Choosing an art material is an important part of art therapy. Some materials are easy to manage such as a pencil. The artist can pick it up with any brief inspiration, and instantly create or work and re-work his art over time. Other mediums are loose and harder to manage, such as clay and finger paint. These require more planning and time to begin and end. Often the artworks must be completed in one session. If you feel overwhelmed and your life is chaotic, you may not want to start with painting. While you really don’t know what is going on in yourself, using materials like chalks and clay may help you to release yourself. We will determine together what will work best for you.
Three basic media groups are most frequently used in art therapy sessions:
- Lead pencils – HB and several softer ones, B, 2B, 4B, etc.
- Pens
- Charcoal
- Color pencils – Soft, over 24 colors are desirable
- Crayons
- Markers – fine, thick, brush types
- Chalks – Nustel color sticks and pastels, not sidewalk or chalkboard chalks
- Oil Pastels
- Papers – various sizes, colors and textures
Painting
Watercolors – Dry cakes or wet in tubes.- Tempera
- Finger Paint
Clay
Paper clay – does not require firing and when it is dry, it can be painted.- Firing clay
- Other tools needed for clay works
Others
My art therapy practice is not limited to these three types of media. Others that can be helpful are:
- Sculpture with carving materials, wood pieces and found objects
- Collage with cut-out images/shapes, fabrics and found objects
- Batik
- Mask
Most of the art supplies are provided.
Schedule an appointment to begin the journey into art therapy and your emotions.
