Blowing

Surprisingly enough, the actual blowing is a very small part of the process. Artists need to be aware of how hard and for how long they are blowing into the mouthpiece of the blowpipe. Too much air will make the piece too thin, while too little air will cause the piece to be thick. Temperature plays a crucial role in evenly blowing out a bubble. If one section of the glass is hotter than another, then that section will blow out more rapidly than the cooler area.

The primary goal in blowing at this point in the process is to create a small air bubble inside the glass. At this step, it is important that the piece is not too thin. When the artist takes a second gather of glass, the heat and weight of the additional glass may collapse or warp the bubble.