Best Wire for Wire Art. I love using wire in my sculpture classes, and 14 gauge aluminum wire is what has worked best for my students. It’s pliable, sturdy and leaves less of a residue on your hands than some of the other wire I’ve tried. My two favorite artworks are wire figure sculptures and wire portraits. I don’t have an exact amount of how much per student, but they get a yard (they cut as much as their outstretched hands) at a time. My website has a free lesson guide, full length video tut