Metal Art & How To Get Started
Do you dream about getting into metal art and sculpting but have no clue where to start? From furniture to flowers, there are no limits to what you can create with metal. And it may not be as hard to get started as you thought.
My name is Barbie The Welder and I’m a full-time metal sculptor, but I didn’t start out that way. I started out welding in a fabrication shop and slowly taught myself how to weld metal art at home after work.
On September 1st, 2014, I quit my job to go full time as an artist, and over the last 7 years, I have created sculptures for Harley Davidson, Miller Welders, Chicago Pneumatic, The American Welding Society, and exclusive clients in 13 countries, all from my one car garage.
After experiencing the journey of becoming a self-made artist myself, I’d like to share my learnings and walk you through the six things you should consider when exploring metal art projects and the path to full-time artistry.
Safety Gear & Proper Attire
First things first, safety is no accident! Here is what you will need:
- Jeans
- Long sleeve cotton shirt or fire-resistant shirt or jacket
- Leather boots
- Gloves that cover your hands and wrists
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Fire extinguisher
If you’re using a plasma cutter, you’ll need a shade 5 safety glasses to protect your eyes from radiation and UV rays. Any time you’re welding wear a quality weld hood to protect your eyes, face, and neck from flash burn, ultraviolet light, sparks, infrared light, and heat. The AWS recommends at least a shade 10 lens when welding, but I set mine to anywhere between 11-13 depending on what I’m welding. I use a Miller Digital Elite weld hood; they are on the higher-priced side but last faithfully through years of abuse. Miller has less expensive hoods, but I love the Elite the most for the larger viewing area.
Workspace
A large workspace is wonderful, but you don’t need a big shop to do big things. I create metal art in my 1 car garage that’s attached to my home, and I’ve crafted sculptures ranging from 6″ tall to 6 feet tall. Make sure your workspace should have proper ventilation as welding creates fumes, and you need a way to get those fumes away from you and your shop. Some welding and grinding can throw sparks, so don’t weld in an area with wood floors or around anything that is flammable.
Some communities have makers spaces where you can rent the space with all the equipment. Search online to see if you have one near you.
Metal Workbench
You’ll need a metal workbench. There are tons of options out there to buy a readymade bench but welding your own workbench is simple. When you weld your own workbench, you can customize it to your height and your needs, which makes it easier for you to work.
Here is one YouTube video for a budget DIY welder table with instructions on making your own workbench, and there are plenty more out there.
If you want a ready-made one check out the Rhino Cart Mobile Welding Table & Fixturing Station from Strong Hand Tools. The price difference is staggering though if you are just getting started.
Tools & Equipment
If you are joining the metalworking community on a budget and are limited on what equipment you can buy similar to when I first started, I recommend a gas MIG welder that can run on 110v and an angle grinder. With those two tools, you can create such a wide variety of art that you almost don’t need anything else.
The MIG welder can be adjusted to weld steel and stainless steel anywhere from 18 gauge up to 3/8” thick.
With the angle grinder, you can use a cutoff wheel to cut your material, a sanding disk to smooth and deburr your material, and a wire cup brush to clean and texture your material.
Depending on your budget and workspace you can always add more tools and equipment later. As my business grew, I added a chop saw, a pipe bender, an air compressor, and a plasma cutter.
Materials
There is such a wide variety of materials to use for welding art! The materials you choose to make your art will depend on the art you want to make. Some ideas for what materials to use for different projects are:
- Tables can be made using 1” square tubing
- Flowers can be made with 18 gauge steel for the pedals and 1/4” round bar for the stem
- Dice can be made from 1/2” square bar
- A skull can be made from 11 gauge steel
- Bookends can be made from 2” bar stock
Start Making Metal Art Today!
Creating metal art, you love takes time and practice. If you are anything like me before I started, I was all over social media looking at people’s metalwork and dreaming of making my own. It’s great to look to other people for inspiration but don’t judge your day 1 against someone else’s day 100. Don’t expect to step into the shop and create masterpieces right away. Work each day to improve yourself over what you did the day before and before you know it others will be looking at your art and wishing they can make that too.
I’m excited for you as you begin your journey into metal art. The possibilities of what you can create are limitless and creating improves not only the art, but the artist behind the art!
