Art Projects Using Buckets

Different types of buckets lend themselves to several types of art projects.

Utilizing buckets in an art project can open an artist up to purely aesthetic work or more philosophical transformations. When you use buckets as inspiration in still life work, you can make a statement about "bucket lists" or symbolically "carrying" something or simply use it as a drawing challenge to perfect capturing light on rounded surfaces. Turn a bucket into a piece of art by painting it or using it as a basis for three-dimensional sculpture work. No matter how you use them, buckets are relatively inexpensive materials to work with and offer artists many creative opportunities.

Unexpected Still Life

Contents of a bucket can elicit different responses to the art work.

Set up a still life display that features one bucket made of metal or wood and an unexpected item inside the bucket. The item inside can be randomly chosen or could be a reflection of something the artist is "carrying around" with him, such as an important moment in time or a memory. Draw or paint the still life with an aerial view so that the picture shows the item inside the bucket or turn the bucket on its side to show the item spilling out to give the art project a different look and inspire a different emotional response.

Paint

Apply paint to a bucket using a brush, sponge or your hand.

The type of paint you use on the outside of the bucket must be appropriate for the material of which it is made but any type of bucket can be painted. Plastic, wood, metal or ceramic paints are available and allow artists to paint an abstract or panoramic scene on a bucket surface. Consider the bucket as "portable art" and select a theme for your painting. You can paint the bucket surface to reflect your physical body, a bucket list or an abstract design of lines and swirls.

Wrap Sculpture

Use a bucket as a basis for a three-dimensional sculpture. Plastic buckets can be covered in papier-mâché to add more texture and then found objects like sticks or wires can be added to dramatically change the shape.

A metal bucket can be distressed or dented to change its basic shape, then wrapped in wires for a rustic or urban sculpture.

Any type of bucket can be covered or wrapped in unexpected ways for an eye-catching project. Use faux fur, sand, silk flowers or even craft "googly" eyes to cover the bucket and transform it from functional to artistic.

Decoupage Collage

Collect images for your bucket collage.

Use newspaper, colored tissue paper or photographs to cover your bucket to make an art piece. Decoupage medium or layers of clear glue can be applied to adhere collage materials to the bucket easily. Select a theme for your collage and use images that relate to it. For example, use significant words you find printed in magazines or newspapers, smiling faces, cats or flowers. No matter what the theme, images should be applied to the bucket in various random directions to give it a traditional collage look.

References

• Krylon: Fusion for Plastic
• Wire Inspire: Creative Wire Sculpture Making

Resources

• Mod Net: Decoupage on Metal
• Fine Art TIps: 3 Tips to Set Up and Light a Still Life