Materials and Material Organization Tips
Created by: Fulton County Middle and High School Art Teachers
November, 2008
Paint:
 Easy Clean Palettes:
o Paper plates for painting palettes. Debbie Murphy
o Use old cardboard box flaps cut into 8” squares for acrylic paint
palettes—students just spread out leftover paint then lay them face up
on the counter to dry overnight then they can be restacked the next
morning and used over and over again. I prefer these to using magazines.
Janet Hein
o Use paper, foam, or plastic plate for palettes. We clean them when we
can, but I don’t stress about the ones that get thrown away. Marea
Haslett
o Keep mat board scraps/cardboard for disposable palettes. Leslie
Jackson
o Each student or student pair is given a clean palette at the beginning of
class and is responsible for returning a clean palette at the end. This
way, no dirty palettes are left in the sink and students must clean
what they use. It’s a good idea to put away extra palettes, so students
don’t use them to turn in! Brina Hargro
 For Middle School teachers as a time saver, wrap paint trays with plastic wrap to
save time washing.
 Murphy’s Oil Soap works well for getting acrylic paint out of dried brushes.
Marea Haslett
 Nail Polish Remover works well to get dried acrylic paint off of clothes. I even
had it work on clothes that went through the dryer. Marea Haslett
 Dispense paints into smaller squirt bottles and use sets at tables. Each table
gets a red, yellow, blue, black, and white. This prevents spilling/ waste AND time
wasted moving/crowd control. Natalie Hudson
 Use ice trays to hold paint so students don't have too much paint on their tables,
also the trays are very sturdy. Ondrian Duncan Or use egg cartons. Jamal
Duncan
 Gallon-size zip lock bags work well for storing wet palettes when you want to
save paint. The plastic plates with wet paint in a zip lock bag can last a couple of
weeks and stay wet. Marea Haslett
 Keep acrylic paint wet over night and longer: Place paint on wet paper towels in
the bottom of a lidded plastic container. This avoids waste from left-over, driedout paint. Sean Haynes
 Small Gladware type containers are a great way to save wet paint for long periods
of time. I’ve had paint last for months this way. Marea Haslett
 Paint Mixing Station: Use egg cartons as paint pallets to hold pure color; then
individual students mix in the plastic pallets. The egg carton is used for both
classes of the same grade and is only refilled when all of the color has been
used. After the last class, spray the top with water to help paint stay wet until
the next day. Rachel Howard
 Use blow dryers to speed drying of paint. Multiple people
 Sansodor (low odor solvent) by Winsor Newton: Ashley Rushing
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a. Evaporates slowly
b. Least hazardous
c. Does not deteriorate on storage
d. Minimal odor
Do you ever have the problem with students not cleaning their paint
palettes? If so, number the bottom of each palette and “check out” the palettes
to each student. Write the number of their palette next to their name, and if
they do not clean their palette when finished, take off 10 points of their project
grade. This WORKS!!! Of course, I remind the student of the consequence, and
every time they clean it! Mary Carpenter
Zinc White: Zinc white is a warmer and more white than Titanium white it is more
transparent and allows colors to stay rich and allows colors not to get so
chalky. Zinc white is a better choice for skin tones. Dorsey Chappell
When introducing painting, do a value painting before doing color; in the second
painting only allow the use of primary colors and black & white. Kevin Cole
Brush Repair: To repair damaged brushes-hardened with acrylic paint, soak
overnight in concentrated Murphy's Oil Soap. Kathy Jackson
Add glue to tempera paint to make it acrylic-type paint. Use about ¼ cup for one
16oz bottle. Marcie Fouts
Use craft sticks as palette knifes for mixing paint. These can be bought in
large boxes and can be cleaned and re-used the next day. Marcie Fouts
Use acrylic ink or liquid watercolor with pipettes/eye droppers to create nonobjective designs. It teaches students to create artwork with out the direct
control of the hands. It's fun and the student's love it. Erin Kendrick
Mix half and half, thick clay slip with gel medium. You can draw and paint over it
when it dries. It becomes like concrete-like, and is great for textured paintings.
