A few questions about acrylic paint?

Question

Does acrylic paint work well on silk? If not, are there any products or additives that might alleviate this? Does acrylic paint work well on glass? What if the piece is hung in a sunny window--will the paint bubble & peel?

Does acrylic paint work well (airbrushed) on silk? If not, are there any products or additives that might alleviate this? Does acrylic paint work well (regular brushed) on glass? What if the piece is hung in a sunny window--will the paint bubble & peel?

Answer 1

Look for fabric paint. There are several brands. Always read the can or tube for usage and applicable surface types.

Window painters use acrylic paint for temporary holiday ads, but it will scratch off over a short time. Testers makes a sturdy oil enamel that is great for smaller artwork (along borders or in the corners. An epoxy or some industrial oil based paint will work out better. Ask around the craft stores. Paint needs a semi-porous surface to grab onto.

There is a glass paint that may be fired in a kiln as well. Good luck

Answer 2

Artists from China and Japan have been painting on silk for five hundred years or so, way before silk was ever introduced to the rest of the world as a common fabric. So, acrylic will work just fine on silk, just as oil and ink have done so all these years.

Trust me on this:

Paint needs a porous surface to adhere to. Silk, linen and cotton duct are all natural fabrics that artists have used. If you want to paint on glass and don't want the paint peeling off or separating from the glass you will need to 'score' the glass surface. In other words, rough it up enough that the acrylic paint will have something to adhere to. The easiest way to do this is with common sandpaper. 100 grit paper to 150 grit paper will work best. Mask off with tape the areas you don't want to sand and then sand the rest of the glass. What the sanding does is scratch the surface, leaving tiny, grids of 'teeth' in the surface that the paint can stick to.

And make sure you wash off any of the fine power residue left from the sanding process.

Answer 3

There are products specifically made for painting on both of these surfaces. Wcrylic paint will work initially, but I wouldn't expect it to last long. If the silk is being worn as a garment or scarf, the paint will crack and peel. Acrylic on glass may peel, as you mentioned. It will also not be very opaque.

Look for fabric paint and/or glass paint. They are both similar to acrylic but will produce much better results.

Answer 4

Acrylic paint will stick to almost anything. There are proper printing techniques to be applied to silk but acrylic paint will stick to it. Also acrylic will stickl to glass and should not bubble or peal off. But let it dry before the sun comes out.