Turn an Ordinary Bottle into Something Extraordinary with Deco Art Glass Paint Markers

My last post was all about tips and techniques that I have learned in my glass painting journey using the Glass Paint Markers.  In this post I thought that I would show you a bottle starting at the beginning, or close to the beginning of the design process and give you some insight into the creativity process.  Are you with me as we take this from a boring dark colored bottle to a stunning piece of art?

• This is your basic dark colored beer bottle, Guinness to be exact, it has a plastic label which made it enticing since the prep work was very minimal. I removed the label with a sharp knife, washed it in the dishwasher and looked at it for a few days.  In my mind I am envisioning what design I think will enhance the features of the bottle.  This bottle seemed to call for an overlapping line pattern to form diamonds. The marker colors used was predetermined by the color of the bottle.  I have now completed enough dark colored bottles that I am beginning to get a feel for which colors work and which do not and how to add brighter colors if I decide I want them.  
• It was actually fairly easy to accomplish, I used 1/4" green masking tape to mask the lines after I sketched the general design in with my white Stabillo pencil and used the tape to help me draw in fairly straight lines with my white marker.  
• Next I drew the diamond shapes to fit in each area with my white or gold paint marker and colored them in.  I gave these two coats of paint, let each coat dry completely otherwise your paint will scratch off, and added dots to enhance the design. 
• It is difficult to describe what goes into the process of developing a design on a bottle except that I look at  the bottle for a period of time to see what calls to me.  This bottle seemed perfect for this design but am now at the stage where it needs to sit again for a while so I can determine what to add to the top and bottom portion of the bottle.  
• Often I will sketch a random idea on a bottle to see how I think it will work out and then rework the design until I find something that I am satisfied with although I have been known to just sit down and begin doodling randomly and just go with the process.  
• However you look at it it is a fun process and you are re-purposing the bottles.  
• I will keep you posted on the next stages of the bottle.  

Leave me feedback!  I'd love to hear your comments.