Creative Phase Activities
Techniques & Tutorials

DRAWING IN SPACE WITH METAL WIRES

Objectives

1. Improving manual skills and capacity of abstraction

2. Improving arts & crafts skills

3. Improving observation skills

4. Changing perspectives

Material needed

Metal wires (brass, copper, aluminum)
Pliers and cutters
Eventually beads
Any small object to help you to shape the wire

Time frame

Between 90 minutes to 180 minutes

Tips

Adaptable for any kind of public and no specific skills needed

Drawing is very important skill to observe, to communicate, to demonstrate, to memorise, to understand and to analyse things. Still, we are often afraid of using it as we consider that we don‘t have this skill. If we don‘t dare trying it directly on a paper with a pencil, shaping metal wires as if we were drawing in space three dimensional forms is an alternative that can initiate us into the realm of lines and shapes constituting the basic vocabulary of drawing.

With the wire shaping technique, you can create small mobile sculptures, hanging installations or even jewellery.

Prepare your metal wires : copper, brass or aluminum
Make a little presentation about how to shape the wires

3. You can shape them with your fingers.

4. You can also assemble separate pieces.

5. You can use pliers to shape your wire.

6. Any other small object can be turned into a wire shaping tool such as pens to form curves.

7. You can also furnish beads and small pendants that the participants can integrate into their structures.

8. Some of you may create preparatory drawings.

10. While others may work through experimenting.

Let them the choice the work in the way they prefer.

There can be as many interpretations of the exercise as many you are. Some of you may challenge oneself to create balance.

Others might be inspired by figurative shapes.

Still others may create wearable hanging installations.

Or complex structures inspired by machines.

To share experiences at the end of the exercise, you can install a wooden structure to hang all the creations on it.

With wire-shaping, you can also work with specific themes, like with did in Nicosia with creatures living in the Oceans as part of a sensitizing workshop about see pollution.

You can also create compositions inspired by letters or words to transmit messages like in these earrings inspired by Arabic word "hubb" meaning love:

حب