3-D Glass Beads - Intro to Sculptural Glass Beadmaking

My Intro to Sculptural Glass Beadmaking is called " 3 - D Glass Beads" and is great for multiple levels of beadmakers .  It teaches students how to translate the shapes they already know from glass beads, into sculpture.  By using barrels, bicones, etc., as the beginning sculpture shapes, it's an easy transition into this fun, style of making beads.


Pictured above is one of the beads the students learn to make.  It's a great way to learn heat control through the ears and the jowls, and smile the whole time doing it.

We also make class self-portrait beads.  This is teaching them very simple faces and hair canes with color layering (which works for fur too).  These techniques build to a more complex "people" bead toward the end.  It varies by the studio- it can be a pirate, a gnome a fairy or a mermaid.  Your choice.

Some of the other beads we make include a seashell with a ruffled lip, a cupcake with a butterfly perched on top, and the students also pick from some small 3-D items that I bring, and translate that into a bead as well.