Cat face with white whiskers painted before the furWhite, black, pink, ginger. Whiskers, eye glints and nose first; outline next; ginger fur over them all.
Constellation traced from a flipped star chart, stars joined in fine lineWhite, deep blue. Flip the chart left to right before you trace; stars and lines first, blue over all.
Single feather in a card-sized clip frame, barbs before the vane colorWhite, gray, ocher, charcoal. Shaft and fine barb lines in white; gray and ocher vane; charcoal ground last.
Bicycle with a basket, spokes in fine line, one flat color laid over itBlack, mustard. Draw the whole bicycle in line; when it is dry, one coat of mustard covers the sheet.
Cat face with white whiskers painted before the furWhite, black, pink, ginger. Whiskers, eye glints and nose first; outline next; ginger fur over them all.
Face drawn in one continuous line, three color patches laid behind itBlack, coral, ocher, teal. The line first; three loose patches behind it; leave the rest clear.
Folk heart with scrollwork inside it, lines first and red behindBlack, red, cream. Scrolls and border in line; red inside the heart; cream over the whole back.
Lemon slices, rind and segment lines first, a blue ground lastWhite, yellow, cobalt. Segment lines in white, pale yellow over each slice, then cobalt across the sheet.
Monstera leaf, veins and holes drawn first, green laid over themBlack, deep green, blush pink. Veins and hole outlines; green up to the hole edges; pink over all, filling the holes.
Open umbrella seen from above, ribs in line, eight panels filled in turnBlack, two colors, gray. Eight ribs from the center first; alternate the panel colors; gray pavement last.
Rain boots in outline, polka dots first, the boot color behind the dotsWhite, black, red, gray. Dots and outline first; red over both boots; a gray puddle and ground last.
Rooster in thick black outline, each tail feather filled a different colorBlack, red, yellow, teal, cream. Outline first; fill each feather behind the line; cream ground last.
Row of narrow houses in line, each front filled a different colorBlack, five brights, pale blue. Outlines and window bars first, a color behind each house, sky last.
Teapot and two cups in line, a checked cloth painted behind themBlack, blue, white, red. Lines first, then the blue china, then red and white checks over everything.
Turtle from above, shell plates outlined, each plate a different greenBlack, four greens, sand. Plate lines first, a green behind each plate, sand ground last.
Flowers and birds 12
Butterfly on a thistle, wing spots first, sky lastWhite, black, orange, purple, pale blue. Spots and veins; orange wings; the thistle behind; blue sky last.
Cherry blossom branch, stamen dots before petals, the branch behind bothDeep pink, pale pink, brown, white. Stamen dots; petals over them; the branch across; white ground last.
Daisy chain with yellow centers first and white petals over themYellow, white, green, soft blue. Centers as dots; petals around and over; a green stem line; blue ground.
Kingfisher on a reed, eye and white throat first, the river behindBlack, white, orange, blue, green. Eye and throat patch; orange chest; blue back; river green last.
Ladybug on a leaf, the spots before the redBlack, red, green, cream. Spots and head first; red over the spots; the leaf behind; cream ground last.
Owl facing you, pupils first, then the rings around the eyesBlack, yellow, white, browns. Pupils; yellow irises over them; pale face discs; brown feathers last.
Peacock feather built from stacked discs, the dark eye firstNavy, turquoise, bronze, green. A navy spot, a wider turquoise disc over it, bronze over that, fronds last.
Robin with the eye glint and beak first, breast next, back lastWhite, black, orange-red, brown, pale gray. Glint, eye and beak; then the breast; brown back; gray ground.
Sprig of lily of the valley, white bells first on a dark green groundWhite, green, deep green. Bells and their stem; two long leaves behind; deep green over the whole back.
Sunflower with its seeds dotted before the petalsBlack, brown, yellow, sky blue. Seed dots first, the brown disc over them, petals around it, blue last.
Swan among reeds, beak and eye first, water lastBlack, orange, white, green, blue-gray. Eye and beak; white body; reeds behind it; water over all.
Tulips with a pale stripe on each petal painted firstWhite, red, green, cream. Petal highlights first, red over them, then stems and leaves, cream ground last.
Night skies and silhouettes 12
Bare tree against a full moon, the tree painted before the moonBlack, cream, navy. Trunk and twigs first; the moon disc straight over them; navy to the edges last.
Cat on a rooftop in front of a crescent moonBlack, pale yellow, deep blue. Cat and roof ridge first; the crescent beside it; blue over everything.
City skyline at dusk, lit windows first, towers over themYellow, black, orange, violet. Window dots; black tower blocks over the dots; a dusk sky in two bands last.
