October 19, 2009
At the October 12, 2009 meeting of the Bloomington Watercolor Society, president Nancy Davis Metz treated us to a presentation about Artist Trading Cards (ATC). Nancy distributed blank watercolor cards to the members who quickly began creating their own ATCs.
After painting on half and full sheets of watercolor paper, adjusting one's mind to a seemingly tiny "canvas" requires a great deal of thought! But members were up to the challenge and painted some awe inspiring work, including flowers, salamanders, landscapes, even tiny portraits!
Here is a synopsis of Nancy's presentation as well as some weblinks you may enjoy visiting for inspiration.
The BASICS....
...of making the cards
- ATCs must be 2.5" x 3.5" (64x89mm).
- On the back of each ATC, the artists writes all or part of the following information: name, contact info, title of the ATC and number, if it's part of an edition.
- That's it! The rest is up to you. You can use any materials you want and any techniques that interest you.
...of trading the cards
- ATCs are TRADED, never sold! The whole idea is about artists meeting and exchanging their works.
- Trade only the cards you are proud of.
- Trade only cards YOU have created. (It's considered bad form to give away cards you've received through trade.)
- Never refuse a trade.
...of collecting the cards
- Store the cards you've received through trade in 9-pocket sheets (Commercially made for baseball card collectors).
- Or store them in boxes so you can flip through your cards easily.
- Place cards in panels or frames to display.
- Use photo corners to mount ATCs in a scrapbook.
Some ATC tips gleaned from multiple online sources:
ATCs are NOT scaled down versions of bigger artworks. Consider the size and scale of the card. THINK SMALL!
Here are four methods for getting the right format:
- Cut watercolor paper to correct size before you start working on the card.
- Work on a large sheet of watercolor paper, then cut it into the individual cards.
- Use baseball cards (or other commercial trading cards) or playing cards if you like rounded corners. Cover them with paper or paint and you have ready-to-work cards.
- Buy a pack of ATC (they run about $2.50 for a pack of 10).
Recycle your paper scraps by collaging them onto your ATCs.
Create a series of ATCs around a theme (cats, southwest folk culture, a number, etc.).
Design a 9-card series that fit together in a puzzle fashion, when arranged, in the 9 pockets of a binder sheet.
Invite friends to an ATC Jam where collaborative cards are made. One artist starts a card and passes it on to the next artist, who then adds something before passing it on to a third artist.
Some Online Resources:
Google "artist trading cards" and you will get more than a million sites! Here are three to get you started:
www.louispohlgallery.com/artist-trading-cards.html includes some beautiful ideas from Hawaii.
Submitted by your Brushstrokes editor.