Kathy Jackson
Use diluted gesso to achieve varying levels of “melding” images together in mixedmedia peices. Dilute to different consistencies for different results. Dorsey
Chappell
Materials Management:
 Create supply tubs made for each project: Each table has a number on it and
has a tub with a matching number. This eliminates students being out of their
seats and gives some accountability to the kids for material upkeep. Also it makes
clean-up super fast. Pam Rhoades
 Number each table and label all corresponding materials (markers/ paint etc.)
with the same number for use at each table. Leslie Jackson
 Pencil boxes: Invest in plastic pencil boxes for individual student supplies. Issue
tools and materials at the beginning of the semester and then make the students
take responsibility for them. Saves tons of time on distribution and clean-up. Put
name labels on the boxes and store on open shelves for easy student access.
Bonnie Lovell
 To manage a class set of X-Acto knives or plaster carving knives, drill large
holes in a 4x4x10 block of wood large enough for the knives to be stored blade
down. This makes it easy to tell if any are missing without counting them. Marea
Haslett
 Treat all supplies like you would your fingers. Natalie Hudson
o No breaking in half/ chewing
o No tapping/drumming on tables (cracks lead=more sharpening)
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o
o
No sawing
No sword fighting; etc
Clean-up:
 Have a small trash can under each table
 Each table is responsible for cleaning their entire area before the class is over. I
count cleaning up as a participation grade. On Monday, everyone starts off with a
100%. For each day that the table does not clean up, I take off 10 points for
each person at the table. This helps students become responsible for their area
and everyone contributes. Mary Carpenter
 We have studio cleanup days for a participation grade. Lexy Strong
 Cleaning Checklist: Dry erase board that has a chart labeling each seat at a table
with A, B, C, D. Rotate chart bi-weekly so that every student has every job.
Natalie Hudson
o A’s: Clean work area (sweep, wipe table tops, delegate help)
o B’s: Clean Wash Stations (No supplies left in sinks, counters clean and
dry)
o C’s: Sorting (Check all bins/counters for misplaced items, remove
trash/scraps, empty pencil sharpeners)
o D’s: Organization (Check to make sure everything in place)
A
B
Table
C
D
Front of room
Room Organization and Environment:
 Display and Still Life: Go to the fabric store and get remnants (because they
are usually inexpensive) of primarily black, polyester fabric (because it doesn’t
tend to wrinkle as easily). I have a variety of pieces on hand to quickly use for 3-D
displays. Ron Marstall
 I try to have fresh flowers in the room to illustrate color and make the room a
little brighter. Lexy Strong
 Mount plastic bag holders (available at Bed, Bath and Beyond, IKEA, etc.) on the
wall to use with clay and other materials. Ron Marstall
 Divide and Conquer: All oil based paints, brushes, turpentine’s and inks live near
one sink and the other one has all of the water based brushes, paints and glazes
so the students don’t get confused. Dana Jung Munson
 Cereal or detergent boxes make good containers for resource and reference
magazines (not those used for cutting) such as, School Arts, Ceramics Monthly,
Art in America, etc.
