During the time of the recent pandemic, glass painting, a style of artwork that dates back to the 18th century, found a resurgence in popularity. We have been asked about the best paints for glass, so here in this article is a list of the 15 best acrylic paints for glass for our reader’s enjoyment.
The style of artwork we mentioned is glass painting as a form of stained-glass painting that dates back to the 18th century. Stained-glass artworks are created by assembling pieces of glass to embody and depict a classic style.
We sat down with our painting experts and professional artist friends to discuss what is the best acrylic paints for glass.
15 Best Acrylic Paints for Glass: Our Choices
# 1 Nicpro Complete Acrylic Paint Set
In the world of arts and crafts, NicPro is a well-known company. The 24 colors are pigmented and opaque. You can use them alone or blend them with water to get better coverage. Their power remains constant regardless of how they are used.
Without needing to strip off the underlying color, you can mix and stretch the painting to cover dark and light colors. They perform well on various surfaces, including paper, cardboard, canvas, and wood, as it is the perfect acrylic paint range for both beginners and artists. The consistency of the colors is what you won’t see in most regular acrylic paint packages. This would be an excellent investment.
Pros
- Reupdated company
- 24 colors
- Better coverage area
- Best value for money
Cons
- Low durability
#2 Camlin Acrylic Paint Set
Place your confidence in this Camlin paint package if you’re a budding artist looking for some simple shades for your palette. The twelve colors in this package contain your favorite blue, green, and yellow shades. The colors are incredibly water-soluble, have a high pigment content, and are non-toxic.
They have a shiny finish, much like any other delicate acrylic color, and the gloss lasts a long time. You can bear and use them on the go since they are travel-friendly. Create stunning landscape and nature paintings on canvas, wood, and earthenware. Or go for every other surface.
It’s not easy to find the right acrylic colors. Thanks to companies like Camlin. Their tried-and-true colors help us save time and effort. They’re an excellent value for money and make a great surprise gift for your artist friend or kid!
Pros
- Non-toxic
- Water-soluble
- Travel-friendly
- High pigment content
Cons
- The variety of colors could have been more.
#3 Pidilite Fevicryl Rich Pigment Acrylic Paint Set
This acrylic jar kit from Pidilite is perfect for the super-fun artist. They don’t leave any nook or cranny of the house unexplored. In a travel-friendly package, 10 15 mL jars are carefully packed.
All the primary solid hues in the package are non-toxic and pigment-rich. They are also immune to being washed. The most significant benefit is the variety of usage. It can be used on glass, wood, terra cotta, canvas, brass, fabric, and other metal surfaces!
This acrylic paint collection contains all the necessary components. This makes it the perfect acrylic paint set. It’s a must-have in your painting kit as it is versatile painting surface choices and standard colors. It is one of the finest acrylic paints among beginners.
Pros
- Travel-friendly
- Highly durable
- Variety of usage
- Good for beginners
Cons
- Quite expensive
#4 Mont Marte Acrylic Paint Set
Young artists and talented painters have been enchanted by Mont Marte’s colors. Before we get into the functions, you should know that the color tubes themselves are a visual feast! Their signature color tubes contain 24 bright colors. And they are ideal for large canvas paintings. The colors have a creamy feel as well as provide good coverage.
They can be used on paper, cardboard, fabrics, leather, or wooden pen holders, among other surfaces. When the paintings have been retouched, they will have a semi-matte finish. Mont Marte is one of the finest acrylic paint brands. You should trust it to deliver creative excellence. It’s also a great gift idea for an artist friend.
Pros
- 24 bright colors
- Ideal for large canvas paintings
- Semi-matte finish
- Great gift
Cons
- Low durability
#5 Camlin Kokuyo Fabrica Acrylic Color Set
This Camlin collection is a fine acrylic paint choice for beginners. Suppose you’re a hobbyist artist who enjoys decorating your home with paintings. Camlin Ultra is a set of ten bold and simple shades that have excellent coverage.
The small jars are all wrapped in a cardboard tube, thus making it very easy to transport. You can use them on glass, earthenware, pans, fabrics, and wood surfaces, among other things!
