The best art magnets are rare earth magnets, and the best rare earth magnets are NIB magnets. NIB stands for Neodymium Iron Boron, which are the metals which create the alloy in NIB magnets. The reason NIBs make such great art magnets is that they are incredibly strong.

If you have never used NIBs, you may be shocked the first time you hold them in your hand. These are very, very strong magnets. You can create intricate, really strange designs with them, because their high grade of magnetism allows for all sorts of improbable shapes.

Experimenting with Art Magnets

When I first started using art magnets to make sculptures, I stuck with very traditional designs. I'd make little dog sculptures for my aunt, or little golfers for my father. Recently, however, I've started making non-representational designs, and I really love it.

If you have large enough quantities of NIBs, you can make fantastic designs. My favorite sculpture that I made looks like something you'd find in the ocean, kind of like an intricate sea creature. If you use magnetic liquids, known as Ferrofluid, you can make fabulous, spiked designs.