19/10/2012
There are several major types of traditional stained glass paints-
• Vinegar trace paint
This paint, which is dark and completely blocks out the light in the areas where it is applied, is most often used for figure or design lines. It is fairly thick and must be mixed with water, vinegar, and gum arabic to use.
• Matt paint
Matt paint, which uses a base of either water and gum arabic or water and vinegar, is easier to apply than vinegar trace paint. It can be applied thickly or thinly and can even be "blended" and stippled or worked with a second brush to give it an interesting texture.
• Silver stain
Silver stain, which is available in shades of red, yellow, and orange, gets its name from the presence of silver nitrate in the stain. After firing, it turns golden, not silver-colored. It is unlike paint in that it actually changes the color of the glass, rather than simply covering it up with a dark line or wash.
• Oil-based stained glass paints
The advantages of oil-based glass paints are that they come in more colors, are easier to work with, and are not effected by general atmospheric conditions. The major disadvantage of these paints are that they tend to be less consistent in application; although colors may be mixed like regular oil paints, they do not always mix easily or thoroughly and sometimes fire unevenly.