Bring this color kit home if you want to improve your art skills without burning a hole in your wallet or getting overwhelmed by the complexity of hues. The durability of the package and colors is excellent.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Variety of colors
- High durability
- Big size colors
Cons
- Some colors have low pigment.
#6 Faber-Castell Acrylic Paint Set
Faber Castell is a well-known brand when it comes to colors. This company has made a name for itself in everything from crayons to watercolors. This 24-color tube kit is the perfect acrylic paint for beginners at any time.
You get great coverage for your home paintings, as well as a high pigment concentration. These acrylic paints won’t let you down if you’re looking for various textures and results. They’re soluble and don’t lose their shape after being mixed.
Superior adhesion is ensured by the use of high-quality acrylic resin in the manufacturing process. When the paintings are done, sit back and watch as they are coated with a shiny, opaque finish.
Get this acrylic paint kit to give your inner artist an artistic lift. This is the best acrylic paint kit for students for using dry cleaning, wiping, or impasto painting techniques. And to perform your beginner’s lessons with.
Pros
- 24-color tube kit
- Variety of textures
- high pigment concentration
- high-quality acrylic resin
Cons
- Not recommended for experts
#7 Arteza Non-Toxic Acrylic Paint Set
If you’re an artist that likes to play with colors a lot, it’s a brilliant idea to invest in good acrylic paint once. For your big paintworks, the 50 ml jars in 16 vivid shades have both quantity and consistency.
These colors may be used as dense bases alone or in combination with other solvents. Such as water to achieve the perfect result. They cover the area well and can be used on various surfaces, including paper, wood, plastic, glass, canvas, ceramics, and other fabrics.
The colors might look unattractive. But you will still enjoy giving your white tees, brown bowls, and plain ceramics at home a fresh look. There will never be enough paint or funds to purchase more acrylic colors. Take this paint kit home and join the DIY craze.
Pros
- Large Quantity
- Quality products
- Variety of use
- High durability
Cons
- Unattractive design
#8 Pouring Acrylic Color Paint Set
Suppose you’re searching for the best acrylic paint in India on the internet. You have one great pick right here. This paint kit includes everything you’ll need, including colors, brushes, and a palette!
These 12 shades are created using a mix of organic and inorganic pigments to create vibrant, dense colors. They flow and glide smoothly. So, they’re just perfect for mixing. The paint has an advanced adhesive formula that guarantees durability, consistency, and lightfastness.
These paints are non-toxic and suitable for use with infants. These water-soluble colors are ideal for creating a watercolor impression. They fit well with a variety of brushes, including Nylon, Bristol, and Synthetic.
This is the perfect acrylic color for both beginners and professionals. You have all of the painting supplies at your disposal as you combine the brushes and palette. It’s also an excellent starter kit for your child’s creative endeavors.
Pros
- 12 quality shades
- Organic colors
- Non-toxic
- Children friendly
Cons
- Not for experts
#9 Daler Rowney Simply Acrylic Paint Set
This 12-piece acrylic paint kit will help you pass your art exams with flying colors. The colors are ground and have a consistent consistency. The high pigment concentration in them adds a touch of elegance to your work.
Spread the artwork over any flat surface, such as canvas, parchment, or fiberboard. They both provide the same effects. If you use the colors for a dense texture. Or blend them with water for a thinner consistency; the content does not suffer.
The colors are light and airy. If you have an error and need to clean away a portion of the color, use hot water and soap. This kit is a decent acrylic paint collection for students and beginner artists. Because it has a wide variety of color choices, it has high-quality paint and versatile painting solutions. It’s an excellent present for your artist friend’s birthday kit because of the style and color palette.
Pros
- Light and airy colors
- Best gift For Friends
- Low durability
- Quality 12-piece acrylic paint
Cons
- Not for beginners
#10 Mont Marte Fluro Acrylic Paint Set
The imagination of an infant is more colorful and vivid than that of an adult. As a result, it requires sufficient means to convey vibrancy on paper. For children and young students, the Mont Marte collection is a blast of color and pleasure.
The collection of 12 fluorescent colors Pens is ideal for creating vibrant drawings, greeting cards, and crafts. They even have a glow-in-the-dark feature! Isn’t it amazing? Yellow, green, brown, red, magenta, pink, blue, and purple are the primary colors.