 Hooks!!!! Inexpensive hooks and sets can be easily purchased at Target, IKEA,
Wal-mart, etc to hang aprons, brooms, dustpans, and many other items important
to an art room. Ron Marstall
 Tight Space Storage: With little to no storage in the trailer, students store
drawings and paintings in folders created out of poster board taped together and
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labeled according to class period. Two students pass out work each day. Elizabeth
Church
Extra Storage: People who do not have much storage for 2-D student work or
other larger flat items can buy at Sam's Club Strawberries flats that come in a
large flat stackable boxes (about 10" X 14" and can fit a 9x12 piece of paper with
room to spare) these are REALLY handy b/c they stack well and are very thick
sturdy cardboard so they will hold up well. Lauren Powell
Sink Organizer: Also at Sam’s Club there are plastic crates that hold 6 2-liter
sodas and are handy to put by the sink with a cup or yogurt container in each
opening for storing paint brushes, sponges, etc. Lauren Powell
Drop Clothes for Easy Clean up: Invest in canvas paint drop cloths. Cut to fit
tables and use during clay instruction. Students put them out, take them up,
shake them outside, and fold for storage. Wiping down the tables is so much
easier and less time consuming. Jes Booth
Clothing Repair Station: Keep a stain stick and a nailbrush in a drawer near each
sink to prevent student melt downs. Jeannette Clawson
Drying Rack Organization: Write numbers on each drying rack shelf. Assign
students to specific shelves or sections by number. Jeannette Clawson
Clean Up Captains: In Middle School, I found responsible table captains to be a
significant help for distributing and collecting materials. Jeannette Clawson
Label Machine: Label every drawer and shelf with what goes in or on it. When
students ask you where the tape is say in the drawer marked tape. Eventually they
stop asking and take responsibility for putting items away and getting them out
themselves. Jes Booth
E-X-Acto Knives: Drill a series of holes into a 2x4, one for each knife. Holes
must be filled before the end of class. Prevents counting. Mike Scheifflee
Color Coded Tables: Color code tables along with the supply buckets that the
students put their sketchbooks and artwork into for easy setup and clean up.
Andy Jackson
If Prismacolor sets get disorganized, ask students needing to review color mixes
and blends go organize them in order of the color wheel. George Galbreath
Laundry Hampers Second Life: Extra artwork on the drying rack usually fits
perfectly into a laundry hamper, so I do not have to sort it all out, just put the
work in there, and allow the students to find it. Teri Mayer
At McClarin High School enrollment is continual, which means I am getting
students throughout the marking period. To make it easier for students I have
every assignment and examples of the assignment put into a bound book. My
students are usually never on the same assignment and I am teaching several
things at once—so this way if I can’t get to them immediately; they can refer to
the book for clarification. Donna Cohen
Turning in Artwork: I don’t have large shelves to put finished art work on so
when I go to Costco, I pick up those large boxes (the flat boxes that tomatoes
and strawberries go into). Each box gets labeled for the assignment due, such as:
Assignment 1: hands, Assignment 2: Shading….. As students are finished with
their assignment, their work goes into the box. Donna Cohen
Turning in Artwork: Label two 18x24” paper boxes, one with, TO BE GRADED;
the other with TO PICK UP. Keep boxes in the same place on the counter at all
times. When students complete a 2-D assignment and their self-evaluation rubric,
they paper clip them together and lay in the TO BE GRADED box. Students are
responsible for turning in work by dues dates and picking up graded work from the
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TO PICK UP box. Stress keeping all work in the box in order as they pick theirs
up. Periodically ask a student to go through and give out work that hasn’t been
picked up. Students always know where to turn in and pickup work. The
responsibility is on the students and it’s easy for the teacher to pick up the box
and move it to a table for grading sessions. Denise Jennings
 If you need a new or “improvised” projection screen you can use a white vinyl
shower curtain ($2.50) and heavy duty stick on velcro ($4.00) . Put the velcro on
the corners of the screen & on the middle of the sides so you can stretch it tight
& adjust the height. Brent Green
 “Showerboard” can be purchased at any large home supply store & runs about $10
for a 40x80’ piece. It can be used as an inexpensive dry erase board. Be sure to
measure the size you need and have them cut it at the store. To put it over a
chalkboard use heavy duty double stick foam tape. Brent Green
Drawing and Painting:
 Glue hand held pencil sharpeners to brightly colored children’s wooden blocks to
stop theft of sharpeners. Andy Jackson
 Drawing and painting II, students learn how to gesso by covering previously used
and discarded paintings on canvas board. Then complete a still-life or landscape on
their newly covered board. Lexy Strong
 Chalk Pastel Storage: When storing chalk pastels use raw rice as it prevents
breakage and rubbing of colors into each other. Kathy Jackson
 Chalk Pastel Clean Up: When trying to remove chalk pastel, use Wonder
Bread rolled up into a ball as a kneaded eraser. Kathy Jackson
 Linear Perspective (sans drawing boards, t-squares, and triangles)
o Tape a piece of 16”x 20” grid paper to the back of a piece of 16”x 20”
parchment (or tracing) paper.
