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Note: the following method is
only one of many that can be used.
This is how "I" am using the various paints to make "my" painted beads.
Follow all product safety instructions !
Black Trace Lines
I prefer a black trace line on my
beads - basically painting a black outline and filling in those lines
with color or mattes to give the bead color or depth. This can be
accomplished in many ways, but my preference at this time is using a
Reusche Trace Black powder and mixing with Squeegee Oil. There are
many types of binding mediums that can be used to mix this trace powder
but I use the Squeegee Oil due to the fact that there is little smell
while painting and during firing. You are using an oil to give you more
time to use the paints and I find the oil gives you a really nice "flow"
to the paint. I am also using Reusche brushes purchased directly
from Reusche.
Materials list for Trace Lines:
Brush Method
Squeegee Oil (Thompson
Enamels A-4)
Reusche Trace Black E-401 (Delphi
Glass, Reusche direct, many sources
for this)
Reusche Tracing brushes (I got from
Reusche)
 
Another option could be
the Paradise paints in powder form that is now available
Pallet Knife (for mixing), Eye
Dropper (for adding Squeegee Oil)
Sheet
of glass (for mixing on) Turpentine (for thinning mix for painting)
 
Its hard to say how much
paint to use - depends on how much painting you expect to do - It is
easier to make more than it is to have made too much and waste it.
I take about a teaspoon of
E-401 and put into a pile on the mixing glass and add squeegee oil,
using an eye dropper, till it is a thick paste.
 
I mix using a pallet knife.
Once made you can either paint or use this thick paste on stamps - I
tend not to thin the paste for rubber stamps.
   
If I am painting I take a
little turps on my brush and pull some of the paste from the main pool
of paint and thin out enough that it is still dark when applied to the
glass.
I use a roller to apply to
the stamps but again whatever works for you.
 
Materials List
Painting:
Pen/ink method
Using the same Reusche E-401 I
mix with Clove oil to a consistency that gives a solid black line
when used with and ink pen nib - I am using an inexpensive ink pen and
nib for fine lines. Came as a set.
You just have to get used to how to
mix your paints and how to use the pen - Took a couple of times not to
get big blobs of paint on the glass - but at least it wipes off.
After a while its pretty easySamples
of the ink drawing: Easy to get fine lines
 
Glass
When using morretti
rod - use morretti sheet glass (I got from Frantz) so what ever you have
in flat use in Rod - Compatibility issues
Clean your glass and
either stamp or paint the trace line
The best part of
painting on glass is that if you make a mistake you can wipe it off.
FIRING
Fire piece - painted
side up
I fire the Reusche up to 1325F but you only need to fire between 1100
and 1425 for it to adhere - so to save time you can fire above 1100
and shut off kiln - and you can cool quickly -
I am using a HOAF
infrared kiln that runs on Propane and it take about 6 mins for it to
get to 1325 and about 10-15 min to cool enough to grab out of the kiln
for the next step.
At this point I now
have a permanent trace line on my glass that will not come off. I
can either continue to apply mattes (part of traditional glass painting
and you should really look into classes) or I will paint with colors.
PAINTING
WITH COLORS
 
Currently I am using
Paradise Paints as they can come premixed (with Pine Oil) The only
drawback is the smell - you really do need good ventilated area to use
and when you fire. (To purchase go here:
http://www.paradise-co.com/paints/pricing.html ) They now have
powder form to mix with whatever medium you want to use. I am gong
to use the squeegee oil for less smell - testing will let you know how
they work out.
Another option may be using the Paradise
Paints powder form in the same way - Works great with squeegee oil and
or pine oil- just mix well and thick
There are
Fusemaster,
They have a larger
color pallet than Paradise. A lot of tranparents.
Thompson and other
various enamels on the market you can use or try. I would use the
squeegee oil with them also - I am currently purchasing the Paradise
paints in powder form so that when I finish using up the premix I will
mix my own with the squeegee oil and I will not have to deal with the
smell. !
PAINTING
The Paradise Paints
are thick and cannot be thinned with Turps (that your using with your
Reusche) they suggest not thinning or it will give a thinner and less
opaque color on your glass. (But if you do thin you use Pine Oil)
and they require Mineral Spirits -paint thinner, lacquer thinner or
acetone for clean up - do not use these to thin the paints or any
other thinner you may have used with paints. I have been using
directly from the jar - thick and applying. Since you have your
trace line - its like a coloring book and you fill in. Paradise also
advised that if you warm the paints they will thin out in consistency
but not in color opacity.
(Reverse painting)
   