Colors with a high pigment content add consistency. Furthermore, the neon colors develop their luster after drying. Find the right acrylic paint for beginners and enjoy painting with your friends at college. This acrylic paint package is a must-have in your child’s painting kit because of its glow-in-the-dark functionality and outstanding color consistency.
Pros
- Child friendly
- Eight fluorescent colors
- Glow-in-the-dark functionality
- High pigment
Cons
- Not for adults
#11 Sennelier Artist Acrylics Set
This acrylic collection includes ten tubes of 21 millimeters each, with vibrant colors that pop when dry and a soft feel. The pigment load in the Sennelier Abstract Acrylics Set is of high quality, maintaining its stability, opacity, purity, and clarity over time.
These acrylic paints are smooth on canvas paper. And they have a light consistency that makes them easy to blend. Acrylic paints offer a film that is both water-resistant and permanent. And as well as non-cracking and non-yellowing. Because of these characteristics, it’s an excellent option for blending, combining shades, and glazing.
Pros
- 21 millimeters tubes
- Paints are smooth
- Water-resistant
- Permanent color
Cons
- Low durability
#12 Chroma Atelier Interactive Acrylics
Interactive Chroma Atelier Acrylics are suitable for artists. Who has worked with watercolors before? And who wants to turn to acrylics? But they cannot provide a complete experience of acrylic painting. The acrylics behave more like watercolors than acrylics. Yet with a velvet satin finish, they produce almost identical effects.
Acrylics don’t create skin on canvas or paper. You can dampen the painting and control the spread again with water. This acrylic paint takes a long time to cure, which is an asset. It allows you to blend without feeling rushed. If you do a lot of blending but no glazing.
Pros
- Blending capabilities
- High durability
- All-rounder colors
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- Not for beginners
#13 U.S Art Supply Acrylic Colors
Any list of the best acrylic paints for professionals must include this item. As a dependable acrylic paint for the past 50 years, U.S Art Supply has become a well-known company in the art world. For making the best professional gears.
You can purchase the colors or a package of 65 in 2, 5, and 16 oz tube sizes. You can buy the big sizes in appropriate colors. But you can save money by buying the tiny 2 oz sizes for colors that are rarely used.
Acrylic Paints by U.S Art Supply are vivid and high-quality. With a high pigment content and the perfect saturation level, each painting is an artist-grade color. They mix and have varying lightfastness and excellent consistency. The cost of high-performance acrylic paint brands is high. But the consistency is worth it.
Pros
- High-quality Paints
- High pigment
- Perfect saturation level
- Excellent consistency
Cons
- Low durability
#14 Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint Set
The Liquitex Basics series is the perfect acrylic paint for beginners. It’s an artist-quality kit of 48 tubes, each weighing 22ml. The innovative package style is outstanding, so it can stay straight with the paint coming out of the bottle’s bottom.
The acrylic paints can be used on any porous surface. And they are ideal for both amateur and experienced artists because they are UV tolerant and do not turn yellow over time.
As opposed to the rigid body acrylic paints from the same manufacturer. Such as the Liquitex Professional grade, the Basic body paint is thin. They also have good pigmentation. They are easy to wash with water and soap, are odorless, and have good coverage. These acrylic paints can also be used like watercolors, which is an added benefit.
Pros
- Perfect acrylic paint for beginners
- Easy to wash
- Clever package style
- UV tolerant
Cons
- Low Durability
- Pricey
#15 Crafts 4 All Acrylic Paint Set
This acrylic paint kit is ideal for beginners. Because it has a wide range of vivid colors that can be used to make various paintings, Crafts 4 ALL Acrylic Paint Set comes with a wide variety of color options. They include 24 unique paint shades. They make it a one-stop shop for experienced and amateur painters alike. The vivid colors have a high pigment content. That can please your professors, judges, or colleagues.
Each acrylic paint in the set has a buttery consistency and viscosity and a fast dry time. Crafts 4 All acrylic paint is suitable for a multitude of textures. Including rubber, cardboard, glass materials, card decorating, art foam, and paper. Unlike most acrylic paint labels. The acrylic paint kit collection includes three paintbrushes as bonus items.
