Reverse glass painting has been part of my artistic practice for around 15 years. I keep returning to it for its brilliant colours, glossy surface and extraordinary depth – but also because the entire painting process turns the usual order on its head.
An eye begins not with its shape or colour, but with the tiny highlight that will eventually sparkle on the iris. The colours, shadows and textures underneath are added later.
The image develops from front to back. I begin with the smallest, most precise details; then, layer by layer, the shapes grow larger, looser and more abstract. The final step may be one large, solid field of colour.
Where the Brilliance Comes From
Every layer needs to dry thoroughly before I can continue. If the paint is still wet, it may slide across the smooth glass or blend with colours that need to remain separate. This makes a hairdryer an indispensable part of the process.
Bright highlights often need two or three coats before they are fully opaque. Between layers, I hold the glass up to the light to check for tiny gaps and decide whether more paint is needed.
I also turn the work over again and again as it develops. Looking at the painted side gives only a limited idea of the final result. It is only from the front that I can see how the colours, shapes and layers really work together.
And every time I turn it around, there is a little moment of surprise.
An Old Technique, Reimagined
Reverse glass painting has a long history in Europe and is particularly associated with folk art, including religious images made for people’s homes.
I first learnt the technique from a Czech artist around 15 years ago. We used gouache at the time, but today I prefer acrylic paint because it dries water-resistant.
My favourite brand of acrylic colours is slightly translucent, so some areas need several coats. Yet that transparency is also part of what makes the technique so exciting: it adds depth and allows one layer to interact with the next.
Seen through the smooth glass, the colours appear exceptionally clear, rich and glossy. There is no visible brush texture on the surface – just the brilliance of the pure colours behind the glass. The effect is quite different from a painting on canvas or paper.
Transparency also opens up a world of creative possibilities. Parts of the glass can remain unpainted, revealing patterned paper, vintage wallpaper or a mirror behind them. Several painted panes can be layered to create even more depth.
My first reverse glass paintings were mainly portraits. I loved working on both sides of the glass and exploring the unusual spatial effects this could create.
But portraits are only the beginning. The technique works just as beautifully for landscapes, still lifes and abstract pieces. Paint can be scratched into, combined with metal leaf or layered with reflective materials. It is this endless interplay of colour, transparency and depth that has kept me fascinated for so many years.
No Room for Cover-Ups
Reverse glass painting requires a certain amount of planning ahead. Whatever is painted first will appear at the very front of the finished image – and cannot simply be covered up later.
Small corrections are possible, but they take patience. The paint has to be carefully scraped away from exactly the right spot.
One of my earliest workshops showed me just how unfamiliar this way of working can feel, even to an experienced painter. My mother, who paints herself and usually works very quickly, chose a stiff bristle brush for the final coat. Unfortunately, the bristles lifted some of the dried paint from the glass and damaged parts of her image.
Ever since, she has listened rather more closely at crucial points in my workshops – or asked again, just to be sure.
From Cairo to Paris
One of my more recent reverse glass paintings was created on a sheet of acrylic glass. It captures a memory of Egypt: a glass of deep-red hibiscus tea on a crowded table, surrounded by plates, cutlery and sugar sachets on a turquoise tablecloth.
Painting all those reflections, subtle colour shifts and contrasting textures was a wonderful challenge.
I finished the back with several layers of white paint, creating a surface I could write on. The work had been made for an exhibition project at a French gallery – and the artwork itself was meant to travel through the post.
So I wrote the gallery’s address directly onto the acrylic glass, added the stamps and sent it to Paris without an envelope. Its journey became part of the artwork – although I followed it with a fair amount of suspense, wondering whether it would arrive in one piece.
It did! The work arrived safely, was exhibited in Paris that summer and later became part of the gallery’s collection.
Experience the Magic for Yourself
If this unusual way of painting has sparked your curiosity, you can explore reverse glass painting in one of my workshops. In a relaxed atmosphere, I guide you step by step through the process – from the first tiny details to all the little decisions that transform separate layers of colour into a brilliant finished image.
And the final reveal is guaranteed to have a wow effect.
