The perfect ‘how to’ guide to painting cut crystal and glass!
One of the main misconceptions about painting crystal and glass is that it’s dull and colourless due to its transparency; however look closer and you’ll see that it actually absorbs an array of colors from the surrounding environment, making crystal and glass anything but colourless!
Joyce takes what may seem a difficult and complex subject and breaks it down into simple and manageable steps using the dark-light value method. This involves mixing a colour for the darkest values of the subject and then from that mixing the next three lighter shades. The variety of shades allows you to capture the light bouncing through the lighter areas and how when distorted through glass and crystal the colours and tints can be affected.
Joyce paints a still life scene of cut crystal and colored glass and in doing so captures the real mood and atmosphere of glass without focusing on capturing the precise detail. She explains that the secret to successfully painting crystal and glass is to understand it. You need to find the direction of the glass, paint the shapes and think about the movement of the glass and the movement of the colour coming through the glass.
Let the splendor of light and vibrancy of color guide your hand as you paint breath taking crystal and glass paintings
A great place to start is our Inspiration for All page where you’ll find a host of free videos waiting for you – they’re a fantastic taster of the tutorials you’ll be able to watch part of your SAA membership.
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