Pros
- Wide range of vivid colors
- 24 unique paint shades
- High pigment content
- Multitude textures
Cons
- Low durability
15 Best Acrylic Paints for Glass: Some Things to Consider
If you’re going to paint glass with acrylic paint, make sure you use the correct color for the job. You’ll need to choose between washable and permanent acrylic paint. Many people use acrylic paint on glass. Do it to make a permanent work of art, which means they want it to last as long as possible.
There are several different varieties. It can yield different finishes, are the best for long-lasting results. The Enamel paints take longer to dry than water-based paints. They provide a much more durable finish when choosing the right acrylic paint for your project. There is a range of considerations to remember.
Quality
There are two types of quality grades: artist quality and student standard. Professional paints for artists come in a wide variety of shades. They have a high permanence level and a high finely ground pigment concentration. The student-grade paint has a limited color palette. And also, low pigment levels and color quality can be compromised due to the fillers that come with it.
Student-grade acrylic paint sets will work well for a novice or anyone on a budget. But in case you start making artwork you want to sell or maintain for a long time, you can switch to professional-grade acrylic. Another way to save money is to buy student-grade acrylic paint for the earth colors. Which are almost as sweet, and then splurge on the vibrant colors. Other artists paint under the students’ colors. And on top of the artists’ consistency, saving money while achieving excellent results.
Colors
When it comes to artist-grade colors, certain shades are more costly than others. But they are also less expensive than oil paints. The price is higher since certain pigments, such as those made from cadmium. They are difficult to come by, causing the price to skyrocket up to three times as much.
At the same time, the cheapest shades are more earth tones. Brands have artists’ quality colors at a lower cost by substituting synthetic pigments. And they can be identified on a label by searching for the word hue written after the pigment name.
According to certain artists, the hue shades have a lower color strength and permanence. But they work perfectly. Specialty colors, such as fluorescent or iridescent paints, are another alternative. They’re made up of pigments that can be used alone or combined with normal paint to produce luminous results.
Permanence Ratings
The balance of aging properties and lightfastness determine the paint’s permanence. Furthermore, it can be used to measure the pigment’s permanency, aging aspect, and lightfastness. Permanence scores differ depending on the hue. However, before you buy, make sure to search the manufacturer’s website for individual color permanency. The Winsor Newton scale is an example of a scale that any maker uses.
As compared to watercolors or oils, most high-quality acrylics have high permeance ratings. Excellent permeance or lightfastness rating is critical for skilled artists. But this aspect may be overlooked by casual artists.
Viscosity/ Consistency
Acrylic paint’s viscosity refers to its texture or consistency. The dense, buttery consistency of the heavy-body acrylic paint preserves brushstrokes and allows for fast blending and color mixing. The heavy-body acrylics, in particular, have a quality that is close to that of oil paint.
Fluid acrylics have a thinner density while also retaining the same pigment concentration. Making them ideal for dry brushing, watercolor techniques, staining, and detail work. To reach an in-between continuity, you should combine acrylic mediums with standard color.
The sting paint and your personal preference decide the kind of consistency you use. Heavy-body acrylics are ideal for beginners because they can be thinned with water or light-body acrylic.
Drying Time
Most artists choose quality acrylics since they cure quickly. If the quality of acrylic paint dries on the brush, it may be inconvenient. Acrylic paints can become a pain to work with while trying to produce blending results on a canvas because they dry easily and need a color that remains wet for longer to get the ideal blends.
Using a retarding medium or immersive acrylics. Which are modern-grade acrylic paints with a retardant that delays drying speed. You may prolong the drying time while preserving the permanence and flexibility of acrylics. Individuals looking to imitate oil paints using acrylic-grade paints would love interactive acrylics.
Transparency
The paint’s purity, or opacity, is crucial. This is because the lighter and darker the paint is, the more solid it is. Your tastes would determine your preference for a more solid paint or a transparent color. It all depends on what you intend to do with your style. Transparent colors allow light to pass through while opaque colors block out the light.
Lightfastness
The term “lightfastness” refers to a pigment’s ability to remain stable when exposed to sunlight. A lightfast color can prevent drying and the harmful effects of UV rays from the sun. The term “fugitive paint” refers to colors that are not lightfast and fade with time.
