Basics of Glassmaking

Our first course is aimed at glass-blowing students and individuals willing to learn the basics of the craft. The course consists of 15+ lecture videos, 30+ hot-shop exercise videos, and 20+ technical illustration videos, plus video interviews with glass professionals. All lecture videos have English subtitles, and all exercise and technical illustration videos have English voiceover. You will have full access to our community of teachers and students. Completing a final project is required to pass the course. The course contents will be published in weekly batches during Spring 2025. In order to fully benefit from the course contents, you should have access to a glass-blowing hot shop. The course is arranged by Mafka & Alakoski glass studio. Read more about The Art Glass Academy at https://theartglassacademy.com

Course Curriculum

11 Chapters · 87 Lessons

1
Introduction to the Art Glass Academy
1. Course Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Welcome to the course: Meet your instructors
2
Basics: What is Glass? Learning to Gather, Blow and Shape
1. Module Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture I: A Quick Look at the History of Glass
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture II: Tools, Exercises and Safety Essentials
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Welcome to the Hot Shop!
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 1: Cleaning rods and pipes
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 2: Bit gathering and glass drop
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 1: Bit gathering and glass drop
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 3: First bubble types
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 2: First bubble types
10. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 4a: Tweezing a Rose
11. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 3: Tweezing a Rose
12. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 4b: Tweezing a Swan
13. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 4: Tweezing a Swan
14. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 5: Basic paperweight
15. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 5: Basic paperweight
3
Mold Blowing
1. Module Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture: Mold Blowing Techniques
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 1-1: Wooden mold (symmetric)
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 1-2: Wooden mold (asymmetric)
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 2: Graphite mold
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 3: Iron mold (asymmetric)
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 4: Plaster mold
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 5: Sand casting
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 1: Mold blowing (even thickness)
10. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 2: Mold blowing (thick bottom)
4
Free-blowing
1. Module Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture: Free Blowing – Crafting One-of-a-Kind Pieces
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 1: Basic punty
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 1: Basic punty
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 2: Spherical form (ball)
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 2: Spherical form (ball)
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 3: Cylindrical form (cylinder)
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 3: Cylindrical form (cylinder)
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 4: Flat form (plate)
10. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 4: Flat form (plate)
11. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 5: Lip-cutting exercises
12. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 5: Lip-cutting exercises
13. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 6: Outward-folded rim
14. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 6: Outward-folded rim
15. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 7: Inward-folded rim
16. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 7: Inward-folded rim
5
Attaching hot glass bits
1. Module Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture: Getting Started with Attaching Hot Glass Bits
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 1: Attaching handles and foot bit
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 2: Dog-shaped decanter
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 1: Dog-shaped decanter
6
Colors and Decoration
1. Module Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture: Colors and Decoration Techniques
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 1: Applying color powder
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 1: Applying color powder
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 2: Applying color rod
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 2: Applying color rod
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 3: Dot decoration with lip thread (colored rim)
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 3: Dot decoration with lip thread (colored rim)
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 4: Combed thread decoration
10. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 4: Combed thread decoration
11. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 5: Bubble and soda bubble decoration
12. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 5: Bubble and soda bubble decoration
13. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 6: Bubbles with pineapple mold
14. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 6: Bubbles with pineapple mold
15. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 7: Optic mold
16. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 7: Optic mold
17. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 8: Color powder combined with optic mold
18. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 8: Color powder combined with optic mold
19. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 9: Crackled surface
20. (Included in full purchase)
  Technical Illustration 9: Crackled surface
7
Cold Working
1. Module Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture: An Introduction to Cold Working
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 1: Fine rim (Drinking glass)
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 2:Thick rim
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 3: Grinding
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 4: Sandblasting
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Exercise 5: Engraving
8
From Student to Professional
1. Module Overview Free preview
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture I: Crafting Your Career Path in Glass
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture II: Building Your Technical Skills in Glassmaking
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture III: Understanding the Economic Aspects of the Profession
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Lecture IV: Engaging Customers and Effective Marketing Strategies
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Downloadable Content: Business Model Canvas
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Downloadable Content: Workbook
9
Extras: Interviews with Professionals
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Kaisa Koivisto: The Evolution and Future of Studio Glass
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Jaakko Liikanen: Teaming Up – Glassblower and Visual Artist Collaboration
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Aada Vainio: Working with Both Studio and Industrial Glass
10
Final Project
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Final Project Assignment
11
Archived Q&A Sessions
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Q&A Session (April 14, 2025)

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The Art Glass Academy: Basics of Glassmaking

Course Curriculum

Introduction to the Art Glass Academy

Basics: What is Glass? Learning to Gather, Blow and Shape

Mold Blowing

Free-blowing

Attaching hot glass bits

Colors and Decoration

Cold Working

From Student to Professional

Extras: Interviews with Professionals

Final Project

Archived Q&A Sessions

Ready to Master Glass-Blowing?