SMMART ART: Reverse Glass Painting

"Reverse painting on glass is an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image. Verre Églomisé is a commonly used term to refer to the art of cold painting and gilding on the back of glass. In German it is also known as 'hinterglasmalerei.'  This art form has been around for many years. It was widely used for sacral paintings since Middle Ages. The most famous was the art of icons in the Byzantine Empire.

 The painting can be realistic or abstract. Realistic reverse paintings are more challenging to create as one must, for example, in painting a face, to put the pupil of an eye on the glass before the iris, exactly the opposite of normal painting. If this is neglected the artist will not be able to correct the error as they will not get in between the glass and the paint already applied. No such care need be taken with the abstract form, but with this form there is not a good idea how the piece will look like until it is finished. This process is not like stained or leaded glass work in that it is not intended to hang in a window with light coming through the piece. Hanging on a wall, framed or unframed, with a lot of light directed towards the piece provides best viewing." (Wikipedia Reverse Painting on Glass)

Do you have an old picture frame?  We did our own modified version of reverse glass painting.  First we used Sharpie markers and drew the picture outlines and inside details that we wanted to portray on the glass.  Then we painted over the top of the sharpie with clear paint, so you could see the details of the sharpie underneath the color of the clear paint.  Ours could actually be used as a sort of stained glass art.

Roxanne, the producer of "Good Things Utah", told me how she uses clear Elmer's glue and food coloring to create a clear paint that she uses to paint pictures on her windows.  Crafty girl, that Roxanne; and if you ever need anything "Blinged out", she is the queen of "Blinging" things!  She "Blings" everything from keys to use as pendants, to hats, to her office stapler.  But I digress...