Most Important Step: Clean the Glass well and wipe down with alcohol before painting.
Solid color backgrounds are very easy and only need 2 - 3 thin coats.
When painting glass it is very important to use multiple "thin" coats rather then one thick coat of paint.
Most paints will adhere if applied thinly. I have always used latex.
For Textured backgrounds take a sponge and wipe away areas that you would like have the next colors show through and let it dry completely.
There are many "custom painting tools" available for detailing your look at any store that sells paint supplies.
Paint over the entire tank side with secondary color.
If at any time you decide you change your mind and dont like the effect you can simply take a razor blade and remove the paint to start again without damaging your glass.
Once you have achieved the desired effect to your background the last step is to protect it against water damage with a coat of polyurethane .
With this method you can customize your tanks background with any colors or patterns to accent your particular aquascape.
For example...
If you look closely on the left wall of my tank you can see the angle in the secondary aqua color that will match the slope
of my plants and substrate which will almost give the effect of "water current" over my foreground plants.
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