Glass blowing is the art of shaping molten glass by blowing air into it through a metal tube. Most experts say that this skill takes years to master. Of course, this depends on several factors. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn glass blowing and some resources to help speed the process along.
What is Glass Blowing?
Glass blowers melt glass in a high-temperature furnace, then shape it by blowing air into it through a metal tube. Glass maker Mike Cushing explains the process. “The glass, when it's hot will adhere to a metal rod, " he says, “We use hollow metal rods to gather the liquid glass from the furnace. It’s very similar to honey when you're gathering out of the furnace. It's a similar texture and you take that glass from the furnace and we use various tools to shape that to a shape we'd like.” Glass blowers can create a huge variety of different objects through this process, including bowls, vases, ornaments, glasses, light fixtures, and sculptures.
This art form has been practiced for hundreds of years. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, glass blowing was invented in the 1st century BCE, by Syrian craftsmen, and, “The technique has remained basically the same to the present day.”
Benefits of Learning Glass Blowing?
Many people find the process of blowing glass extremely enjoyable and rewarding. When you blow glass, you get to experiment with different colors, shapes, and textures, and you can create one-of-a-kind pieces that are unlike anything that you’ll find elsewhere. Mastering the unique skills required to successfully do this can also be very satisfying. Glass blowers often say that the first time they took a glass blowing class, they were hooked. For instance, Alan Mendelsohn says, “I was so mesmerized by it, by what I saw as its’ possibilities, that I knew I wanted more.”
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Glass blowing can also become a lot more than a satisfying hobby. Glass blowers create unique glass objects for glass stores and art studios, they mass-produce items in glass factories, and they even work in laboratories, creating specialized equipment for researchers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics collects and analyzes information about the economy. It says that craft and fine artists, which is a category that includes glass blowers, have a relatively stable future job outlook, predicting a 6 percent growth in employment over the next ten years, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Average Time It Takes to Learn Glass Blowing
Most glass blowers say that you can learn some skills within a matter of months, and be creating fairly complex pieces within a year or two, but that it takes most people years to really master this art. Learning glass blowing usually involves taking at least one class to learn how to properly and safely work with glass and glass blowing equipment. Hours of practice time are generally part of the process too. In addition to formal classes and practice time, many glass blowers also spend a lot of time learning from more experienced artists. For instance, they might find a glass blowing studio to work or apprentice at. Glass blower Joe Nielander says that you shouldn’t try to rush the process, and need to understand that learning this art form will take a while. He says, “Glassblowing takes many years to become a master…Don’t rush into trying to set up your own studio, take your time and learn as much as you can from other artists.”
Even when you feel pretty confident with your glass blowing skills, you will likely always find that there is something new you can learn. Glass blower Grace Whiteside sees the learning process as never-ending in some ways. She says, “I’ve been doing it for eight years. I may have improved tremendously, but I feel like there are always a million things to learn about glass.”
Other Factors
Many different factors will influence your individual glass blowing learning experience, including how much experience you have with related skills, the amount of time you spend practicing, and your personal learning style. Here are a few factors to think about when you’re trying to get an idea of what your individual learning process will be like.
Adaptation
Part of the glass blowing learning process is adapting your body to the process of working in a glass blowing studio. Most glass blowers say that the process involves more physical strength and coordination than you might expect, and that can take time to develop. Glass blowers also need to get used to spending a lot of time in the heat. Glass blower Grace Whiteside talks about being around fire all day. She says, “Your body just adapts and builds tolerance. Similar to chefs, you definitely have to not mind being dirty, obscenely sweaty and often uncomfortable.”
Practice
Practice is another important part of the glass blowing learning experience. Glass blower Jill Reynolds says that there is no way around the fact that you have to spend a lot of time practicing to become good at this skill. She says, “I thought that as soon as I picked it up it was going to be like this golden moment where I was great at it, but it wasn't like that. It was a lot of work. There is a huge learning curve. It's a tricky medium, you know. Just getting used to how to work with it, it's crazy.”
Support
Another thing that can make a big difference in your learning experience is having a supportive network of fellow glass blowers who can encourage, teach, and support you in your journey. Beginning glass blower Alan Mendelsohn says that this has made a huge difference to his learning experience. He explains, “As challenging as the art of blowing glass is to learn, and as often as I’ve thought it being too difficult to continue to pursue, I found myself embraced by a community of warmly welcoming, wonderfully talented, and kindly supportive glass artists. An accepting community of individuals of diverse ages and backgrounds, who have patiently taught me and helped me.”
What to Know Before Learning Glass Blowing:
With desire and dedication, most people can learn to blow glass. However, if you’re planning to pursue this form of art, you need to know that your learning process is unlikely to be easy, and that you’ll need to spend a lot of time practicing. Epiphany Studios explains, “Glassblowing is HARD! People frequently comment on our videos to say that we make glassblowing look so easy. Olympic athletes make it look easy too thanks to years of practice and dedication. We are talking 100’s of thousands of hours of doing the same thing over and over until it becomes muscle memory…Even the most foundational skills take a lot of practice.” However, the good news is that glass blowing can also be very rewarding, and glass blowers usually say that despite the hard work involved, they love what they do. Epiphany Studios says, “Glass artists are obsessed with glass otherwise they wouldn’t stick with it…If you don’t love it, you’ll give up quickly!”
Learning glass blowing is generally not cheap either because of all of the specialized equipment involved. Most people start by enrolling in an in-person class, since that way they can receive expert instruction, and have access to all of the equipment that they need. A short, introductory class might cost a few hundred dollars, while a longer series of classes could be closer to a thousand dollars. Beginner glass blowing classes generally don’t have any prerequisites. Another, more comprehensive way to learn glass blowing is by studying it in college. College tuition can range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars a year.
Can I Learn Glass Blowing for Free / on My Own?
Most people do not choose to learn glass blowing on their own. There are a number of reasons why it is usually a good idea to start with some type of professional instruction. One is that glass blowing can be dangerous if you don’t know how to properly use all the tools and equipment involved. The Bern Gallery, which specializes in making glass pipes, says, “The process requires extreme safety consciousness, excellent tools, and a watchful eye, so it’s not something most people can simply start doing at home.” Another reason to take a class is that to blow glass, you need to use some expensive and specialized equipment including a furnace that can get hot enough to melt glass, a variety of different tools, and an annealing kiln that can cool your finished product slowly so it doesn’t shatter. Buying all of these things would cost you thousands of dollars. If you take an in-person glass blowing class, you’ll probably have access to everything you need as part of the class.
Key Takeaways
- Glass blowing has been practiced for hundreds of years, but techniques remain largely unchanged.
- Glass blowing can become a rewarding hobby or a stable career.
- Most people say that it takes years to master glass blowing techniques.
- When you start blowing glass, you’ll need to adapt to the heat and the physical demands.
- Practice is a critical part of mastering glass blowing.
- Being part of a supportive glass blowing community can make the learning process easier.
- Learning glass blowing is generally neither easy nor cheap.
- Most experts recommend that you take a glass blowing class rather than trying to teach yourself.
- If you’re interested in finding out more about glass blowing training–including private group sessions–contact CourseHorse.