A water-based paint composition, which has excellent adhesion to glass, comprising: (i) water-soluble sodium silicate forming 20 to 45 weight percent of said composition; (ii) water forming 5 to 25 weight percent of said composition; (iii) water-soluble base in an amount sufficient to provide said composition with a pH of at least 10.5; (iv) finely divided metal oxide powder selected from the group consisting of oxides of copper, iron, nickel, cobalt and mixtures thereof forming 20 to 45 weight percent of said composition and having a particle size, on average, less than 7 microns; (v) particles of soda-lime-silica glass forming 10 to 55 weight percent of the composition and having a diameter, on average, less than 20 microns and having a melting point of at least about 1700 DEG F; and at least one material selected from the group consisting of: (vi) low-melting glass frit powder melting below 1300 DEG F forming up to 10 weight percent of said composition and having a particle size, on average, less than 10 microns; and (vii) zinc oxide forming up to 10 weight percent of said composition.