There is one aspect art that totally changes the number of possibilities-- tools. The last piece I did was out of wire, and the problem with wire is once something is bent, there is no way to completely undo it. The three most useful tools for shaping wire is flat-nosed pliers, aviation snips, and round-nose pliers. First, I would take a long string of wire and cut it with the aviation snips. Then I would shape it with the pliers. Flat-nosed pliers are good for bending the wire at sharp, tight angles (like twisting it around something). Round-nose pliers are good for pushing wire into holes (like the knot of wire at the top of my balloon). Without the pliers, there wasn't any way I could cleanly shape the wire and twist it around the rock.
At the beginning of the semester, I didn't care which tool I used. They were all the same to me. My first project was with paper, and as I worked I learned the difference between using a sharp and dull blade. When you are cutting out detailed designs, using a dull blade is super frustrating. The next piece I did was a tile and I learned which clay tools make certain textures. Now, I know that tools are intended for certain jobs and high-quality tools are a lot easier to work with.
At the beginning of the semester, I didn't care which tool I used. They were all the same to me. My first project was with paper, and as I worked I learned the difference between using a sharp and dull blade. When you are cutting out detailed designs, using a dull blade is super frustrating. The next piece I did was a tile and I learned which clay tools make certain textures. Now, I know that tools are intended for certain jobs and high-quality tools are a lot easier to work with.