Every art room must have all the materials that both the students and teachers will use for learning. That is the basic rule. It is a rule that trains students on how to always be fully furnished with the necessary materials when they eventually become full-blown artists.
But what exactly are non-traditional art materials?
This is a very tricky question to answer as it depends on the perspective you are looking at art from. But in this scenario, it simply means that the materials used in the art are not traditionally used. It could also mean an unusual combination of elements to create an art piece.
There are so many essential art elements that can be classified as non-traditional. This article today tackles these essential materials that are necessary for every art classroom. These materials are important both to the students and their educators.
Let’s dive right in without any further ado.
1. Adhesive Transfer Gun
This tool is designed to make your work easier especially when you are preparing a display. It rolls two-sided adhesive and makes it stick tightly to your artwork. It can be permanent or semi depending on your intentions. It saves you a lot of time when hanging your art on a wall for display. Instead of channeling too much energy trying to pin the exhibit on a wall, this adhesive transfer gun will pin it in a moment.
2. Binder Clips
These clips can come in handy and help a great deal in many different situations. For example, if you are arranging a stack of art for shows and exhibitions in a classroom, you would need a couple of these binder clips to quickly get your work done and pinned. Besides using them for hanging, there are a dozen other ideas that flood your head when using the clips. For example, you can use them to roll up tubes of paints. I have seen most people use them to create quick sketchbooks for students. The ideas are endless.
3. Dog Bowls
Dog bowls sound very odd in an art classroom but believe me when I tell you that they are absolute lifesavers. Most art bowls are naturally problematic and they are guaranteed spills all over the place if you are not extra careful. Perhaps it is because of the design and stability of the bowls. It is probably that and nothing else! These bowls are super savers because they rarely spill, the best choice for water and other spillable containers.
4. A Timer
A timer is gaining a lot of popularity and it has gained necessary access to every activity room. It was important in a fitness room to time your workouts before gradually inviting other areas like saunas and steam rooms. Now it has become a very essential tool in the art room too! They can be used to structure class activities. Setting time limits is a very vital element in every classroom. It ensures that your students know the amount of time they should spend on a given activity. That improves focus and motivation.
5. Sticky Notes
These are very very important materials to have in any given workstation. Like the timer, it has quickly gained its popularity and is slowly finding its way to every workroom. They are versatile and they can be used for a lot of things. Most people use them to jot down reminders and to make key points that should be included in a process. Some students use them to create collaborative artworks. Teachers on the other hand use these sticky notes to give feedback to students on their tasks.
6. Erase Boards and Makers
These ones were very important in the traditional classrooms for learning activities. However, they have become so popular almost everywhere. From boardrooms to art rooms. They are used to jot down important notes and key points during the learning process. When the board is filled or the class is over, all you need to do is to rub the board for the next class. As simple as that. For the art class, they can be used to sketch drawings and erase any unwanted parts.
7. Condiment Cups
These ones are the best for the storage of different materials. Take the paint, for example, you can store the assorted colors in small quantities using these cups. They are better than palettes. They have secure lids and they come in different sizes. Besides that, they are affordable and easily accessible. The fact that they are transparent makes it easy to identify different colors placed in a certain cup without marking them.
8. Sandwich Bags
They are the best for storing clay. Any artist who uses nontraditional methods for their arts can tell you that. Your students can store away their work clay in sealable bags and mark their names on them. They preserve the clay well as they do not let in any unnecessary air that dries and spoils your clay. In fact, your clay can sit in the bag for days and it will still be as fresh as tomorrow. But this is not to say that the bags are limited to clay. They can also be used to store collage scraps, stamps, among other art supplies.
9. Chocolate
You can encourage each student to carry their own chocolate to your art class. You can as well keep a steady supply to reward them after a hard day’s work. It can be any snack but chocolate sounds like such a luxury pamper. It comes in handy if you have some bouts of hunger bangs as they are known to shock back your insulin levels. Most teachers keep a few bars in their work desks for quick bites.
10. A Smile
Nothing is as encouraging as a big warm and genuine smile. Especially from your teacher! If a student is doing a lot of trial and error to get their work done, that encouraging smile will give them the boost they need to get it right. Sometimes it can get overwhelming, especially having to deal with diverse characters. But if you can keep that smile on, it will help you to stay positive.