThisWhy do we give you these � original designs
and step-by-step instructions?
The reason is, we want you to be very
clear about the kind of glass painting that, if
you wish, we can help you with through the
newsletters and also through the posts which
you will find on the blog.
So, if this isn’t the kind of glass painting
that interests you, that’s fine of course, and
at least you will know where to find good
information when you need it.
More Information Needed?Now we’re perfectly aware that most people
do not do all their glass painting in a single
firing. (And, yes, sometimes we also use two
firings.) Our approach, therefore, may be very
different to the kind of glass painting that you
do. Which means that some of the steps may
sound new and complicated to you.
Clearly, in an introductory guide like this,
we cannot say all there is to say.
And, if we did, you’d probably suffer
from information-overload. Which would be
counter-productive because the whole idea is
to work with you over the weeks, months and
years ahead and give you the confidence and
skill to take your glass painting forward in
whatever way is best for you.
If you do need more information about
any particular steps, there are three options.
You are welcome to e-mail us at studio@
realglasspainting.com, and we’ll always do our
best to help.
Please understand in advance that this is
a free service. We are working with �000s of
glass painters all around the world so therefore
our time is necessarily limited here.
Web Site
You can also search the Real Glass Painting
web site.
For example, there are several free video
demonstrations showing undercoating and
how to overcoat with oil.
To search, use the keywords and/or the
categories which you will see in the right-hand
column.
If there is something you want which will
also be useful to other people, then just tell
us, and we will consider it as a post. That way
everyone gains from your suggestion.
Downloadable manual and videos
From time to time throughout the year,
we make available the studio glass painting
manual which also comes with several hours
of online video.
The reason it’s only available “from time
to time” is that it also comes with direct one-
to-one support from us. In other words, we
spend a lot of time answering your questions
and working with you as directly as possible.
So we can only take on 20 new people every
three months or so.
The downloadable manual covers essential
techniques like the best way to mix your paint,
how to lay an undercoat, how to shade before
your trace, how to trace and highlight, and
how to paint with oil.
The online videos are where you can watch
these things actually being done. Also included
with the 4th edition of this online manual is a
9�-minute step-by-step demonstration of how
to paint a stained glass face. This is amazing
whether or not you ever intend to paint a face
because it shows you, step-by-step, the same
techniques that you will need for just about
any stained glass painting project that you do.
You see it all in beautiful detail.
It’s a “manual” with “videos” — really,
though, it’s a process whereby you and we can
work together on the particular things which
interest you.
See here the kind of experiences that others
have had with us: www.realglasspainting/
reviews/.
It’s wonderful for some people. Maybe it’s
what you’re also looking for. Think it over. It’s
up to you. The newsletters and the Real Glass
Painting blog are always yours whatever you
decide. And like we say, it’s only a few times a
year that people join, so there’s no rush here.
Goodbye for NowWe hope this guide gives you a good idea of
the kind of glass painting that the newsletters
will cover.
When we can help with anything, just get
in touch.
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Williams & Byrne Limited.
Notice of liabilityThe information in this publication is
designed to provide information about the
kiln-fired glass painting techniques used by
Williams & Byrne Techniques Limited. Every
effort has been made to make the publication
as complete and accurate as possible but no
warranty of fitness is implied. The information
is provided on an “as is” basis without
warranty. While every precaution has been
taken in the preparation of the publication,
Williams & Byrne techniques Limited, their
employees or associates shall not have any
liability to any person or entity with respect
to liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged
to be caused directly or indirectly by the
information contained in the publication
or by the products described or mentioned
therein. See the terms and conditions at www.
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