Art Trades With Those of the Same Skill Level

Creating Artist Trading Cards

Today y'all're going to acquire how to make Artist Trading Cards, or ATCs for curt. Information technology was written with those of you lot in mind who are not familiar with this art form and will be very basic. I will exist doing additional posts in the future showing various techniques and methods for making cards.

This tutorial will walk you through creating your very start card. You'll learn everything from making your ain blank trading cards, to how to brand your outset trade.

Making Artist Trading Cards is a great way to work on developing your art skills. Because they are so small in size, making one is typically less time consuming than full size works of art. Of grade, this tin can also create a challenge.

Simply in one case you get used to working in this miniature fine art form, yous'll never look back. Allow this serve as a warning. Making, and trading, artist trading cards is an addictive hobby.

Not only is making and trading ATCs highly addictive, but information technology actually makes getting the mail heady! Tin can yous imagine looking frontwards to getting the postal service?

What Are Artist Trading Cards?

Artist trading cards are miniature works of art that are traded effectually the world. Artists, of all skill levels, brand and trade their artwork with other artists. These trades can exist done in person or over the internet using the mailing organisation.

Artist trading cards tin be created by make new artists, or professional artists. They can be created using any medium, or can exist mixed media.

These cards are then traded with other artists. Amateur artists can trade with more advanced artists. I've even traded with professional person illustrators. You lot never know who volition want to trade with you.

Artist trading cards are nerveless and admired for years.

ATCs are not sold for monetary gain. ACEOs, on the other mitt, are sold. These are normally professional quality artwork, but in miniature form.

Artist trading cards are an amazing manner to exercise drawing and fine art techniques. They are pretty quick to make, compared to larger works. And you become to trade them for someone else's artwork.

History of Creative person Trading Cards

Creative person Trading Cards (ATCs) are miniature works of fine art that measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches. They are the same size as a football or Pokemon card. ATCs are office of the mail fine art movement that originated in 1997 by the Swiss creative person Chiliad. Vanci Stirnemann.

Stirnemann fabricated 1200 cards and ran an exhibition at his art gallery and bookshop. At the stop of the exhibition he held a trading session. This artist trading bill of fare issue was open to all people and all artistic styles.

These trading sessions were ongoing and held in person where trades were done face to confront.

This thought was soon adopted by other artists, and quickly spread to a worldwide art form. With the use of the Internet, this remains a very popular fashion to trade art with others from effectually the world.

Face to face trading sessions nevertheless exist today, only is much more ordinarily found online. Often, these in person sessions are in the form of workshops where cards can be created during the workshop. These cards are then traded to other attendees of that workshop.

Artist Trading Card Rules

When information technology comes to making and trading creative person trading cards, at that place are very few rules that have to be followed.  Withal, the ones that do exist MUST be followed. The artist trading card rules are as follows.

• Size = 2.five ten 3.v inches (64 mm × 89 mm)
• ATCs are traded non sold
• Signed and dated on the back
• Neatness counts
• Do NOT merchandise other artists cards

Groups and individuals could have their own set of rules. These rules could be specific to that one trade or could exist a general rule. Know the rules before committing to a trade.

Artist Trading Card Etiquette

There are some things that I've seen come up repeatedly in online artist trading card groups, that accept caused some issues with new artists trying to participate in trades. I'll list some of these things here.

• If the artwork you're trading is fabricated by a child, country that upward front end when posting the pictures. There are many people who enjoy trading with young artists. It's a courtesy to let them know the historic period of the child who made the cards beforehand.
• Don't attempt to trade cards that look like there was little to no endeavor involved. This doesn't mean y'all take to have professional looking artwork. But I've seen many ATCs where someone put a sticker on a bill of fare and drew an outline effectually the outside of information technology, and called information technology an original work of art.
• Manus drawn and hand painted cards seem to merchandise a lot quicker than mixed media cards. That doesn't mean there aren't groups where mixed media are more than popular. I'm just pointing out an observation I've fabricated.
• It is highly frowned upon to trade cards that are not your own, or to give them away. Cards are meant to be nerveless, not given away when yous get bored with them. Or specially, if you don't bask them.

Artist Trading Carte Size

Probably the most important dominion with artist trading cards is the size, and shape of the cards. The overall size of the trading card needs to be ii.v inches by 3.v inches. The orientation of the carte du jour tin can get either manner.

And they should be thin enough to fit into the clear plastic sleeves used for baseball card or other collectible cards.

If you want to add embellishments to your cards, or alter the overall size and shape of the carte du jour, it needs to be able to fit into those sleeves.

