Next, lay a piece of carbon paper over the glass. Place the photocopy over this and tape the sides with cello tape (to prevent the papers from shifting).

With a pen or pencil carefully outline the entire image. Once you complete tracing the design, carefully detach the papers from the glass.

The next step is lining the design with glass liner. You could use either a water-based or solvent-based liner in any colour, though black, gold and opaque ones are the most commonly used.

"Beginners can use water-based liners which tend to be cheaper," say Mahua. The drawback of using water-based liners, however, is that they tend to peel off the glass if water is applied.

"Once you get the hang of glass painting, you can move on to solvent-based glass liners, which are more permanent," she adds.

There are two ways to line an image, you could either directly using the nozzle of the liner or use a plastic cone (like a mehendi cone). Using the nozzle method for large glass surfaces is recommended.

Points to note

~ Be very careful while drawing the outline. Maintain the same pressure throughout the outline.
~ While making the outline try not to lift your hand. Stopping midway will show the break in outline very clearly.
~ After completing the outline, allow at least five to six hours for the liner to dry before you begin colouring it.