Neon fabricators bring artists’ visions to life in bright colors.

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Sculpting With Neon

David Ablon talks about making glass glow

Scholastic Art: What is your job?

David Ablon: I’m a neon fabrication specialist. I’ve worked with fashion designers, movie set designers, lighting designers, and artists to create neon works of art—art made from glass tubes that are filled with gas and glow in different colors.

SA: How do you make artwork in neon?

DA: First, I have to decide on the diameter and color of the glass tubing I want to use. Then I draw a pattern. Using the pattern as a guide, I make marks on the tube where  I’ll make the bends.

David Ablon working with neon tubes in his shop

SA: How do you bend the tubes?

DA: I hold the marked area of the tube over a flame and start slowly bending the glass to match the pattern. As I bend the tube over the flame, I blow into the tube so that the diameter of the heated area is maintained—otherwise it will collapse.   

SA: How do you make different colors?

DA: Colors are made in many different ways. It comes down to the tubing, which can be clear or colored, the fluorescent coating—if there is any—and the gas, either argon mercury, which is a blue gas, or neon gas, which is bright orange.

SA: How did you decide to become  a neon fabricator? 

DA: I was very fortunate that my college had a neon department. I loved working with my hands. I didn’t need any knowledge of physics or electricity or anything. That came later. I just loved working in neon.

SA: What skills do you need to succeed in your job?

DA: You need to be really good at failing. The glass bending part of fabricating neon art is very delicate. So you’ve got to keep working at it to get past the failures.

Career Profile: Neon Fabricator

Salary:

Neon fabricators can earn from $35,000 to $55,000 per year, depending on location and experience. 

 

Education:

Many neon fabricators have a bachelor of fine arts degree (B.F.A.) in glass blowing or a related field.

 

Getting Started:

  • Find inspiration in the neon around you. Think about how the colors work together and how many times the glass tubing had to be bent.
  • Take a glass-blowing class. Gain a feel for the delicate process of shaping glass.
  • Learn the history. Check out books from your library about vintage neon signs and art.

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