Now more than ever, people are looking for art glass wine glasses with unique design. Art wine glasses usually refer to wine glasses that have been decorated by an artist – amateur or professional – in some way. The following are the most common types of decoration techniques used for such glasses, and can be applied to any type of glassware, including martini glass, plates, and vases.
1. Painting
Painting is a popular method of decoration for not only art wine glasses, but also for martini glass and other glassware. The best part about this method is that even non-experts and kids can easily approach a glass with artistic curiosity. Thus, the paint used to decorate art glass wine glasses ranges from easy-to-get glass paint obtained from local art supply stores to valuable natural luster and 24k gold paint made with unique formulas at professional glass art studios.
On the other hand, a disadvantage of this method is that without proper handling, the decorations on the art wine glasses could easily get off. This is why many professional studios fire their art glass wine glasses one more time before selling it to the public; this way, paint fuses with glass and the designs can stay longer.
2. Engraving
Engraving is basically like scratching off the surface of the art wine glasses. It is said to have started as far back as around the 16th century. At that time, tools such as diamond and hard metal were used. Later, kick-wheel spindle tools were used. Today, thanks to the development of modern technology, it is easier to find effective electronic cutting devices to engrave art glass wine glasses.
wine glass
3. Etching
In glass etching, an artist uses acidic, caustic, or abrasive substances to rid of parts of the surface of the glass. It is basically dissolving glass. This can create a ‘frosted’ look for the art wine glasses. Also, this method goes well with a martini glass, because the martini glass itself will look chill and frosted, just like the drink inside it.
This method is also fascinating because the artist can express everything purely with glass. The longer the abrasive material stays on the surface, the deeper the etching will be. To make sure that only the right areas are etched for beautiful art glass wine glasses, the undecorated area is protected using grease, varnish, wax, or tar. When the etching is done, the art glass wine glasses are washed with hot water to remove the residuals.
Today, etched martini glass or art wine glasses can be mass-produced by using a steel plate on which the artists can scribe the design and use multiple times.
wineglass2 