o With only a ruler and a pencil, all lines drawn on the tracing paper can be
vertically and horizontally correct. When the perspective drawing is
complete, remove the grid paper (save grid paper for re-use).
o The perspective drawing executed on the tracing paper may now be built
upon directly (from the front or from the back side) OR transferred to
another ground using graphite paper. Allise Whitworth
 2-point perspective tip: When drawing 2 point perspective on 12 x18 size paper,
our rulers are not long enough for reaching the far vanishing point. I cut poster
board into long strips to use as a straight edge. The poster board is strong and
sturdy enough that it works perfectly for those long reach areas. Melanie Painter
 Rendering/shading tip: When teaching rendering/shading to the students such
as shading cylinders, cones, cubes and spheres with Introduction to Art, I give
them cut paper strips to create crisp edges. Place the strip of paper over the
edge of the drawing and shade over the strip and paper together when you
remove the strip there is a crisp clean edge from the shading that reflects good
craftsmanship. Melanie Painter
 Use Eraser Mate pens to begin ink drawings (proportions, etc. can be reworked)
then switch to ballpoint pens to build the values. Kevin Cole
 Masking a Razor-Sharp painted line or edge, even on a bumpy surface: The
problem with masking a line or edge with scotch or masking tape is that often the
paint runs under the tape and then you have to repair the edge. WELL, NO
MORE!!!! Here's what you do:
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Place tape on the surface along desired line. Smooth and seal the edge.
For extra precision, cut with X-Acto on a straight edge.
o Paint a very small amount of clear acrylic medium over your taped edge.
If the medium runs under the tape it will dry clear. Let dry thoroughly.
o Now the edge is sealed with the dry medium and there is no chance that
the paint will go under the tape.
o Now paint your line or edge on the masked area and remove the tape
immediately. SHAZAM!!! Perfect! I guarantee this method or your money
back!!! Amanda Maxwell
India ink Values: When teaching students to use ink wash, I find they tend to use
the India ink entirely too concentrated and skip layering value. To prevent this I
dilute various strengths of India ink and put them in spray bottles marked 80%,
60% etc. and spray them into their palettes. Charlotte Turner
Collage: Use mat medium over collages to get a professional look and stop the
edges from coming up on individual images. Chris Kim
Blending stick replacement is needed: Fold up small paper towels for blending and
smudging. Jamal Duncan
Apply hand lotion before using materials such as charcoal (make sure students use
small amounts and blend into skin well)-makes for easier hand clean-up! Felice
Margol
Quick substitutes at home: Kool-Aid unsweetened soft drink mix for watercolor or
page staining in journals; barbeque charcoal for drawings; apple sauce containers
for painting cups. Harolyn Andrews
Students have a pencil holder with a set number of pencils for their table. It’s a
Playdoh container that holds them. I can easily count pencils and avoid the castoff
lost materials. Brina Hargro
Move into the hallway and tape drawings on the wall for full class critiques.
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Extending the Art Budget:
 Go to garage sales!
o Drawing: plastic food, old aluminum coffee pots, silver holiday
ornaments, black paten shoes, fake flowers
o Small terra cotta pots for firing small bits in kiln
o Stamping supplies for sketchbooks
o Art books
o Material culture for art history lessons
o Step stool for reaching high stuff (better that standing on paper
cutter!) Sue Schofield
 Always keep newspaper/ magazines for papier -mache, covering tables, collage.
