REVERSE PAINTED GLASS

Tony Carlson uses non-glare, single-strength glass painted with water based acrylic paints. The painting is made on the back-side of the glass, so the viewer is looking through the glass at the painting.  This back-side approach requires the paint to be applied in reverse order, i.e. from front to back.  First, the highlights and foreground details are painted, then the middle layers, and finally the background colors come last.  Since the glass surface is smooth, the paint goes on very thin which requires many coats and produces interesting layered glazing effects.  When the painting is finished, the back-side is sealed with marine varnish.