HAVE FUN WITH SHADING!

How did the movement start?
In 1997, M. Vanci Stirnemann, a Swiss artist, created 1200 cards by hand as part of an exhibit. On the last day, he invited others to create their own cards and trade with him during the closing reception - he called it a Collaborative Cultural Performance. The movement took off, and today, there are ATC swaps in almost every major city around the world. There are also many online swaps.

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Artist trading cards are 2.5 by 3.5 inches in size, the same format as modern trading cards (hockey cards or baseball cards). They are self-made unique works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by the artist/producer, exchanged and collected by the people who participate in the collaboration.

How do I create ATCs?
Most swaps are open to any media, materials or techniques as long as the card fits into a standard trading card sleeve. ATCs are traded, not sold. However, there are some artists who choose to sell cards. Cards that are sold are called Art Card Editions and Originals (ACEO).

 

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ATCs are regularly made using the following techniques and mediums:

•  paintings – watercolour, acrylics, gauche and sometimes oil paints (the long drying times make oil less popular for this format)

•  drawing – in pencils, pen and ink, marker pens, pastels, charcoal etc

• art styles – Zentangle®, stamped and coloured etc

•  fabric – mini quilts, patchwork, embroidery, cross stitch, appliqué etc

•  collage and mixed media – well, pretty much anything you can imagine really

• printing, such as with gel plates or lino blocks

• rubber-stamped images, often coloured with alcohol markers or brush markers

• calligraphy and other types of word-art are becoming very popular lately

•  paper crafting techniques – die cuts, embossing, decoupage, iris folding, paper weaving etc

Plus countless combinations of different techniques and materials. One of the great things about ATCs is that anything goes!

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What’s on the back of an ATC?

On the back of the ATC it is “traditional” to include certain details. Most people like to have a reminder of when and from where the card came. An organized swap may require additional information to be included.

Name of artist – either the real name or the name they use for all their artwork
Date – when the ATC was created
Title – most people title the card like they would a bigger piece of artwork
Contact details – many artists include their email or website details
Series – if the card is part of a series, a one-off or part of an edition
Notes – you can also include notes about construction or techniques used. Some organized swaps require participants to note the name of the swap on the back too

Many people just write the details on the back of each card by hand.

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