Sitting down and dreaming up a new piece of art is one of the most satisfying activities to try in your day. You can think of so many different mediums and settings, like sunsets, oceans, buildings, people, pets—so many to choose from. As you get inspired, you try to think of how you’ll create your work of art. There’s painting, sketching, clay molding—the possibilities are endless.
But what if you tried something completely unheard of? Sometimes, painting and charcoal just won’t encapsulate your work of art, and you’ll want to try something out of the box. So consider experimenting with a material not originally meant to use in art. Here are a few non-traditional art materials that work brilliantly.
Edible Materials
To some artist’s surprise, you can use edible materials as your art medium. If you decide to paint, you can create homemade paints from foods, dyes, and juices to make something beautiful. Thinking outside of the box is part of finding non-traditional art materials that work brilliantly for your next big project.
If you want to create something with a little bit of elbow grease, you can make busts from carving large blocks of butter or cheese. If you’re going to up the “wow” factor, you can create entire art pieces from cut-up chunks of the food itself. The best part is that if the art piece is edible, you can enjoy a tasty snack along the way!
Natural Materials
Natural materials aren’t anything new for creating beautiful art. It isn’t unusual for an artist to use flowers and other leafy materials to make inks and paints. But if you think it will be more complicated, you can use many different natural goods. You can use candle wax, dirt, rocks, and even wood. It’s a fun way to create textured pieces that give your art a three-dimensional feel.
One of the most fun types of art pieces you can make is a sand sculpture. You can also create beautiful mosaics from rocks and glass or even make an entire sculpture out of hand-carved wood pieces. If you do clay molding frequently, bring your tools along to the beach and spend the day creating your masterpieces. Onlookers will want to take a bunch of pictures of your hard work to show their friends.
Building Materials
Using building materials doesn’t exclusively center around the tools themselves. You can use a lot of different materials to build and create something unique. There’s concrete, cinderblocks, and bricks, to name a few. You can go above and beyond to create a truly unique piece of art by expanding your creative window.
Most of the building materials mentioned are often used in sculpture work. However, that shouldn’t restrict you from trying to make something enjoyable. Whether it’s large or small, you can make a beautiful sculpture strictly using concrete. You can go all out and use metal mesh to create an eye-catching ceiling piece for an entertainment center. It comes down to what you’re comfortable trying.
Don’t feel like you must create an art piece from a complex resource. Sometimes, it’s enough to get yourself excited and carve the apple sitting in your fridge. Stick with simple things out of your home or materials that your friends may not need. You’ll be surprised with what you can create even with a simple coffee filter.
