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I've just started to use some of these paints and received the screening medium yesterday. I opened it and read the Material Safety Data Sheet and was a bit concerned about using this stuff. It's 65/241 Screening Medium. I wondered if anyone else uses this stuff and what your experiences were OR if there are any safer mediums to use with the powdered paints. I'm using the bendable bending colors.

Thanks,
~Nancy

Hi Nancy:

I don't like oil based products and avoid them if possible. For screening, I use Thompson A-13 a waterbased acrylic medium. It is very similar to squeegee oil. If I'm airbrushing with any paint mixture, I use Klyr Fire..another water based medium. The one thing to know, if you're silkscreening, is the film type has to be matched with the medium you plan to use. There are films that are made for oil based products and films for water based products.

Avery

Thanks Avery. I won't be silkscreening. What I want to do is to use the paint just the way I would when I paint with oil paint or watercolor on canvas or paper, only do it on glass. I'll also be building up the 'painting' with frit and stringer but want to use the Reusche for the underpainting or bottom layer and for details. I need it to be fluid like paint would be so I can use paint brushes to apply it. Is this possible? I'll only be tack fusing so I keep the texture of the frit and stringer. I've found it difficult to find information on using the products.


Thanks!
~Nancy

Hi Nancy:

You can use the A-13 to mix with your paints/enamels, and add a bit of gum arabic. I usually sandblast a tooth in the glass if I'm going to paint, and I normally use Paradise Paints. They are dense opaque paints. You can purchase them already mixed in pine oil, or in the dry form and then mix with your own medium. They are lead based.

Ferro makes some wonderful enamels that are also opaque (Sunshine enamels) or some that are transparent like watercolors. Lots of options out there for both enamels and mediums to work with. I think Reusche also makes a water based medium, but Bert Weiss could advise you better than I on this because I don't use Reusche products any longer.

Good luck,
Avery

I tend to agree with Avery that some of the china paints are a better choice for a painterly application. The Reusches are good for tracery on colored glass and some enameling using a sticklighting technique, but my experience is that they're rather blotchy applied any other way. I have good luck using the black and bistre brown with glycerin for a pen and ink technique. And the blasted glass for a bit of tooth will allow you to blend colors much as a china painter would on a porcelain body.... feels pretty much the same through the brush. Be careful with the silkscreening oil from Reusche.... does it smell like pine? Use with extremely good ventilation! It's nasty stuff.