 Good Source of Newspaper: Many schools have group subscriptions to local and
national papers which are never distributed or read. Custodians can drop off on a
daily basis and a year’s supply can be stock piled in a few weeks. Mike Scheifflee
 Sculpture: students/ teachers bring in supplies for sculpture: egg cartons, paper
towel rolls, toilet tissue rolls. Leslie Jackson
 Media Resources: Speak with media specialists at school who may be able to
purchase DVD’s and other media resources for use in art classes through the
media center budget. This is especially effective when purchasing biographies of
artists that can also be used in foreign language and history classes. Keep a
running list of books, DVD’s, etc. with publishers and ISBN numbers ready to give
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media specialists. They have funds to spend and are charged to spend them to
support instruction. Kathy Jackson
Movie theatres will donate old or extra posters at no charge (They aren’t allowed
to make money off of these. The posters can be used for collage and for paint
pallets if cut up, and the banners which are usually waterproof are great for
messy plaster or clay projects. Both are excellent table covers. Brent Green
Label or number everything you possibly can and assign items to each student or
table. Students NEVER use another student’s, table’s, or class’s items. This
degree of ownership keeps materials avoids most misuse, waste and loss. Set up
an in classroom storage system where materials can be secured at the end of
class. I used plastic, lidded shoe bins labeled by tables for beginning and midlevel classes and assigned bins to each AP student. The money savings is large
because items are not lost or wasted. Denise Jennings
If you have only one class set of something, for example good watercolor
brushes, number the sets, assign students in each class a number and make it
clear that if they find ANYTHING wrong with their materials at the beginning of
class, they must tell you immediately. Otherwise they will be held responsible for
replacing the item. Also students may NEVER use another student’s number
without your permission. It’s just like a textbook checked out to their care and
keeping. Set up a clear and consistent process for getting out and returning
these materials and keep them out of student reach except when they are in use.
Of course this means that you must be consistent and organized in maintaining the
expectation. Denise Jennings
Never do anything other than draw on drawing boards. Keep a set of board for
cutting board (plywood, really beat up drawing board) that are Marked LARGE, on
both sides CUTTING BOARD. Student NEVER cut on anything that isn’t marked
CUTTING BOARD. Denise Jennings
Safety:
 Laminate, post and label safety rules and procedures near all tools that could
result in an accident if not used properly. This reduces liability if someone uses
these without your permission or if you are not in the room to supervise. Ron
Marstall
Sketchbook/Journal:
 Chartpak colorless blender to transfer photocopies into VVJ’s: When you place a
photocopied image (or text) face down onto another sheet of paper and then
color on the back of it with the colorless blender it transfer it to the paper. It
only works with photocopies. Great for VVJ’s. Multiple People
 Storage: Visual Journals usually fit nicely into plastic milk crates and are good
for storage by class or for transporting these from school to home. Ron Marstall
 IKEA $2 Kids Toy Bin: Store frequently used VVJ materials in labeled open bins
on one of the shelving units. At Northview we provide access to: Water color
pencils, markers, Chartpak blender markers, random Xerox images, scrap paper,
ink pads and lettering stamps, lettering templates, tissue paper swatches, crayons,
Textured rubbing plates, and glue sticks. Jes Booth
 Hair Dryers: You can purchase hair dryers at Good Will for $2-$3 each and use
them to speed up the VVJ process. Jeannette Clawson
 Dry mounting: Making the investment into a tacking iron, dry mount press, and
dry mount tissue is well worth it. It eliminates the need for rubber cement – and
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its smell. It’s clean, professional, quick and easy, and permanent. Once the press
and iron are purchased the only cost is the dry mount tissue. Kendra MaGill
 Cut a hole in the lid of a Disposable GLADware bowl. Mix a solution of glue and
water (consistency of milk). Take an old brush or 2 and put through the lid. This
can be used for pasting into journals and solves the overuse and waste of glue.
Brent Green
Federal/State Grant Writing Conference
 I will bring handouts from the conference I just attended. I recommend
everyone attend something like this! Ashley Rushing
Clay
 Recycling Clay:
o Students are required to help recycle clay, and then use it to make a
project. Lexy Strong
o Save scrap greenware in a large trash can and add water. As it fills up
let students to recycle the clay by either drying clay on plaster bats and
wedging or by adding ball clay/redart/etc to the clay when wedging.
