An example of painted glass.
Reverse-painted lampshades were developed in the early 20th century. On reverse-painted lampshades, artistic scenes are hand-painted on the inside of a translucent glass lampshade. The painted images are viewed when illuminated by the lamp. Reverse-painted lampshades were originally made for wealthy clients. Today, anyone can make a reverse-painted lampshade with a few craft supplies and some painting skills.
Instructions
Painting a Reverse-Painted Lampshade
1. Wash your clear-glass lampshade inside and outside with mild soap and water. Thoroughly dry the lampshade with a soft dish towel.
2. Set your dropcloth or newspapers on a clean table surface. Place your glass lampshade upside down on the dropcloth or newspapers.
3. Fill your paint palette wells with your glass paints in dots about the size of a nickel. Glass paint is not thick, so be careful to not overfill your paint wells, which will cause your paints to run together.
4. Wet your paintbrush slightly with water and dip the tip of it into your paint color of choice.
5. Apply the paint to the inside of the lampshade with short, even strokes. Keep in mind that you are painting upside down. Your images will need to be painted upside down in order to appear properly when the lampshade is placed on the lamp. Letters, symbols, and images need to be painted as the mirror image to how they normally read, in order to be viewed correctly when the lampshade is turned over. Details or accents that would ordinarily be painted first, such as the background, should be painted last.
6. Wash the brush and dab it dry on the dish towel before using a different paint color. You also can use a different paintbrush for each color.
7. Continue to use the paints to cover the inside of your lampshade with your desired pattern or scene.
8. Place your glass lampshade in your oven and bake it at the time and temperature listed by the manufacturer of your glass paint. With your oven mitts protecting your hands, remove the lampshade from the oven. Let it cool for an hour and place it on your lamp for a unique, decorative look.