Painting on Glass with Acrylics Tutorial
There are a variety of approaches you can use for applying acrylic paint on glass. You may paint freehand or use a stencil to create a pattern. To make your imagination into fantastic artwork, all you need are some paints and sponges. For your first glass painting, we’ve included some instructions and tips below.
Step 1: Choose the Right Paintbrush
You may get the finest acrylic paint on the market, but it’ll be worthless if you don’t have the right paintbrush. When painting on glass with acrylics, you have a variety of brush types to pick from. Everyone has their distinct painting style. We’ve mentioned a few helpful paintbrush hints below:
Brushes with synthetic bristles are not recommended since there is a possibility of leaving brush marks in the paint. If you’re going for a more rustic style, though, this might work in your favor. Synthetic brushes are ideal for working on smaller, more complex projects.
Natural bristle brushes provide a more uniform and seamless finish. This is a perfect choice for base coats and paint blocks with a lot of colors. Sponge art is common with some artists because it allows them to produce a unique textured glass effect. This look is uniformly coated and has a frosty appearance.
It’s also crucial to choose the correct paintbrush scale. The brush’s scale and shape will decide the results you can achieve and the level of detail you can achieve. Apply base coats with a flat, large brush and more delicate detailing with a smaller, pointier brush.
Step 2: Preparing the Glass
Are you curious about how acrylic paint adheres to glass? To begin, the glass surface must be prepared. Since glass is so transparent, it would need a suitable surface for the paint to cling to. Be sure the bottle is free of fingerprints. To get rid of all the dirt, wash the surface with warm soapy water.
Allow for drying time before cleaning any smudges with a paper towel and rubbing alcohol. When the glass is completely dry, put on latex gloves to avoid leaving any traces or fingerprints. Wipe the whole glass surface very well with rubbing alcohol or vinegar and allow it to air dry.
Tape off the rim of the drinking glass that you would drink from while you are painting it. It is possible that using paint on places where you drink will allow the paint to chip away more quickly. If there are some other areas you don’t want to be sprayed, tape them over. Then, using a large brush, apply a base coat to the whole bottle.
For glass surfaces that you want to achieve an opaque appearance, a gesso may be used as a base coat. If you’re just going to apply some design flourishes to the glass surface and won’t be painting it entirely, skip this phase.
Step 3: Painting Glass with Acrylic Paint
The glass has been thoroughly washed, primed, and is now ready to be painted. Now you can start putting your design into action. It’s a smart idea to sketch out the concept first on paper. For better precision, this can be traced into the bottle. Be sure the colors you’ll be using are ready to use, blended, and ready to use.
Through a pen, outline the pattern onto the glass surface. As long as the glass is transparent and without a base coat, this can be achieved by placing the stencil on the inside of the glass. Liners are often applied using this method. Don’t sweat it if the marker lines aren’t flawless. When the paint has dried, any unnecessary lines can be quickly wiped away.
Start with a single color. Use light strokes and paint towards you from the furthest away point of the glass.
Make sure that your brush is thoroughly cleaned before switching colors. Paint thinner may be needed when using enamel paints.
Then switch to the next color and continue painting. Try not to blend any colors by mistake.
If you are concerned about mixing wet colors, you should wait for each color to dry before adding the next. This will allow you to get nice clean color blocks. The paints should take about an hour to dry.
Cotton buds covered in acetone or rubbing alcohol should be used to erase any errors. This fits well for removing minor details errors and can quickly rub off some mistakes. A second coat may be applied for lighter, more vivid colors. Acrylic paints will also look brighter after drying, so a second coat will help bring out the actual color. Only make sure to have the same hue.
Step 4: Drying the Paint
Similar colors take different amounts of time to dry. Acrylic paint on glass usually takes an hour to dry. The drying process for certain enamel paints will take up to a week until they are completely cured. The glass should be left out in a humid, sunny environment to dry out the color completely.
When acrylic paint dries, will it cling to glass? Yes, but baking or sealing will help to improve this. Applying a sealant gives further protection, and baking the glass artwork has various advantages.
Step 5: Maintaining the Acrylic Paint on Glass
Enamel-based acrylic paints are durable and glass painted with them. But they need careful attention to ensure a long life. You’d like to make a dishwasher-safe bottle in an ideal world, but it varies based on the paints you choose.