Travis Carr
o Dried bags of clay: Put dried up clay inside a bucket or a plastic
container with lid with damp sponges. Debbie Murphy
o To reconstitute clay, take old, crumbly pieces of clay, throw them into a
bag with a mix of water. Pound it with a rolling pin to soften it up. Roll it
out to a slab and spray water on it. George Galbreath
o To avoid having to recycle clay, check bags of clay out to each table and
require them to use and care for properly. Label the bags by table
number. Assign a labeled shelf for each table’s clay storage. Don’t issue
another bag until all the clay is used. Keep all non-checked out clay where
students cannot access it. Teach the class how to keep the clay in good
working condition by keeping all clay scraps covered while working,
keeping the bag closed while working, dipping scrap clay that is
beginning to dry, into water (or spraying it with water) before putting
back into the clay bag, and how to wedge clay properly to mix differing
harnesses and remove air pockets. Denise Jennings
 Burnishing: Rub greenware clay piece with baby oil before burnishing. The
burnishing process is a lot faster. Kacey Ciprari-Murphy
 Raku: Put propane tank in a bucket of water when Raku firing so the tank does not
freeze up and stop providing gas. Kacey Ciprari-Murphy
 Mending breaks: Super slip: clay, vinegar and corn syrup – mix to consistency
preference. This sometimes works to join ceramic pieces that have broken in the
bone dry stage. Ron Marstall
 Ceramic Mender: To repair broken clay or fill cracks on Greenware pottery use
equal parts Karo syrup, vinegar and slip. This paste-like mixture can be stored for
about two weeks before it turns to the nastiest substance on earth. Also can add
paper fibers to the slip to alleviate shrinkage when mending. Kathy Jackson
 Slip Brushes: Pull brushes from your good stash as they become tired and old.
Instead of tossing, I wrap the handle ends with brightly colored electrical tape
and call them Slip Brushes. Having visibly-designated slip brushes discourages
students from reaching for a finer brush than is needed. Alise Whitworth
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 Fast Clay slip: Press small scraps into paper thin pieces. Once they are dry, put
them in a plastic container with lid, cover with hot water and let sit for at least
10-15 until water is absorbed. Pour off excess water, then stir. Debbie Murphy
 Clay Distribution: Estimate how much clay each student will need for the
semester and then give them that amount. Students are responsible for keeping
their clay throughout the semester which inspires them to clean up and take care
of their stuff. Also see Recycling Clay. Mike Scheifflee
 Ceramics Tools: Have student’s purchase or sign tools out at the beginning of the
semester. Students are then responsible for their own tools like their
clay. Kathy Jackson
 Ceramic Bats: Layered cardboard is a cheap alternative to plywood or drywall
bats. Save packaging boxes and cut to fit storage shelves. Have students wrap in
plastic. Mike Scheifflee
 Clay tool boxes: Put commonly used clay project tools in a plastic box for each
table for easy management, especially helpful during cleanup. Tools can be
cleaned up and reorganized by a student helper when the project is finished. Label
box and tools with Table number and check-out tools to each table.
 Soft slab cutting templates: use thin plastic folders available at any office
supply store or drugstore. Measure and mark with a sharpie and then cut
out. The plastic sheets can be used over and over again without wrinkling or
warping like a paper template. Kathy Jackson
 Clay Keepers: Take a 2 gallon bucket with lids and fill the bottom with one inch of
plaster. Add enough water to make a paste and then cover it and let it set one
hour. Keep clay scraps in it with lids to keep clay moist. Be CAREFUL not to get
plaster in the clay; it will pop holes in pots when fired. Dana Jung Munson
 Giant Ceramic Ribs: To create ribs for throwing large bowls on the potters
wheel use old CD’s. Multiple People
 Ask your janitor save the inside circles of the red floor buffing pads that go on
the big machines for you ---they make great scrubber pads for counters, sinks,
raku pottery, etc. Janet Hein
 Buy small terracotta pots at Home Depot for less than $1 each and use them to
keep up with small pieces during bisque fire. I bought 8 – one for each art tables.
I had students paint table and period numbers on each pot with underglazes. Linda
Blackburn
 Homemade tools: Dowel rod with a small hole drilled cut the top off a t pin and
insert for a pin tool; Thin sheet metal: cut ribs or use serrated scissors for a
serrated rib. Travis Carr; Take the ferrules off of old paint brushes to make
great clay tools. Heather Meyer
 Kiln wash: mix equal parts kaolin and silica dry mix and add water for cheap wash.
