The Custom And Restoration Painted Stained Glass Experts for Colorado Springs Church Windows

Scottish Stained Glass:  Colorado Springs’s Premiere Painted Stained Glass Artist

Painted stained glass is a very old art form that takes years of experience to master and perfect. Here at Scottish Stained glass we have, in fact, spent the last three decades honing our craft and are proud to call ourselves experts in the field.  Difficult as it may be, the process of painted stained glass is actually quite fascinating and something we absolutely love to do.   Whether you are looking for painted glass restoration or a custom creation from our studio, learning how we will make or restore your church’s stained glass could be of great interest to you and your congregation.  Continue reading to get a better understanding of the complex processes that will be involved in crafting your one-of-a-kind painted stained glass masterpiece.

The Beautiful Tradition Of Painted Stained On Churches

Painted stained glass is a lovely and unique way to add to the beauty of your Colorado Springs church chapel.   However, this seemingly simple craft is actually quite complex and even scientific.  This is because the colors you see on painted stained glass are actually achieved through the use of specific chemical interactions of different minerals and oils.  Our artists must accurately predict what colors will be brought forth after firing or layer them to achieve the exact hue.  This is done through trial and error combined with extensive knowledge of the chemical and firing process.  The painted stained glass methods are listed below.

Painted Stained Glass Method 1

The artist starts with colored glass and paints special black paint made of oils and minerals onto it.  This piece of glass is then fired in our kiln at 1250-1450 for a couple of hours until the paint melts into the glass.  The paint then becomes part of the glass and will never rub off or be removed.

Painted Stained Glass Method 2

The second method involves clear glass.  During this process, colors are painted on a clear piece of glass one at a time and fired in between layers of color to build up layers of shading or color. Any color that involves the use of yellow can be particularly difficult in this method as the chemical used for yellows color (silver staining) is very toxic and will destroy other colors.  For this reason, when trying to achieve the color green for instance, the toxic yellow must be painted on the opposite side of the glass as the blue paint in order to keep the yellow from damaging the blue paint.

Colorado Springs’s Premiere Painted Stained Glass Artists

At Scottish matching styles on restoration projects is always a challenge but one we love taking on.  There is no greater satisfaction that successful recreating the steps of a former stained glass artist to restore or enhance their work.  Often times it is a lot like detective work because it means figuring out what type of techniques the original artist used.  For instance, sometimes artists would paint the black paint on their glass and then use a stick to rub off part of the black paint to give the piece texture, or put in unique elements like blades of glass.  In order to pinpoint exactly what was done our artists sometimes do numerous iterations.  Here at Scottish Stained Glass, we are always up to the challenge of restoring your stained glass to its former look and luster.

Learn more about the history of stained glass here or watch the video below.

Contact us today to find out more about original or restoration painted stained glass for your Colorado