Glass Blowing

• One of the most traditional ways to produce glass art sculptures is glass blowing. The glass for blowing is made using sand, soda lime and coloring agents and is heated in a furnace to produce molten glass. The molten glass is then placed on the end of a blowpipe directly from the furnace. The glassblower then blows into the other end of the tube and uses special tools to shape the glass into the shape he wants before it cools. The shaped glass is then placed in an annealing oven to cool the glass down slowly so that it does not break or crack.
  
  

Hot Sculpting

• This method of sculpting glass artwork involves pulling the molten glass from the furnace using a metal rod. The molten glass is then shaped using specially designed tools. This method is similar to blown glass, but there is no blowpipe involved. The hot sculpting technique is most often used when creating larger glass sculptures. The sculptures also tend to be more solid.
  
  

Lampworking

• Lampworking involves using a torch to heat and shape the glass. This type of glass working was most common in Murano, Italy and is most often used to create scientific instruments. It can be done using many types of glass, but soda-lime glass is the most common. Lampworking tools are similar to those used in glass blowing. The lampworker slowly introduces a single glass rod into the flame so that it does not break from the sudden temperature change. Once molten, other pieces will be added. The entire piece must be kept at a consistent temperature as it can be shaped and worked without breaking, then placed into an annealed oven to cool it down slowly.
  
  

Cold Working

• This technique is used after the glass art sculpture has cooled or is in its annealed state. The artisan cuts, grinds, polishes, sandblasts, and engraves the glass to ensure that the glass art sculpture has a unique and interesting finish. Cold working may also involve attaching two or more glass art sculptures together using special glue. This technique is most often used when repairing or restoring glass art.