Travis Carr
 Easy Scheduling: I also have all of my classes do clay on the same days. My first
period gets out all of the supplies and my last period cleans up the tables and puts
the supplies away. During the course of the day I do not have the students wipe
the tables. The only supplies each student gets is their project and if they need
more clay. Rachel Howard
Matting:
 Use the cutting edge of the matt cutter as the straight edge to draw your
guidelines; that way you save a step and your lines are never off when you cut so
you never have a messed up matt. Pam Rhoades
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Printmaking:
 Linoleum printing: Use an iron to heat up the tile to carve easier. John Riggins
 Registration Guides:
o Make registration “plates” for printmaking: Cut a mat board larger than
printing block for a back (ex. 8 x 10)
o Stack ½ inch strips on two sides to match height of block (approx. 6 for
easy cut)
o Strips will make a 90 degree angle on one corner of 8 x 10 backing
o Use two wider pieces of mat board to extend above stacked strips to
make a wall outside the same corner.
o Place a dot on the corner of the “plate” and then a dot on the back
corner of every paper.
o Align the dots when printing and it will create a ½ inch border and
register the prints. Natalie Hudson
 Use mat board scraps for printing, painting or clean up squeegees. You can cut
these pieces into 2” x 3” inch squares. Danny Campbell
 Instead of using newsprint for blotting paper for printmaking, use old newspaper.
It’s free! Danny Campbell
 Use recycled cardboard to make relief prints. Danny Campbell
 Collagraphs: When making a plate out of cardboard and other materials, cover
the entire surface (front, back, sides, edges and grooves) with 3 or 4 coats of
matte or gel medium. This will make it easier to clean the ink off your plate and
will keep it from warping. Krista Clark
 Silk Screen: To prepare a simple, fast screen without screen filler, make a
stencil out of contact paper. It works better for simple designs without fine lines
or detail. It’s also easier to clean up than screen filler. Krista Clark
Sculpture:
 Papier-mâché: A quick substitute is liquid starch found at the grocery. Cut strips
of new paper and paint a base coat of white over the news print to create a
receptive canvas for student’s colorful array of designs. Charlotte Turner
 Use a blender for mixing paste for papier-mâché. Lana Ensmann
 Projects on Foam Core: Cleaning Up Edges for a Professional Look: Foam core
can be a great surface to paint on if you keep the painting relatively small. Paint
both sides with gesso to create a paintable surface. The edges of the foam core
can be filled with spackle and then sanded to make the sides paintable. Students
usually paint the edges black. Gives a very professional look for small $. Amanda
Maxwell
 Plaster: Don’t smooth plaster with steel wool because it causes rust “freckles.”
Heather Meyer
 Wire Armatures: Ask all teachers for coat hangers for armatures, bisque them to
anneal. The annealed wire is easy for students to bend. Travis Carr
 Spray Paint: When using spray-paint, spray outside only! Use an old box as a spray
booth. When working with clay mini-environments base, spray-paint the mini either
black or white. John Riggins
 Plaster
o Mix 2 parts plaster to 1 part vermiculite and 1 part sand. This mixture
will stay wet longer and allow rehydration of pieces by dipping them in
water to make them easier to carve.
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Mix in plastic, gallon water or milk jugs cut in half. The plaster dries
quickly and breaks apart easier. They are also pliable enough to shape
into funnels.
o Rather than using cartons, use nylon stockings to pour forms. Students
can begin to mold and manipulate the form as the plaster dries.
o I make use of my wooden clay bins by pulling out the metal liner and
using them for the sand and vermiculite. I line the wooden bin with a
plastic garbage bag into which I put the raw and sifted plaster.
