glass enamels
Bert Weiss
As stated by humorous vitreous, the primary commercial use for glass
enamels is the Ronald McDonald glass/Rolling Rock bottle glass
decorating industry. A few of us like Henry Halem, Cappy Thompson,
myself and numerous others use these materials to make art. Use of
enamels to make art requires creativity, as there is little traditional
technique to follow other than stained glass painting, which was mostly
executed with black, brown and some yellow staining.
A few years ago I attended a society of glass and ceramic decorators
convention in Pittsburgh. There were dozens of companies with really
interesting products and techniques that can be employed in the making
of art. These include enamels and lustres by companies in the US and
Europe, decals made with these materials, screen printing mediums like a
wax containing medium that requires a heated steel screen, and can apply
many layers of enamel without affecting the lower layers. ETC.
I have never perfected the application of lustres, but they have the
potential to apply a brilliant thin coating of color to any glass substrate.
In my studio I currently use two lines of enamels. One by
Cerdec/Drakenfeld called Versacolor. I use the 1300ºF line they call
bending colors. This series has 15 intermixable opaque/translucent to
transparent colors (all cadmium containing). They call the colors
opaque, but in my studio I usually get translucent to transparent. The
problem I have with these colors is that I sometimes like to work at
1500ºF and the only colors that are stable enough to use are blues
greens and yellow. Reds and oranges turn gray or black because the
cadmium oxidises at high temps. I have successfully used reds and
oranges when I case them between two layers or 1/2" float, where there
is no oxygen present when the glass reaches high temp.
My next purchase will be Deguza lead free pottery colors, which are
imported in to the US by Cerdec. I have tested a ceramic decal of these
colors at 1500º and the hot colors are stable.
I have a supply of Heraeus transparent glass colors that are far
superior to any colors I have used previously. The problem is that the
company has raised their minimum purchase from 1 kilo to 5 kilos per
color. 1 kilo was quite a bit for me, 5 kilos is prohibitive. Deguza
makes a comparable line of transparent 1050ºF glass colors, however they
do not export them to the US. I am considering getting a friend to buy
them for me in Germany and bring them back. There are a few companies
buying and reselling European enamels, but the prices quadruple making
them barely affordable for me.
I would like to see more artists using colored glass enamels. Todays
technology makes their use more effective than the technology of yesteryear.
Glass blowers generally use strong thin layers of color over a clear
base of glass. There is no reason that flat/slumped/fused etc glass
workers can't take advantage of similar techniques. What makes
enameling more interesting to me than fusing is the power to put the
colors exactly where I want them, utilizing the brush stroke etc. and
not relying on the glass maker to make the color changes.
Bert Weiss
Bert Weiss Glass Studio
http://www.customartglass.com
Painted Art Glass
Custom Productions
Architectural and Sculptural Cast Glass
Collaborative Art Glass
Lighting design
Judy Jaussaud
<37D66C07...@customartglass.com>...
> I'll start a new thread discussing enamels.
> .....interesting products and techniques that can be employed in the
making
> of art. These include enamels and lustres ......
> Glass blowers generally use strong thin layers of color over a clear
> base of glass. There is no reason that flat/slumped/fused etc glass
> workers can't take advantage of similar techniques. What makes
> enameling more interesting to me than fusing is the power to put the
> colors exactly where I want them, utilizing the brush stroke etc. and
> not relying on the glass maker to make the color changes.
================
Ahhh...a subject dear to my heart! I call myself a "glass
artisan"...perhaps an incorrect nomenclature...because I do what Bert
talked about.
I paint on flat glass. I use what Bert calls "glass enamels" (until I
knew better, I've always just called it "glass paint"). I sketch my design
on paper, (or just freehand it as I paint) and then begin painting it on
the glass. I use a palette of approximately a dozen colors. I use colors
that can be mixed together to obtain other tints or hues. I use colors
that will mature as low as 1100 F (in case I wish to paint a wine glass, or
something I DON'T want to slump!), or will mature as high as 1350F. I
paint jewelry, glasses, bowls, bells, etc.
