Ceramics Books and Magazines

Authors: Philippa Beveridge, Ignasi Domenech, Eva Pacual
Publisher: Lark Books
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$29.95~~
Buy New: $16.39
You Save: $13.56 (45%)

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

27 reviews
Sales Rank: 17509

Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 11.9 x 9.2 x 0.9

ISBN: 1579906559
Dewey Decimal Number: 748
EAN: 9781579906559

Publication Date: March 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 6-10 of 27

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Great Book October 7, 2007
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Absolutely Great! This is the best book I've read on fusing too date and I read alot. Instead of just "what to do", it explains why you are doing it. It has a wonderful history of glass and an excellent explanation on the nature of glass. It covers the full range of information for working with warm glass, from straight fusing to making your own molds for casting.

3 out of 5 stars

Mixed blessing September 7, 2007
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

Warm Glass: A Complete Guide is in many ways a really nice volume--it's beautifully illustrated with some of the nicest photography I've seen in a book on studio glass techniques. The sample projects are very attractive with a reasonable number of photos per project and there's a good background on the history of art glass that includes a lot of great photos.

However, the authors needed to do a bit more homework on the technical side. For example, they explain that glass is a liquid (most experts call it an amorphous solid) and I found some minor inaccuracies in their glass histories. Some of the calculations and schedules they publish are really based on a single type of glass and may not be suitable for all types of glass. They also provide some pretty precise times and temps for firing schedules which most likely won't work in all kilns and certainly won't work for every type of glass.

I doubt that anyone experienced at kilnforming would be misled, but the book is represented as "A Complete Guide," which might be misleading to beginners.

In their zeal to be complete, the authors cram a great deal--sandblasting, moldmaking, mold releases, frit-making, casting, several types of fusing--into a relatively short book. I think they do an excellent job at a high level, but the beginner (and maybe the intermediate kilnformer, too) could be left wondering how you get from step x to step z. They become vague in dangerous spots, as when they suggest using "a common cathedral glass" for a specific project and then publish a precise firing schedule. If you walk into any stained glass shop and ask for "a common cathedral glass" to use in a kilnforming project, well...you won't get very far.

And be warned: these projects take a reasonably elaborate setup with a fair amount of equipment and supplies. Everyone who does kilnformed glass knows it's not a cheap hobby, but it is possible to do simple glass projects without everything you'd need to buy to complete one of the projects in the book. A beginner might be wise to start with something more basic before making this kind of investment.

All in all, though, the book is a good addition to my library and I enjoy it. If you're kilnforming at an intermediate or better level, you'll be able to separate the wheat from the chaff and get good use out of this book. If you're a beginning kilnformer, make sure you have other resources--good classes, other books, expert kilnformers who are willing to advise--to supplement this book. Or start with something else.

4 out of 5 stars

Better than Most September 6, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book is actually better than most glass books, giving information avbout fusing and casting that actually helps to fire correctly. It also has beautiful, if a bit dated, photos.

4 out of 5 stars

great knowledge book August 23, 2007
1 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book like the other one I reviewed is good for the basic overview of the processes. I have yet to make any projects, once I do I will write more. BUT this is a good book to give you ideas and more insite of the processes.

5 out of 5 stars

A great book for the fused glass artist May 18, 2007
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

I ordered this book and (the more expensive) "Contemporary warm glass" by Brad Walker and two "Fuse it" books by Petra Kaiser. I can say without hesitation that "Warm Glass" is the best of the bunch!

First off it is physically the nicest book, hard cover, great printing and lovely inspirational examples. Petra's book is good for anyone totally new to hot glass but I find her aesthetic is closer to "crafting" than fine art. Brad Walker's book is simply over priced!

"Warm Glass: A Complete Guide to Kiln-Forming Techniques: Fusing, Slumping, Casting" is inspiring and informative. The technical details are spot-on and the projects are much more "artful" than the other books.

If you are serious about fused glass I'd recommend getting this book. If you are starting out with no glass experience you may want to pickup a copy of Petra Kaiser's "Fuse it" book as well.

Any of these books will help the beginner get started, and that is truly the most important step! Petra Kaiser's books are aimed at the true beginner, while "Warm Glass" will appeal to the artist wanting more depth and breath.

There are so many variables when working with hot glass, no matter what book you get, as you master the medium and your equipment, you will no doubt make mistakes. This book will reassure you that mistakes and missteps are part of the process and happen to seasoned glass artist with decades of experience. I found it to be an inspirational guide to the possibilities of hot glass. It covers more detail and techniques than any of the other works I've mentioned here. It is a true value and worth having in your library.

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