Creating Dimension Course 1: Introduction to Enamel, with Paul Messink

In addition to our own video program, we have partnered with Paul Messink to bring his Creating Dimension series to you!  Course details are below. Want to purchase?  CLICK HERE to sign up directly with Paul Messink!

Introduction to Enamels is the first in the 4-course Creating Dimension video series that equips you to start painting with enamels on glass. After Introduction to Enamels, the remaining 3 courses take you in-depth into Paul Messink’s techniques to create beautiful, multi-layered thick panels that have incredible depth and dimension.

After covering some basic information on enamels and medium, Course 1 provides two mixing demos, information on color use and color reactions, a discussion about various tools that you’ll need, how to test for color reactions, and then ends with painting demos for 4 separate projects that can get you started.

Even if you’ve never picked up a paint brush before, any glass artist should find this course accessible. You’ll learn about brush work, but also how to use other tools such as stencils and sponges to ease you into working with enamel on glass. Over the years, Paul has taught hundreds of “non-painters” how to create successful multi-layered projects.

What is Included in This Course?

Course 1 contains a total of 3.5 hours of video instruction, plus an additional 4 hours of demos. To make 7.5 hours of video easy to watch, the course is divided into 12 chapters and a total of 20 different videos, so you can watch exactly what you need, at the time you need it. The videos never expire, so you can watch them over and over. Here is how the course is organized:

• Chapter 1 - Introduction to Course 1
• Chapter 2 - Materials Needed
• Chapter 3 - Enamel and Medium
• Chapter 4 - Enamel Mixing Demos
• Chapter 5 - Color Reactions
• Chapter 6 - Color Changes During a Project
• Chapter 7 - A Detailed Review of Tools
• Chapter 8 - Color Test Charts
• Chapter 9 - Color Test Chart Demo
• Chapter 10 - Color Test Chart Exercise
• Chapter 11 - Painting Demos (4)
• Chapter 12 - Wrap-up

Each of the demos have been recorded with multiple camera angles, so you can watch them from an overhead view as well as a side view. (With these close-up camera views, you’ll be closer to the action than you can get in a live course!)

Course 1 also comes with an extensive set of handouts, including over 70 pages of information that give you all the most important information in written form. In addition, two more separate handouts summarize all of the firing schedules, and the materials lists for each project and demo.

You’ll learn so many skills to help you along the way… everything from how to mix enamels to the right consistency, how to apply enamels using brushes and sponges, how to anticipate color changes as you work on your projects, and how to simplify your project using hand-cut stencils. The four hours of painting demos give you the chance to see these techniques on real-world projects. Paul Messink also reviews the tools that he recommends to help you succeed in these projects. 

Complete materials lists are provided.