Comet with a long tail above a black ridgeBlack, white, pale blue, navy. Ridge first; the comet's head and a dry-brushed tail; navy sky last.
Constellation traced from a flipped star chart, stars joined in fine lineWhite, deep blue. Flip the chart left to right before you trace; stars and lines first, blue over all.
Fireflies in a jar on a porch step, glow dots firstYellow, white, gray, dark blue. Glow dots; the jar in thin white line; the step in gray; dark blue last.
Galaxy of spattered stars, sponged clouds next, black lastWhite, pink, violet, black. Spatter white; sponge pink and violet patches over it; black covers the rest.
Moths around a porch light, wings first, the halo behind themWhite, tan, yellow, navy. Moth wings and bodies; a soft yellow halo over them; navy over the sheet.
Palm trees at sunset, palms first, sun next, bands of sky lastBlack, yellow, orange, pink. Palms and shore in black; the sun disc; then orange and pink across the back.
Sailing ship on a moonlit sea, the moon's path on the water before the seaBlack, white, navy. Ship first; the moon and its broken white path; sea and sky over them.
Starry sky of white dots under one coat of navyWhite, navy. Dot the stars with the end of a brush handle; when dry, cover the entire back in navy.
Tent lit from inside, its glow painted before the dark pinesYellow, orange, black, navy. The glowing tent first; black pines around it; navy sky last.
Framed glass and clip frames 12
Botanical label, one plant in line with its name mirror-lettered beneathBlack, green, cream. Name in mirror-image capitals and the plant's outline; green fill; cream ground last.
Flower with clear petals and crumpled foil behind the glassBlack, deep blue, kitchen foil. Outline the petals; paint only the ground; the foil shows through the petals.
Gold-vein marble, veins first, white and gray swirled over themGold, white, pale gray. Thin wandering gold lines; then white and gray brushed loosely across the back.
Jewel beetle on glass set over black card in the frameGold, emerald, violet. Legs and wing-case lines in gold; thin emerald and violet over them; black card behind.
Leaf wreath around a clear middle, a photo set behind it in the frameRed, greens, white. Berries and leaf veins first, leaves over them; the center stays bare for the photo.
Monogram on picture-frame glass, patterned paper behind it in the frameOne color, gold. Letter painted mirror-image, its gold shadow after it; no ground coat, so the paper shows.
Painted sprigs in a frame with a glass back, the wall showing throughWhite, sage, rust. Flower dots and stem lines, then leaves; no ground coat, so the wall is the background.
Profile silhouette in black with a cream oval behind itBlack, cream, gray. Trace the profile facing the other way; cream oval over it; gray to the edges last.
Single feather in a card-sized clip frame, barbs before the vane colorWhite, gray, ocher, charcoal. Shaft and fine barb lines in white; gray and ocher vane; charcoal ground last.
Terrazzo of colored chips under one pale coatRust, mustard, sage, black, off-white. Scatter small angular chips; when dry, off-white across the back.
Three small clip frames in a row, one fern frond in eachWhite, green, dark teal. Midrib and leaflet veins in white; green over each frond; teal ground on all three.
Your own front door in line, color behind it, framed for the hallBlack, door color, brick red, cream. Knocker and panel lines; the door color; the wall; cream ground last.
How it works
A reverse glass painting goes on the back of a sheet of glass and is looked at from the front, so the nearest layer is painted first and the background last. These 48 designs list their layers in that order.
Read the full guide
Line, fill, background
The usual order has three steps: line art, the areas inside the lines, the background. Rooster in thick black outline, each tail feather filled a different color follows it. A last touch on canvas is a first touch here: Ladybug on a leaf, the spots before the red. From the front the picture is flipped left to right, so letters go on mirror-image.
What sits behind the paint
Slide a drawing under the clear glass and trace it. Behind the finished picture, painters have set black card to deepen the colors, or ended with a thin white coat. Jewel beetle on glass set over black card takes the first route; Monogram on picture-frame glass, patterned paper behind it in the frame has no ground coat.
Questions and answers
What paint do you use for reverse glass painting?
One whose label says it is made for glass. We do not test paints. Glass, unlike canvas, needs preparing before color goes on if the paint is to hold, so follow the label for that and for drying between layers.
Can I use the glass from a picture frame?
Yes: the group Framed glass and clip frames is written for it. Paint the side that will face the backing and put the sheet back with the paint inside. The sheet has bare edges, so an adult lifts it out.
What is an easy reverse glass painting for a beginner?
One with two layers. Starry sky of white dots under one coat of navy needs no drawing, and Bicycle with a basket, spokes in fine line, one flat color laid over it is a line drawing under a single coat.