Reactive What?

Those of you who are fans of Bullseye COE 90 glass have probably heard about or seen the new reactive glass – Reactive Ice Clear and Reactive Cloud Opal. Combine these reactive glasses with certain colors to see some fun . . . well, reactions. For example, Bullseye 0116 frit on the Reactive Ice Clear outlines itself with dark brown lines (the reaction). Bullseye 1116 frit turns chocolate brown on the Reactive Clear Ice. Stop by the studio if you’d like to see samples.

Although these two reactive glasses are new, reactions between certain colors of glass are not. It’s the metal oxides used to create glass colors that can cause reactions. Some colors react, others do not. Some reactions are fun, some are not. For example, French Vanilla reacts nicely with Turquoise Blue to create a brown outline (sort of like the outline you get with the new reactive glasses). Egyptian Blue and Marigold Yellow react to create a dark color that may not be so much fun.

Our advice is to be aware of these reactions, especially when combining different colors. We recommend that you do an artist’s study (or test) piece before you commit to certain colors for a final project.