I fire the same piece as many times as desired. Many times, I cover the
entire piece (or a wide band, in the case of a wine glass) with a white
matte to begin with. Sometimes I do an entire design using only white
matte....giving the glass an etched appearance.
Sometimes I do "pen and ink" style on glass. I'd have to say that is my
favorite to do. Many times I'll add glass "chunks" to my designs...etc.
I've been a porcelain artist for around 25 years, so the progression to
glass was a natural. I do everything in the same manner, except I'm using
paints that mature at a lower temperature.
I taught a couple of classes at the Las Vegas Glass Craft Expo this last
spring, and demonstrated in the Reusche booth. That was my first exposure
to a glass show! I must admit, by the time the weekend was behind me, I
wanted to "try it all"!!! However, my business is already keeping me
buried most of the time...there are never enough hours in a day!
I hope this thread continues. I've been "lurking" (for the most part) on
this newsgroup for about a year, and haven't seen much about the type of
glass painting that I do. I'd like to hear what others do!
Judy Jaussaud
Oregon
Minshka
I SALUTE YOU!
Thank you for an informative, bias-free topic about enamels. It also helps in
understanding where you are coming from. As my knowledge and expericences with
enamels are different, your post allows me to understand how to communicate
better.
Also, I think it is a great compliment to a post when it attracts someone who
has never before participated. I believe that this woman has valuble insight
and experience to what she had referred to as painting on glass. It looks as
though the communication problems are getting worked out.
If I may, I would like to ask you and the other enameler's for feedback and
opinions about how I view enamels.
I used the word surfactant in another reply post to try and explain what I
think is the relationship between enamel and silica as opposed to glass and
silica.
From my studies of Horticulture I learned what a surfactant is:
Surfactant-Any substance that, dissolved in water, reduces surface tension
between it and another liquid.
Appled to horticulture, it is a vehicle used to evenly, uniformly, and
cohesively distribute herbacide and pestacide powders over the plant. Since
the powders are only effective in powder form, a way was devised to apply the
powders so that they would not slide off the plant and become useless. This is
where surfactants came in.
As I apply this term to glass, i am referring to the use of silica in enamel.
In my opinion, silica whether used in the base mixture for enamel or premelted
with oxides and then combined with fluxes, is a pre-dominant ingrediant.
Meaning that the properties of the metal (oxide) are blended with silica to
enhance the properties of the metal. To allow them to spread, stick, and
distribute evenly on whatever they are applied to.
The concentrations (by volume) of oxides and fluxes are greater than silica in
an enamel, where this is the opposite in a batch mix for glass.
Without the concentration of oxides in enamels, there would not be anything
special about them. They would just be glass powder or frit.
So, as I applied surfactant, I meant that the silica is used as an agent to
uniformly distribute the metal on the surface, enhance the properties of the
oxide, and allow a peacful mating of the enamel and whatever it is applied to.
This is how and why I view enamels as different from Art Glass (those forms of
silica that are dominant silica).
I would appreciate any feedback on this in the same tone as your post.
Lastly, I think that the most important thing you mentioned in your post was
the reletively new technologies and techniques that have developed with enamels
over the last 10-20 years. I also believe that this applies to many other
glass arts also, fusing, blowing, beads, flameworking, etc.
Due to this, many different artists and craftspeople from diverse fileds have
gotten involved with this mystery substance, glass. Since there is no cohesive
organization for all of this, I think that many have adapted their own
terminologies to try and explain to themselves and others what exactly the they
are doing in their studio's.
I know that in my experience and background, I have had problems portraying my
ideas, etc., to other glass people who work with different forms.
I hope that your post will now set a precedent in this group for free exchange
without attitude and bias.
Mary Hunt
use it on fused and slumped work. Done a very pieces of jewelry, ( not real
fond of jewelry work, best left to jewelers). My favorite is reverse paint
technique. Basically this work is done on crystal globes. Yes a very low
firing enamel is required. This I found from a ceramic company in NJ. They
bring it over from Europe. The firing matuation point is 900F.
The color is exquisite. The drawback of course is expense. A kilo has to
be purchased of each color. To me though it was worth the investment. ( If
I could remember the company name right off I would print it. I can't run
to the studio, it is still being unpacked. But should anyone desire the
company name e me and when I run into that box I'll get back to you.)+ I am
willing to share....