o Use clay tools and old linoleum tools to carve plaster pieces. Just keep
plaster contaminated tools away from clay work. Willie Williams
 Plaster of Paris can be purchased at Home Depot in the paint section; it works
for molding, casting etc. Mike Scheifflee Davens Ceramics also sells plaster. But
for better tensile strength you might want to use Hydrocal which is not as
breakable as plaster. Plaster of Paris has a strength of about 3000psi while
hydrocal has a strength of about 9,000 psi. John Riggins
o
Computer Art & Graphic Design
 Computer Art Storing Systems: Students name files in the same format for every
project: last name_firstname_period_project title. The files are saved on the due
date to a shared folder on a network drive, and then transferred to my external
hard drive. The shared drive is erased daily; ensuring students are accountable for
turning in work on time. Elizabeth Church
 Cheap Printing: Student work can be printed at Costco this cuts cost of printing in
the lab, investing in a printer, paper, and ink. 5x7 prints are 39 cents each, and
8x10 prints are $1.49ea. Elizabeth Church
 Free Fonts: www.dafont.com ; Free Texture Images: http://www.cgtextures.com/
Naomi Fisher
 Product Design – Use recycled soda/water/Gatorade bottles to display labels.
Naomi Fisher
 Integrate computer art and drawing: Students create "motion pictures" using
drawing, still photography and Windows Movie Maker. They begin by covering paper
in charcoal powder. Next, using vine charcoal, they create an image and shot a
photo of it. They alter the image slightly and shoot it again. This is repeated until
they have a series of images that are then loaded into Movie Maker and turned into
an animation. The vine charcoal makes it easy to create an image, rub it out and
make changes without a lot of residue. It's sort of like a televised flip book. Erin
Kendrick
Photo Design:
 Scratch on negative: If you have a scratch on your negative and you really need to
print it, you can take your finger and touch your face where you may have a little
grease and using your finger deposit the grease in to the scratch. You can only
print the negative a few times. Dorsey Chappell
 Pinholes: Use roof flashing and a .013 or .020 drill bit for pinholes. Felice Margol
Jewelry Design:
 Jewelry Storage: Students bring a box of zip lock bags at the beginning of the
semester and they use the bags to store their beads, findings, metals etc they need
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for their projects and then turn in their final project in the same bag stapled to
the rubric so nothing gets lost. Mikki Kim
 Magic junk Box: Keep a container of broken jewelry pieces in which students can
look to find materials to embellish their pieces. I ask students to look for jewelry
they don’t use from home and donate in the box. Mikki Kim
 Buffer: Buy a grinder from home depot for $60.00 and then the spindles and
buffing wheels from JFF for about $20.00. Felice Margol
 Sculpy Clay: Polish using a plain cloth buffing wheel; it looks like glass! Felice
Margol
 Send a “Donations Request” sheet home with student syllabus, Natalie Hudson
(see example below)
Northwestern Middle School
Art Donations
The art department is simply asking for items that you may be discarding. We are planning to solve
many creative problems that can use these materials. The following list is not final: Items listed are
simply ideas.
Newspapers/Magazines/catalogues: if it’s in the AJC, it’s fine.
Books: children’s; encyclopedias (keep in mind that these will be cut apart)
Plastics: boxes, crates, lidded containers, jugs, etc.
Metals: coffee cans, soda cans, aluminum foil, wires/hangers
Glassware: Shiny items are a challenge to draw - please escort these to school.
Cardboard: food boxes, soda cases, corrugated, etc.
Fabric Scraps and “crafty” items- beads, whatnots (thread, sewing supplies)
Paper Scraps: scrapbook papers, doilies, old maps, etc.
Styrofoam: trays, containers, packing parts
Lumber for building, possibly small scraps
Building materials: screws, nails, tools
Misc.: Extension cords, Work gloves, aprons, smocks, safety glasses
Paint supplies: craft paint, house paint, stains, brushes, drop cloths
Additional: Electric Fans, Wooden Pencils, Cans of Aquanet Hairspray (to seal drawings)
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All items will be accepted, large or small! The only request is that they are clean - both physically
and visually: meaning please no rotten containers, Victoria’s Secret catalogues; alcoholic containers,
and so on…
Again, if there are any questions about whether or not something is an acceptable donation, or any
question for that matter, my email box is always open. 
Thank you so much!
Natalie Hudson
Room 208
hudsonn@fultonschools.org
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