Stained Glass Painting – The Brushes you Need

Stained glass painting brushes

It all depends on the medium you’re using. For example:

  • Water, or
  • Oil

This is because genuine glass paint and silver stain come as powder.

Therefore you must mix the powder with a liquid before you can apply it with a brush.

Water is the classical medium. Water has many plus points. But it also has its limitations. Very serious limitations. For instance, water is difficult to shade with, and it’s nearly useless with silver stain …

That is why we encourage you also to become an expert with using oil.

You’ll see why in a moment …

For now,  here are two lists of brushes you must have.

There’s one list for working with water, and a second list for working with oil.

Checklist #1 – essential brushes for water-based glass painting

Water-based stained glass painting is where everybody starts.

You will need these brushes:

  1. A large hake
  2. A three-inch blender
  3. Four different sizes of short-haired sable tracing brushes
  4. Three different sizes of scrubs

If you’re wondering what a hake is and why you “must” have one, there’s much more right here on brushes for stained glass painting with water.

Checklist #2 – essential brushes for oil-based glass painting

Oil-based glass painting is where people should go as soon as they are comfortable with the basics of water-based glass painting (it is for everyone, not just for “professionals”).

You can mix oil with glass paint i.e. Reusche tracing black).

You can also mix it with silver stain.

To work with oil, you will need:

  1. A matting brush
  2. A pair of round-headed badger blenders
  3. Three different sizes of short-haired sable tracing brushes

Much more here on brushes for stained glass painting with oil.

Beyond the checklists

Next, find out what these brushes look like and why you need them. The two checklists list the essential brushes – the brushes you must have.

Now let’s tell you why.

This is interesting because it will show you how much you can learn when you choose to use the techniques we use at Williams & Byrne. A lot of this information is completely different from “received wisdom”. It is also very different from what a shop will tell you …The reason is, they don’t earn their living by designing and painting glass. We do. That’s the proof.

Let’s get going: why do you need these brushes?

Click here for more about the brushes you use with water, or click here for more about the brushes you use with oil.