Glassblowing Techniques – Basic Sources A Selection of Resources Rakow Research Library The Corning Museum of Glass
Aoyagi, Yuko. A textbook of glassblowing. Kanagawa, Japan: Tokyo Glass Art Institute, 2002. 189 pp. Note: In Japanese.
Berlye, Milton K. The encyclopedia of working with glass. Revised edition. NY: Everest House, 1983.
Bray, Charles. Ceramics and glass: a basic technology. Sheffield, England: Society of Glass Technology, 2000. Note: Excellent technical overview for the artist.
Bray, Charles. Glass blowing. Sheffield, UK: Society of Glass Technology, 2006. 128 pp. Note: Includes bibliographical references (p. 127).
Bruce, Jane. Glassblowing: a manual of basic techniques. London: Crafts Council, 1979. 23 pp.
Burke, Ed. Glassblowing: a technical manual. Ramsbury: Wiltshire Press, 2005. 143 pp.
Désaulniers, Gilles. Notes sur le travail du verre. Trois-Rivières: l'Université du Québec, 1993.
Gilberson, Dudley F., Jr. A glassblower's companion: a compilation of studio equipment designs, essays, and glassmaking ideas. 1st ed. Warner, NH: Joppa Press, 1998.
Giberson, Dudley F., Jr. Joppa Glassworks catalogue of fact and knowledge. 5th ed. Warner, N.H.: Joppa Glassworks, 1992. 18 pp.
Halem, Henry, ed. Glass notes: a reference for the glass artist. 3rd ed. Kent, OH: Franklin Mills Press, 1996. 291 pp. Note: Differs from 4th ed.
Halem, Henry. Glass notes: a reference for the glass artist. 4th ed. Kent , OH: Franklin Mills Press, 2006. 352 pp.
Hot Glass Information Exchange. John Bingham, ed. Louisville, CO: John Bingham, 1979.
Kulasiewicz, Frank. Glassblowing: the technique of free-blown glass. NY: Watson-Guptill, 1974.
Littleton, Harvey K. Glassblowing—a search for form. NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1972.
McKelvey, James. The art of fire: beginning glassblowing. Saint Louis: Third Degree Press, 2006. 248 pp. Note: There is a companion DVD with the same title.
Schmid, Edward T. Advanced glassworking techniques. Bellingham, WA: Glass Mountain Press, 1997. 320 pp.
Schmid, Edward T. Beginning glassblowing. Bellingham, WA: Glass Mountain Press, 1998. 120 pp.
Schmuck, Jonathon T. The joy of coldworking: a guide to grinding, smoothing, and polishing blown and fused glass. Clemmons, NC: Four Corners International Inc., 2009. 208 pp. Note: Includes: Intro to Coldworking; ABC’s of Safety; Tools and Techniques (see list); Coldworking Considerations; Outfitting the Coldshop; Suppliers.
Periodicals Glass Art Society Journal. Compilation of the society's annual conference lectures; includes art theory/critique as well as technical articles.
The Independent Glassblower. Newsletter for glassblowers consisting of articles, questions and answers, brief notes about equipment and techniques, etc. Issues no.1-no.55, 1988-1999. Publication suspended with no.55 (1999).
AV (Commercially distributed) The art of fire: beginning glassblowing with Jim McKelvey. St. Louis, MO: Third Degree Press, 2006. DVD. 360 min.
Art glass: looking at the basics studio glass in the 21st century. Renton, WA: Kathleen Gaffney, AGI Productions, 2001. VHS. 36 min.
Glassworking: a visual guide to properties and processes. Corning, NY: Corning Museum of Glass, 2006. 2 DVDs. 102 min. Note: This educational video archive presents 43 short segments on various techniques employed in glass working: blowing, flameworking, cold working, and casting. Objects are introduced, followed by the processes that were used to make them. Other topics include the composition of glass, glass coloring, and annealing. Also, these and other segments may be viewed on the www.cmog.org website.
Glassblowing techniques. Healdsburg, CA : Fusion Z, Inc., 2005. DVD. 26 min. Note: Title from title frame. Narrator gives good explanations of the techniques being demonstrated. A very good video demonstrating different glassblowing techniques, used by glass artisans from the Czech Republic.
Gudenrath, William. An introduction to furnace glassblowing. Corning, NY: The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass, 2004. VHS/DVD. 35 min.
Medium is fluid. Alan Lebow Productions, 1981. 8 min.
Myth, nature & art William Morris, glassblower. Burbank, CA: Tigris/Big Film Shorts, Brian Thomson, n.d., 2001-2002? VHS. 24 min.
VITRA = Virtual training in glass art. European Virtual Training Centre for glass arts and techniques. Videos available online include Ariel, Graal, hot sculpting, incalmo, and wooden mold blowing. http://www.e-vitra.eu/