For example, I dearest using a paper punch to round the corners of my cards. I like the mode it looks compared to the square corners. The cards will first exist cut into 2.v x iii.5 inch cards, then the punch is used to round off the corners. You can see examples of both in the above picture.

* Some of the links in this post may exist chapter links. This means I receive modest commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra toll to you.

Artist Trading Card Supplies

• Cardstock (or paper and something sturdy to mountain it to)
• Markers, Colored Pencils
• Outliner Pen
• Cutting Board or Paper Trimmer
• Clear Plastic Sleeves
• Tea Tin (for storage – love these things!)
• Glue Stick
• Corner Dial

FREE Creative person Trading Carte du jour Guide

How to Brand Blank Artist Trading Cards

The start thing you need to do is make some blank trading cards. Or you can purchase prepare to use creative person trading card blanks online already cut to size. But information technology'due south much cheaper to make your own, and really piece of cake to do.

You want your cards to be sturdy. I find white carte du jour stock to be an splendid manner to make my blank cards. You don't want your cards to be thin and flimsy, and then never use regular weight paper without mounting it to something thicker.

If you lot're going to use watercolor paints for your cards, you'll desire to use a paper that can hold up to the water. Standard watercolor paper can be cut down to the size of an artist trading card.

Cards should exist cut exactly two.5 x 3.five inches and as straight as possible. When making my cards I use a cutting board or paper trimmer to keep them nice and direct. There can be writing on the back of your cards, but the drawing surface should look nice. Unless, of course, information technology's part of the overall design and manner of the carte.

Patterned Backgrounds for Creative person Trading Cards

There are many sources of interesting backgrounds that could be used. I take often used scrapbook paper equally a background. If you lot are going to apply something like this, mount the paper to either some card stock or even empty food boxes tin exist cut upwards and used to add support. No one will see the box anyway equally it will be covered or will be on the back of the card.

Just be on the look out for cool designs yous could use. Things like tissue boxes, security envelopes, or pages from books can make really cool starters for ATCs. The but limit is your imagination. I have an unabridged tea tin filled with dissimilar backgrounds I can choose from.

How to Brand Artist Trading Cards

Actually making the card is where the real fun begins. The carte I made for this tutorial was manus fatigued on regular drawing newspaper. Shown beneath is the beginning stage of the card. After the card is completed, it will need to mounted to stiffer paper for support.

Mounting the drawing to stiffer paper should exist done later on the cartoon is completed for a couple of reasons. The start reason is considering it feels more natural to draw on the thinner newspaper. The 2d reason is that sometimes if yous mount it showtime, the paper can have soft spots from the adhesive and it makes it more hard to depict on. And sometimes will even harm the paper, ruining your artwork altogether.

After your drawing is complete, apply a glue stick to mount your menu to some heavier weight newspaper. For this menu I used some flake cloth I had laying around that is most every bit thick as cardstock.

Later applying the glue, identify the card under a heavy stack of books until it is dry. Information technology is important to brand sure your ii pieces of paper are lined upwardly evenly. One thing I learned throughout my many years of trading cards is that neatness is a huge deal. Here is what the finished card looks like after adding some color.

If yous are interested in learning how to do this optical art drawing, you can cheque out How to Draw an Op Fine art Bullseye from an earlier art tutorial.

What Goes On the Dorsum of Artist Trading Cards

The final step in creating your card is to sign and date the dorsum. This is a very of import footstep. You can too add a title to your carte du jour and some personal contact information for future trades.

Some artists include due east-mail, website, Facebook information, etc. Y'all can print out labels to stick on the back of your cards or you tin can simply hand write the information on the dorsum.

If you've made a series of drawings, the number from that series should be included as well.

Creative person Trading Carte du jour Ideas

At present comes the hard function, deciding what kind of card you want to brand. You lot could do a drawing or a painting. You lot could make a mixed media bill of fare. The possibilities are endless and entirely up to yous. Cheque out these ATC Themes to Spark Your Creativity.

Unless you are doing a themed bandy. Then there will be some guidelines yous will demand to follow. Themed swaps could exist a subject matter or it could be a way. The theme could be horror, Christmas, cartoons, paw drawn, birds, etc. Just almost anything really.

Looking at grouping swaps tin can be a cracking manner to go ideas for what you should draw. If you join atcsforall, they have an entire department for themed swaps. Even if I don't have time to commit to the trades, I'll go there from time to time but to look for ideas.

Below are some creative person trading card ideas from themed swaps I've participated in.

• Monster Girls Artist Trading Cards
• Frida Kahlo Theme ATC Bandy
• Robot Drawings Grouping Artist Trading Menu Bandy
• Watercolor Putter Birds ATCs

ATC Examples with Drawing Tutorials

The following artist trading menu examples are for drawing tutorials available on this site. Each one has a full step by step listing of instructions and were done on ATCs.

