Learn How to Paint Transparent Glass with Acrylics
Over the last few years, many people have asked me how to paint transparent glass with acrylics. Based on a background done in the Book of Background series, you’ll learn how to up-cycle an existing piece of artwork, then you’ll learn with explicit detail on how to paint something transparent, making areas dark with transparent colours and using opaque lights to give the glass a pop of accent.
You will also learn how to use a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet as an alternative to printing your reference material (in case you don’t have a printer) and how to transfer a line drawing without graphite paper and more.
For your reference material, do a Google search for wine glasses.
Click here to watch the video on creating the background before painting the wine glass.
The link opens in another window so you won’t lose your place here.
This was a great study. I really enjoy following along with all your lessons. Your detailed instructions are so helpful and I always learn something. I am enclosing a picture of how my wine glass painting turned out. Thank you.
Evelyn
Very nice Evelyn!!!! love the diffused effect with the red background! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. I have quite a few more projects available, posting one a week with free instruction.
Thank you, Gisele. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without your detailed instructions.
Evelyn, it was my pleasure!
excellent . Am going to try. Thanks so much.
You’ll do fine Kathy, just enjoy the process.
Thank you for the lesson. you really make it look easy to paint.
If painting this transparent glass using oil, what color would you suggest to use?
Thank you
Hi Johnsky, great question. Oils are much easier to use when painting transparent objects because you have a longer drying time and being able to use mediums such as walnut oil or sunflower oil. Transparent oils are best to use and it totally depends on the brand you are using in choosing the right colour.
For example, if you take a look at this chart (will open in a new window) from M. Graham it shows a bunch of reds with the opacity. If you were to use Cadmium Red Light, it’s opaque, so you would have to use much more medium to get some type of transparency. But if you use Quinacridone Red which is naturally transparent, it would work beautifully without having to add a lot of medium to it.
If you look at your tubes of oil paints, it should have the properties listed there whether it’s opaque, transparent or anything in between.
Thank you very much for the tips on what color to use for the painting. It really helped me with my very first oil painting. I took that picture and wanted to paint it a while ago. Now I finally did it. So I decide to share the painting. soon I’ll get there.
Thank you again!
glad you were able to complete the painting. The image didn’t come though, could you email it to me? I will send you a direct email and you can reply back.