The primary enamels and stains for everyday use is from Reushe. Buying in
bulk won't hurt your purse using them. They have a very broad range of both
transparent and opaque. With a fairly flexible temperature range.
1100-1300f. What I use anyway.
Thinking that anyone wanting to enhance their work using these old methods
just isn't in the big picture. Training most definitly is involved,
extensive if you want to achieve outstanding results.
Mary Hunt
content and went to look up a name, then hit the wrong button and off it
went,but you get the gist of what I wanted to say. Of course my train of
thought is gone now.
>Mary
Karen Rathbun
my special interest though I have not had wide experience and so far
have behaved very cautiously. I've mostly used the cloisonne method of
drawing on the glass with gold lines and then adding color within the
shapes. I have been using "Onita's colors for glass", which I bought
from a mail order company in the LA area called Glassbenders --
(323)721-6977. They allow me to mature the enamels while I am bending
the window glass -- all in one step. Also they are more opaque than
Thompson's Enamels seem to be and they don't require any special medium
-- just mix with water. Unfortunately Onita is no longer
producing the enamels, and Glassbenders is now offering "ST Glass
Colors" which by their description sound very similar. I have not yet
tried them. So far I've only done some flat firing of pieces and have
made quite a few plates using the molds made by Glassbenders.
I want to experiment with firing chunks of glass on my pieces. Will
most "stained glass" fuse well with window glass (without stress
problems) or am I probably limited to fusing window glass with window
glass? (Or else using only, say, Bullseye glass with Bullseye glass?)
Is the stress risk reduced by having only quite small chunks of stained
glass fused to the larger sheet of window glass or does relative size
have no bearing on how the glass behaves? What about stringers -- would
there be a stress risk even with such tiny "strings" of glass?
I have a wonderfully inspiring book called "Creative Glass Techniques"
by Bettina Eberle. She uses interference paints (irridescent) and
"crystal ice" and "white satin matte paint" -- any good advice as to
where I can buy these things? (Her book does not suggest brands or
suppliers.)
Thanks for any pointers you can give!
Karen
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
billu
off you will get stresses and it will crack. You can test this by placing a
strip of your window glass in the kiln and pieces of the glass you want to
fuse to it on top. Fuse the strip then look at it with a stressomoter
(basically a light with a polarized filter the glass goes on top, then you
rotate another polarized filter on top of it). Cracks are clearly visible
to the naked eye, but the stress will show up as white lines around the
edges of the fused pieces. Be sure to use sizeable pieces (bout 1/2 inch
square) to check. I was using bullseye and blue adventurine and it worked
great until I decided I wanted a LOT of blue adventurine in there and it
cracked rather severely. The glasses *may* be compatable, but if you buy
from different manufacturers and different types of glass then odds are they
will not be compatable. Best option is use like with like. Be sure to test
for compatability unless you are using 'Tested compatable' glass.
Karen Rathbun wrote:
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Bert Weiss
Generally stained glass and window glass are not compatible. You will
have the best luck using the glass of one manufacturer. The exception
to that is 90 COE glass by different manufacturers that may be
compatible. Testing will tell you for sure. I haven't worked much with
bullseye stringers, but I suspect they will not work on window (float)
glass which is usually COE 86 or 87. The exception to this rule is
painting enamels which seem to fit on a broader range of substrates,
probably due to their composition and the thinness of the layer that is applied.
I believe you can get crystal ices and matting white from Standard
Ceramic Supply 412 /923-1655. There are probably some other suppliers.
These enamels require more than water to paint on with control. I have
always added a medium and binder to them, like water and gum arabic or
oil medium for painting , or acrylic water based painting medium. Have
fun with it!
Bert
Bert Weiss Glass Studio
http://www.customartglass.com
Painted Art Glass
Custom Productions
Architectural and Sculptural Cast Glass
Collaborative Art Glass
Lighting design
Karen Rathbun wrote:
Steve - RH Linux User
>
> I want to experiment with firing chunks of glass on my pieces. Will
> most "stained glass" fuse well with window glass (without stress
> problems) or am I probably limited to fusing window glass with window
> glass? (Or else using only, say, Bullseye glass with Bullseye glass?)