Paint-coated lenses can never be soaked or scrubbed. Often, avoid using abrasive chemicals on them. Be sure to read the cleaning instructions given by the retailer first. To stop deep washing, wash and dust the glass often. Cleaning the bottle is as easy as rubbing it off with a wet rag. The polish would not last as well if the glass is cleaned and used often, even if it is exposed to a lot of sunshine.
15 Best Acrylic Paints for Glass FAQs
What Is the Most Significant Difference Between Student Grade and Artist Grade Paints?
Artist-grade paints have more color, and more remarkable archival properties. They also have a more stable mix and a better acrylic polymer emulsion. If you choose to do acrylic painting as a hobby or decoration, student paints are perfect.
But, if you’re acrylic painting a commercial product, you’ll want to use artist-quality colors because they’ll yield more vivid effects. Furthermore, artist-grade acrylic paints are simple to coat and mix, and with careful care, can last a lifetime.
What’s the Best Acrylic Paint for Beginners?
The Liquitex Basics Acrylic Set is the perfect acrylic paint for beginners.
What Does Acrylic Paint Work Best On?
According to Winsor Newton, an art supplies and acrylic paint manufacturer, the fundamental law is to resist any surface that is too shiny or greasy. Furthermore, textures with so much grain should be avoided by any painter because they will rip the brushes.
Canvas is the most used surface for acrylic painting. Since it provides professional-looking effects, acrylic paint is not only widely available and inexpensive but it can also be used on a variety of surfaces such as hardwood walls, acrylic paper, impermanent objects, mirrors, silk, and watercolor paper. And boards are examples of possible surfaces.
What Is Acrylic Paint Best for Canvas?
Acrylic paint with a thick heavy body works best on canvas because it requires less paint to reach an opaque layer. In contrast, thin acrylic paints need a lot more paint to achieve an opaque layer. And it can also drip downwards if you’re painting on an easel.
Can Acrylic Paint Be Used as Body Paint?
It’s safest not to use acrylics as body paint because of certain acrylic paints. Including those branded as non-toxic containing toxic additives. Since human skin is resilient and acrylic paints are not, the color keeps cracking, and you have to redo it.
What Kind of Glass is best for Acrylic Painting?
While each glass piece would have a different coefficient of expansion, there are no separate divisions for different glass types (COE). When the glass is cooled or heated, which is the rate at which it expands and contracts. This is something to keep in mind when baking your glass piece.
Thick glass is much more durable than thin glass, despite the latter’s greater flexibility. Dinnerware glass, for example: is an excellent alternative for acrylic painting because its thinness allows for greater COE versatility.
Thicker glass, such as that used in bakeware, is less durable and can crack during expansion. It’s worth noting that, whereas thinner glass is more durable, it’s often more vulnerable to temperature variations.
How to Oven-Bake Acrylic Paint on Glass
Before you cook, go through all your acrylic paint packages and see whether there are some guidelines about baking them, including the temperature needed for the best performance.
Place your painted glass in a cold oven.
To avoid breaking due to temperature variations, the glass must heat and cool in lockstep with the oven. In the oven, put the glass on top of a sheet of parchment paper.
Bake your glass piece.
Preheat the oven to 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and let the glass warm up gently in tandem with the oven. Bake the glass for 30 minutes until it has reached this temperature.
Let the glass cool in the oven.
Switch off the heat after 30 minutes and allow the glass to cool until the oven is fully cold again. For at least another 45 minutes, or once the door has cooled, do not unlock it or remove the bottle.
Time limit
For the next 72 hours, you are unable to use your glass piece. This is true with parts that can be used for food or alcohol since they must cure correctly before being food healthy.
How do you seal Acrylic Paint on Glass?
Applying an acrylic sealant as a top coat can effectively seal acrylic paint on your bottle. This can be used with a spray gun or a brush, and it will leave a smooth finish that will protect the paint from chipping and fading.
15 Best Acrylic Paints for Glass Wrap Up
Several large and small companies cater to the needs of artists. I’ve compiled a list of the best acrylic paints in quality, quantity, and price. Continue to add more colors to the palette by tapping into the artistic force. More color, vibrancy, and joy are needed in the world than monochromes. So, take up the brush, mix your favorite color, and start creating masterpieces!