Painted Glass Hummingbird Feeder

Folk Art Clear Medium # 4035
Folk Art clear acrylic spray #789
Loew-Cornell 7350 #4 filbert brush
Loew-Cornell 7350 #1 liner brush
Masterson's Sta-Wet Palette
dish detergent
rubbing alcohol
100% cotton rag, old T-shirt or Viva Job Squad paper towels
white graphite paper or Blue Chaco
tracing paper
pencil
brush basin
dust mask

Steps:
1. Wash the bottle (or any glass item that you're painting with the enamels) with detergent; rinse and dry thoroughly. Wipe with rubbing alcohol and let dry.

2. Mist very lightly with Folk Art clear acrylic spray in a well-ventilated area wearing a mask. Let dry.

3. Neatly trace and transfer your pattern with white graphite paper or Blue Chaco.

4. Using the #4 or very small filbert brush, paint a single stroke of Green Forest to form the little leaves. Let dry 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Apply a second coat to the leaves. Tip: When using enamel paints, I often will use many layers. This is optional. Some people like a more transparent look; others like opaque. In the case of the colored glass, I think it is necessary to apply several layers to the leaves in order to make them show up well.

6. Using the same brush, overstroke leaves with Fresh Foliage.

7. For stems and line work: Fill your #1 liner brush with Green Forest (thinned with Clear Medium). Add only a drop of water for further thinning.

8. Paint the stems and linework. Let dry. Paint again and let dry.

9. Highlight with Fresh Foliage. Let dry.

10. For dot flowers: Thin the Wicker White with Clear Medium. Add only a drop of water. Use your stylus, the handle of your paintbrush, or the point of your liner brush to paint the little five-dot flowers.

11. Add a tiny dot of Lemon Custard to each flower to create a soft yellow center.

12. To finish: Let the piece air-dry for 21 days. To speed up the drying, you can let the piece air-dry for one hour. Then place it in a cool oven set to 350 F degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the piece cool inside the oven.

13. After proper drying and curing, your piece is very durable and can be washed on the top shelf of the dishwasher or by hand.