Tutorial from a self-proclaimed artist
Ahem. Here is how I do the glass painting. This is surely not the best and efficient way of doing it, but heck, it works for me..
1. Buy the pre-sketched glass from RS Supermarket, LB Road, Adyar.
2. Buy three stone colors: Red. blue. green. You would ideally use a few drops per painting, so these paints will last for many many paintings. Buy fabric colors. Buy gold paint (ideally, the gold powder mixed with thinner is used, but I find it too gaudy, the gold paint is a lot subtler. All of these paints would last for at least five paintings.
3. Warn everybody at home that you are not to be disturbed for the following may many hours, which will be ignored, especially by a four-and-half year old who would want to play frisbee or watch bugs life or bake a cake RIGHT NOW.
4. But the four-and-half year munchkin will also sit patiently beside you throughout the process, asking questions at the rate of 7/millisecond, which is fine with some moms, but drives some others up the wall while wanting to hug the kid at the same time.
5. After staring at the sketch trying to visualize the final product and finally giving up and deciding colors as you go on, you start with the stone colors. So, fill up the stones in the ornaments and filigree in the picture.
6. Then fill in the gold around the stones. Ideally you would need to paint AROUND the stones and not over them, but that requires skill, time and patience. I merely fill up all regions that are supposed to look gold, even if it means painting over the stones. If you painted around the stones, and you used silver foil when you framed the painting, the stones would glow, but I prefer the subdued look that comes out of covering the stones with gold paint. This is also, the excuse for my sad lack of skill, time and patience.
It does not matter if the stones are not visible, because this is "reverse" glass painting, and they would be seen in the front side:
7. Fill in the other regions with fabric paint of appropriate color. It helps to know a bit of mythology, for example, the Goddess of Learning wears white and sits on a white lotus.
AT this point, the rear of the painting would look grotesque.
But it is not the rear we would exhibit. The front would look like
8. Frame it
9. Gift it to your parents-in-law who will most probably hang it in their prayer cupboard.
Comments
Another beautiful one.
@Karen, it takes about 12 hours to do one. For me. I am sure it takes much less time for more artistically inclined people.
@Doug, thanks. I surprised myself by enjoying doing this. I never knew I even had a remote interest in art.
I thought you drew the images or traced them out on the glass from a typical calendar art picture!
This is sort of like the time I tried my hand at the embroidery or crochet or whatchamacallit stuff that you use coloured threads on a preprinted fabric with a plastic ring for stabilization etc, to get some colourful landscape or picture. As you say, though it's technically cheating, it still requires a lot of time, patience and work. Needless to say, I gave it up about midway through the first attempt.
BUT, it does require a LOT of patience. I surprised myself by having it. In fact I enjoy the process. It is almost like meditation. I feel mentally rejuvenated (although physically tired) after a single four-hour session.
AND, the choice of the sketch and colours counts as something, right?
Great work!!
Gorgeous! However, I didn't know that the lotus is supposed to be white. I think our prayer room at home has Saraswati on a pink lotus with a white swan by her side.