Terry Henry 1: Introduction to Copper Electroforming

Terry Henry 1: Introduction to Copper Electroforming
 
Runtime: 353 minutes | Over 5¾ hours over 18 demonstrations and lessons
Skill level: Beginner
Glass: Soft glass or Borosilicate

A complete beginner course in copper electroforming, taking you from tank setup and conductive preparation through glass and organic materials to finishing, troubleshooting and maintaining your own electroforming system.
 
Zurich Glass School is pleased to present American glass and metal artist Terry Henry in this comprehensive introduction to copper electroforming: a foundation course designed to take you from understanding what electroforming is to confidently setting up, operating and maintaining your own system.
 
Terry brings an unusual combination of artist and scientist to the subject. Her approach is not simply to provide a recipe to follow, but to help you understand why the process works. The aim is to make you increasingly self-sufficient: able to observe what is happening within the tank, interpret the information it gives you and troubleshoot when something does not behave as expected. Terry’s ZGS biography describes this intersection between science and artistic practice as fundamental to her work and teaching.
 
Designed for beginners, the course follows a complete electroforming cycle. You will learn how to prepare the electroforming solution, construct and understand the tank, prepare glass and organic materials, create conductive surfaces, work with the rectifier and electrical system, monitor copper deposition, remove and evaluate your work, and finish the resulting copper surfaces.
 
What you will learn
 
Understand the fundamental principles of copper electroforming
Prepare electroforming solution and construct a working tank
Understand anodes, cathodes, polarity, voltage, current and electrical contact
Prepare glass and other non-conductive surfaces for copper deposition
Seal and prepare flowers, leaves and other organic materials
Apply conductive paint and create reliable conductive pathways
Load and monitor an electroforming tank
Understand how deposition speed affects texture and surface quality
Recognise common problems and systematically troubleshoot them
Remove, rinse and evaluate electroformed work
Brush, tumble, buff and polish copper surfaces
Use patination to develop colour, contrast and surface detail
Explore burnout and annealing of electroformed organic forms
Filter, clean and maintain the electroforming system for continued use
 
A central lesson throughout the course is that the tank is a complete system. The project, solution, anodes, rectifier, electrical connections, temperature and water level all interact. Changes in one part of that system can alter another. Rather than treating unexpected readings as failures, Terry teaches you to recognise them as information.
 
This is particularly important when working with delicate organic material. Slower copper deposition can preserve fine details such as leaf structures and insect wings, while faster deposition can encourage increasingly coarse, dendritic growth. Once the underlying principles are understood, the behaviour of copper itself can become part of your creative vocabulary.
 
Terry also takes the process beyond the tank. You will explore brushing, tumbling, mechanical polishing, patination, protective finishes and the burnout and annealing of organic forms, alongside the less glamorous—but essential—business of filtering solution, recovering wash water and maintaining a clean, reliable electroforming setup.
 
Her 2024 Glass Line feature demonstrates just how far these principles can be taken, showing electroforming applied directly to glass as well as combined with flowers, insects, beads and other materials.
 
Electroforming rewards patience. Conductive coatings must dry properly. Connections must remain clean. The tank needs observation. Copper grows over hours rather than seconds.
 
That reality is part of the learning.
 
By the end of Terry Henry 1, the objective is not simply that you have successfully electroformed a bead or flower. It is that you understand the underlying system well enough to begin making informed decisions about your own work.
 
As Terry puts it: “The numbers tell you if things are going right or wrong.”
 
Where next?
 
Terry Henry 2: Designing & Creating with Conductive Components develops directly from this foundation.
 
Terry 1 teaches you how to electroform.
Terry 2 begins to explore what you can do with it.
 
Your learning resources
 
Your E-course includes the Electroforming Course Notes & Student Guide, together with downloadable supporting material designed for use as you set-up your tank and beyond.
 
With Tiers B or C you will also receive a complimentary 30-minute Development Session with instructor Terry Henry, giving you an opportunity to discuss your own work, troubleshoot difficult areas together and receive individual guidance as you progress through the course.
 
Basic and Standard E-course access is provided for six months, allowing plenty of time to watch, practise, repeat difficult sections and return to the demonstrations as your skills and understanding develop, should you need lifetime access choose our Mastery Tier. After purchase, access may take up to 24 hours to activate. Learning options and access details are outlined in the Learning Tiers section.
 
Repetition builds confidence.

Instructor: Terry Henry
Runtime: 353 minutes / over 5¾ hours
Videos: 18 demonstrations and lessons
Skill level: Beginner
Primary process: Copper electroforming
Materials explored: Glass, organic materials and copper
Resources: Course Notes & Student Guide + supporting technical materials
Access: According to selected learning tier
Requirements: No previous electroforming experience required; access to a glass studio is useful but not essential
Learning format: Self-paced online E-course
Support: According to selected learning tier