A Few of Barbie’s Sculptures
FAQ’s with Barbie The Welder
My imagination. I spend time daily dreaming and creating art in my mind. I visualize the idea in my mind, turn it around like a 3D image, think about how I can get the textures and shapes I need to make it come to life, and then build and rebuild it in my mind. I started in the beginning with very simple sculptures and it has grown with me. Like anything it takes practice, but it’s the dreaming and problem-solving in my mind that has allowed me to create masterpieces.
Pricing my art was my biggest challenge as an artist. I gave away many pieces in the beginning because I didn’t understand my value. Today, I have a system for pricing art. You are a business when you sell art, and you need to think like a business. You have expenses for running your shop, electricity, material, consumables, and time. All those expenses should be considered when pricing your art. My video, How To Price Your Art, explains exactly how to price your art.
Each artist is different, so where you choose to sell your art will depend on your personality. In the beginning, I set up and sold art at events traveling up and down the east coast. My setup was ratchet, I had very little money and struggled. In 2015, I traveled to and sold at 48 shows in 52 weeks and welded live in 8 states. For some shows, I sold nothing, and for others very little. It was a huge challenge but my work ethic, wherewithal, and willingness to learn from my mistakes helped me grow and eventually thrive as an artist. It takes time to be successful. Having patience with yourself and asking yourself “How can I improve” will help you more than I can ever put into words. I studied successful artists by watching YouTube videos, attended local entrepreneur groups, and read everything I could get my hands on about selling. Zig Ziglar is my favorite sales guru. Find his books and videos online.
I have sold art at local and nationwide events, local craft stores, art shows, art galleries, and online. If you enjoy talking to people, selling at festivals, craft fairs, and art shows are perfect for you.
Local art galleries, gift shops, and craft shops are perfect for raising your art to the next level as an artist. They also allow you to leverage someone else’s time, you get to make the art and the shops sell it for you. Galleries take a commission on what you sell, so keep that in mind when pricing. Some stores will charge you to have a table or booth there or charge you a commission on what you sell. Talk to the owner to determine what their policy is.
Selling online is my favorite way to sell art and the only way I sell my art today. Your online shop is always open and billions of people around the world get to see your art. You can sell it through your own website or through several different websites dedicated to selling art. I use Etsy, it’s known for art and reaches people all over the world. To date, I have more than 2,500 sales on Etsy and have sold art to clients in 15 countries. (Visit my shop Etsy Shop to see what I have for sale)
The price you’re asking for your art also will determine where you can sell. If you are asking $1,000 for something, local craft shows might not be the best place to try to sell it. I found that items prices between $10-$65 sell best at smaller shows. Your $1,000 piece would fare better at an art gallery or online. It’s trial and error.
I wrote a book called Honor Thy Art, which explains in detail exactly how I became a successful artist and step-by-step and how you too can become an extremely successful artist!
I am always here to answer any question you have or to give you a kick in the butt if you need it. Creating art is an amazing journey and I am excited for you as you begin yours.
About The Author
Barbie The Welder
Metal Art Sculptor
Barbie The Welder is an American metal sculptor, published author of 6 books, and advocate for the skilled trades from Erin, NY. Even though she had no business experience or professional art education, Barbie’s unique, self-taught style of creating sculptures quickly threw her into the social media spotlight where she caught the eye of individuals and major corporations.
About Online Metals
Online Metals is the world’s leading eCommerce metal supplier, specializing in small quantity cut-to-size metals and plastics, delivered in a fast and reliable manner.
Since 1998, Online Metals has expanded our catalog to over 85,000 different cut sizes, grown our national footprint to six pickup locations across the U.S., and continued to improve upon our best-in-class customer experience.
Check out our materials: Alloy Steel, Aluminum, Anodized Aluminum, Beryllium Copper, Brass, Bronze, Carbon Steel, Copper, Cast Iron, Nickel, Nickel Silver, Plastic, Stainless Steel, Titanium, Tool Steel, Unistrut®, Wrought Iron, & Zinc
Shop by shape: Bars, Tubes, Sheets, Plates, and More.
Can't find what you're looking for? Submit a quote or contact our support team.
Continue modifying your quoted cart?