If you
make a mistake you can wipe the color away and your black trace line
will still be there !
I fire these paints
at 1325F also - only to be consistent - you can fire these at a lower
temp to get them to adhere - you need to vent up to 500F for binders to
burn off and to keep your red - red (read paint info).
I have tried putting
pieces into my bead kiln and then using - bead kiln is only up to 950
but it burns off binder - makes area stinky ! so I rather get rid of the
smell all at once and this way I can make a lot of pieces and torch at a
later date without worry that I may scratch the paint off.
So you may choose
to do a day of painting when you know you have to get up and do other
things and be able to walk away knowing you can come back and resume
where you left off.
Works in progress - various stages - fired - unfired -
painted unfired
APPLYING TO A BEAD
Now comes the tricky
part (not the hard part) the tricky part. You can put pieces into
your cold kiln but I found I could introduce them to the edge of the
opening and push them in - being such flat thin pieces they have not
broken or shattered on being introduced to a hot kiln (mine is 950 or
so) NEW HOT PLATE TECHNIQUE. I bought an industrial hot plate that
goes up to 1000 degrees F and this allows me open sides and top to be
able to see my painted piece and line it up better
(they must be painted side
up !) 
Here are options for
making bead - you can either eye it or before you put piece in the
kiln/hot plate or mark your mandrel for the length of the piece
your applying - I have been using a permanent black marker on my bead
release on the mandrel - you do not need a big mark - just enough to
show where ends are. I put the pieces in the kiln on an angle so when I
place the bead to stick to it I get a better angle on how to attach.
The worst part is
figuring out how much glass to apply to your base bead - before you wrap
your flat piece on - can be tricky but remember - if your piece is too
big once you apply (and hope you get most of your design on) you can use
glass shears to cut off the piece (cool huh !). I have been outlining
the piece on my marver and rolling my base to see if it fits within the
parameters.
Once you have your
base bead made (and I try to make that base a little smaller than what
is necessary so I can tuck the ends of the flat glass piece in to make a
neater bead) here comes the really tricky part.
I heat up my bead to
glowing but not runny and you know that the glass is going to stick to
anything glass you touch - open door to kiln and touch it down on your
piece to grab - you need to line up where you want to start the
attachment, as it is difficult to re-center once attached - you
can heat up an move but you may distort your picture.
I try to center on
pic so that I have main area of pic attached to bead and work from
center out applying . I did try to use tweezers but trying to open the
door grab - hold onto hot bead was really a tricky balancing act this
way one hand on door one hand on bead and glass.
Quickly remove from
kiln and into end of flame and heat up - start from center and heat up
glass (keeping bead hot but try not to have direct flame on painted side
as you can burn off paint as torch is much higher than the enamel firing
range)
See the black lines in
face - I did not apply enough paint and I burned off in flame
Now work side to
side heat up glass (working from center) and using any tool that feels
good (I use my Sharon Peters razor tool) to push slowly down and work
the glass onto the base bead - working from center and making the most
out of the pic till the edges almost meet - here you judge if you have
to trim any glass - and get the edges together - heat and melt - heat
and melt keeping them from overlapping and giving a lump.
Work your bead and
keep it good and hot - you need to make the outside glass one with the
inside glass - marver shape and do edges - I heat ends and work till
done
Get it good and hot
- wait till ready for kiln and put into kiln and anneal
and you too can have
too many painted beads lying around !
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