You're pretty much limited to glass from the same manufacturers,
however, Uroburos makes two lines. One is COE 90 to be compatible
with Bullseye and one is COE 96 to be compatible with Spectrum. Other
manufacturers also make glass advertised as either 90 or 96 COE.
Some are tested and some are formulated so the usual caveat applies:
Rely on your own testing rather than COE numbers.
> Is the stress risk reduced by having only quite small chunks of stained
> glass fused to the larger sheet of window glass or does relative size
> have no bearing on how the glass behaves? What about stringers -- would
> there be a stress risk even with such tiny "strings" of glass?
The smaller the cross-section of the additive, the less force it
applies to the substrate, or parent glass, so yes, the smaller the
additive section, the less stress there is.
I once fused several 2-3/4" x 1" ovals of different colors of
Spectrum between two pieces of float glass. All caused stress, but
only one of the colors caused a crack; a very minor one at that.
I'd bet that if those ovals were half the size they were, none would
have cracked... which isn't to say that I recommend fusing Spectrum
between float glass! Far from it! I'm merely relaying one of the
"outer limits" I've discovered.
I subsequently sandblasted that piece, and then pushed it off a
3 foot workbench onto a wood floor and it didn't break. Then it
went through two cross-country moves and a local move, and it's still
in one piece... which is all just to say that real-world "tests"
don't always agree with what the stress tests might indicate.
I've also fused Bullseye and no-name stringer between sheets of
Spectrum, and between sheets of float, and had no problems at all.
This also causes minor stresses, but IMO, stresses of the magnitude
caused by stringers are inconsequential.
--
Steve Ackman
Manager, New Age Forum http://www.delphi.com/newage
Glass Host, Arts & Crafts http://www.delphi.com/crafts
Metamorphosis Glassworks Page http://people.delphi.com/stackman
-- MSN uses Unix -- http://homepages.msn.com/hobbyct/stackman
Ali Casado
I have only been fusing/slumping for approx. 4 months, so pardon me for
my beginners questions. I just ordered some Fuse Masters transparent
powdered enamels. Not really knowing anything about enamels I had not
heard of any other manufacturer. You stated you use Cerdic. I'm
assuming it is a German Company. What makes their product better than
the other enamel manufacturers? How is it applied and do you place a
piece of glass over it when you fire it? I generally fuse at 1350 in my
large kiln. Can you fire the enamel twice, as to slump it after fusing?
Thanking you in advance
Ali Casado
ACa...@webtv.net
Bert Weiss
Cerdec is a German company. They own an American company that has been
manufacturing enamels for a long time called Drakenfeld, as well as the
German firm Deguza.
To the best of my knowledge Fusemaster is not an enamel manufacturer,
they are a reseller. I might guess that they are reselling European
enamels which are of high quality. I buy my colors by the pound or
kilo, and fusemaster's price is too high for me. For a small user they
are probably an excellent choice.
I mix my powdered enamels with a water soluble acrylic medium for kiln
fired glass, and paint them with brushes, sponges etc. There are really
no rules about what kind of brushes to use, most brushes will apply pant
to glass. You simply want a brush that will not shed bristles while you
are painting.
Enamels are designed to mature at a range of temperatures. Some colors
will remain stable through a much wider temperature range than others.
Generally enamels can be refired several times, if necessary. The
hotter you fire, the thinner the enamels will become in color intensity.
As with any glass firing technique, testing is required to get the look
you want.
Bert Weiss
Bert Weiss Glass Studio
http://www.customartglass.com
Painted Art Glass
Custom Productions
Architectural and Sculptural Cast Glass
Collaborative Art Glass
Lighting design
--
Mary Hunt
I use the gum and water method. Also use squeegee oil as a binder and thin
with mineral spirit. This I do when wanting a really glossy look. Not
recommended to matt the color or to do any removing of color for shading or
layering purposes. ( I haven't seen mention of this so I thought I would
remind about this tech. application)
Mary Hunt
>--