The Figure in Flame: Sculpting the Human Form in Glass
Sculpting the Human Form in Soft & Borosilicate Glass
Runtime: 10 demonstrations | 284 minutes
Skill level: Beginner - Intermediate
Glass: Soft glass & borosilicate
Zurich Glass School founder Dr Julie Anne Denton presents an in-depth exploration of figurative flameworking, using one of art's oldest subjects — the human body — as a vehicle for developing confident, expressive sculptural skills.
Designed for beginner to intermediate lampworkers ready to move beyond individual components and into more considered three-dimensional construction, The Figure in Flame progresses from relatively simple torso studies through Venus and Cycladic-inspired figures before culminating in the ambitious Dryad — Spirit of the Trees.
This is not an anatomy course.
Instead, Julie teaches students to understand the figure through proportion, balance, gesture, simplification and controlled heat placement. You will learn to construct the body progressively from the pelvis and major sculptural masses, using heat and gravity to create natural transitions rather than simply applying individual body parts to the surface.
Working in both soft glass and borosilicate, the course explores how each material responds differently to heat while demonstrating that the underlying principles of good sculpture remain remarkably consistent.
What you will learn
- Construct three-dimensional torsos progressively from the pelvis upwards
- Sculpt hips, waists, breasts, legs, arms and simplified hands
- Use heat placement and gravity to create convincing transitions
- Understand proportion, balance, posture and gesture
- Work confidently with cold, warm and hot punties
- Recognise and resolve vulnerable joins and making lines
- Construct complete figures with both closed and separated legs
- Simplify the human form through Venus and Cycladic-inspired sculpture
- Use historical sculpture as a source of inspiration without simply reproducing it
- Diagnose recurring sculptural problems through Figure Hospital
- Use temporary bridges and supports in more complex borosilicate construction
- Develop the human figure into a larger narrative sculpture through the Dryad — Spirit of the Trees
The course deliberately progresses from construction towards interpretation. Early demonstrations concentrate on understanding how a believable figure is built. As your confidence develops, the emphasis shifts towards gesture, abstraction, historical influence and eventually narrative sculpture.
One of the most valuable lessons is Figure Hospital, where common problems are isolated and practised independently. Rather than making another complete two-hour figure every time an arm, leg or join goes wrong, Julie encourages students to practise the troublesome component until their hands understand it.
The final Dryad demonstrations bring the course together. The human form becomes part woman, part tree, and the techniques developed throughout the course begin serving an artistic idea rather than simply demonstrating technical ability.
“The goal is not to reproduce my figures. The goal is to discover your own sculptural language.”
Your learning resources
Your E-course includes the Figure in Flame Course Notes & Student Guide, together with downloadable supporting material designed for use alongside the demonstrations.
With Tiers B or C you will also receive a complimentary 30-minute Development Session with Dr Julie Anne Denton, 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 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.
Figurative sculpture requires patience. Expect awkward stages, corrections, breakages and figures that occasionally refuse to behave themselves. These are not interruptions to the learning process — they are part of it.
Repetition builds confidence.
By the end of Julie's Figure in the Flame, the aim is not simply to know how to make a torso, Venus or Dryad. It is to begin understanding why a figure works — and to develop enough control of the material to begin making your own artistic decisions.
Requirements: Your own torch or access to a flameworking studio
Runtime & Resources: 10 demonstrations | 284 minutes + 17-page Student Guide + supporting resources + Development consultation
Our Learning Tier System - Graduated Support
Learning Tiers
Choose the level of access and support that best suits how you like to learn.
All tiers include access to the full E-demo; the difference lies in the duration of access and the level of support provided.Tier A — Watch Only
A self-led option for focused viewing and inspiration.
-
Watch-only access to the full demo for 6 months
-
Learn at your own pace with pause and replay functionality
Best suited to students who want to explore the technique independently, without additional materials or mentoring.
Tier B — Supported Learning
For learners who value reference material alongside the video.
-
Everything included in Tier A
-
Complimentary downloadable course materials
(reference images, notes, diagrams, and/or process guides) -
Watch-only access for 6 months
Ideal for students who want structure and resources to support practice at the torch.
Tier C — Mentored & Certified
A guided learning experience with personal support and lasting recognition.
-
Everything included in Tier B
-
Extended access for life to the demo
-
30-minute one-to-one online consultation with Zurich Glass School
-
Official printed Certificate of Completion, posted to you from Switzerland
-
Priority support during your learning period
Designed for students seeking guidance, confidence, and formal recognition of their learning.
Access is activated after purchase and may take up to 24 hours.
Consultations included in Tier C must be booked within six months of purchase.-
About Dr Julie Anne Denton
Dr Julie Anne Denton is a Manx-born glass artist, educator, researcher and former glass arts journalist based in Zurich, Switzerland. Trained in the Italian tradition of flameworking, her practice spans soft and borosilicate flameworking, sandcasting and sculptural glass. She holds a PhD from the University of Sunderland and National Glass Centre, where her practice-led research developed repeatable methods for integrating flameworked inclusions within and onto sandcast glass forms.
Founder of Zurich Glass School, Julie has taught, lectured and demonstrated internationally, developing an educational approach centred on observation, material understanding and explaining not simply how a technique works, but why. As a contributing writer for Glass Art and The Flow magazines, she profiled internationally recognised artists and documented developments across contemporary glass. Her own work draws upon the human figure, folklore, archaeology and the expressive possibilities of glass, with figurative sculpture forming a recurring thread throughout her artistic practice.