The Chemistry of Art > 1. Pigments in Painting > Colour Can Be Obtained >
Colour can be obtained through pigments spread on a surface layer (e.g. paints) or mixed with the bulk of material (e.g. glass colours)
- Metal oxide pigments were used for painting were also used to colour glass
Method 1: Powdered Oxides
- Oxides are finely powdered and are added to glass mixture before melting
- Examples:
- Cobalt oxide = Blue
- Manganese oxide = Purple
- Iron oxide = Green or bright yellow
- Copper (II) oxide = Red
Method 2: Staining
- Glass is painted with silver nitrate then fired in oven
- Yellow tones, ranging from pale yellow to deep orange indicates the number of times stained and fired