Step by Step Rose Drawings

3D Hands Optical Art Art Tutorial

How to Draw a Cactus

Learn to Draw Hearts

How to Store Creative person Trading Cards

You volition need to store your cards in a prophylactic identify after they are completed. I bought some clear plastic sleeves to continue my cards in. They are cheap and the box comes with 200 sleeves.

They are institute past the trading cards at Target, Walmart, or other stores that sell trading cards.

I and then place my card in a metallic tin until it gets shipped out to its new owner. This makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to locate the cards that are being traded, and it keeps the cards safety from being accidentally damaged.

Some other option is to store them in binders with pockets to hold artist trading cards. This is typically how cards yous have received from other artists volition be stored. Either pick is fine, but be certain to go along both your cards, and the cards y'all get in the mail service safe.

How to Merchandise Creative person Trading Cards

Now you need to find someone who wants to make a merchandise with you. There are many sites out in that location for trading artist trading cards. Typically, you will mail your cards in a gallery and state that it is available for trade. It's usually best to have a variety of cards bachelor for trade.

Unless time is non an issue for y'all, then making them on the fly might not be a business concern for you.

I take several finished Creative person Trading Cards available for merchandise at any given time. Be sure to keep them protected from getting damaged until they find new homes. Having one of your beautiful mini works of art to get ruined is the last thing y'all desire.

Here are a couple of sites where you can go involved in trading ATCs:

ATCsforall – This in a forum that is all the same pretty agile.

ATC Artist Trading Cards Facebook Group – Active group with friendly people and a good diverseness of artist style from group members.

After you showtime getting involved in the artist trading card customs you'll observe many other groups that are out at that place as well. Find one that feels comfy for you lot.

Types of Artist Trading Card Trades

When y'all get to the point where you start making trades, there are many different types of trades y'all can brand. The blazon of trade you decide to do is up to you, and depends on what'southward available. And who's willing to trade with yous.

Personal Trades

These are the well-nigh common. They are usually of equal quantities from both people making the merchandise. These numbers volition sometimes be written as 1:one or iii:3. This means you send 1 card, and you receive 1 card (one:1). Or, iii cards for 3 cards (iii:3).

Yous may get asked to do an uneven trade with someone where they give you less cards than what they want you to send to them. I typically won't do this type of trade. This really isn't what the tradition of trading is nigh.

Blind Trade

This means you don't know what slice of artwork you're going to receive, and they don't know what you are going to exist sending to them. Be sure to send quality piece of work if you're doing a blind trade. Don't use this equally a manner to go rid of your cards you lot don't want anymore.

Themed Group Swaps

These types of swaps are a bit more complicated, and accept more time. In that location will be a theme, and some guidelines prepare when the swap is prepare upwardly. All participants make the specified number of cards. Usually vi or seven cards will exist required.

All cards are sent to the person who is leading the group swap. There will be a borderline set for when y'all need to ship the cards out in the post.

The swap leader so mixes upward all of the cards and sends them out to each person you lot sent cards in. You lot'll receive several cards, each from a different artist. Simply of the same theme that was set for the swap.

Often, yous will need to ship in stamps and self addressed envelopes with these swaps. And sometimes an extra bill of fare for the leader of the group swap. Even if the actress carte du jour is non required, I always send an actress. Running a group swap is a lot of piece of work.

P.I.F. Trades

Pay Information technology Forrad trades are quite interesting. Still I've never participated in one. These are usually started in their own threads of posts. The way information technology works is that someone requests a carte du jour to be fatigued for them. Someone responds by proverb they will draw them the menu they asked for.

The person who responded then requests a card to be made for them. Someone else comes along later and commits to making that menu, and requests their card.

This continues for all of eternity. The person you lot send your artwork to isn't who you receive artwork from. And is basically a form of bullheaded trade because you lot never know what your card looks like until you get it in the post.

Regardless of which type of merchandise yous're participating in, exist sure to transport your cards equally presently as you tin can. If there is a reason for delay, let the person you're trading with know.

How to Make Creative person Trading Cards (ATCs) | Art Tutorial

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to make creative person trading cards. I'd love to see what y'all come upwardly with. Learning to make creative works of art takes practice. But the good news is that it'southward a skill anyone can principal.

Never experience like y'all're not good plenty. Savor the creative procedure and have fun. We have over one hundred fine art tutorials that evidence step past footstep how to depict on artist trading cards. Check them out and get artistic!

Grab your FREE ATC Guide

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Roshanda is an fine art education blogger who is on a mission to coach and encourage as many aspiring artists as possible through the use of her web log. Acquire more about her on the Almost Me page and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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