Things You'll Need:
- Paper or cards
-
Step 1
Measure everything! With the art form of ATCs, size matters. They can be oriented horizontally, vertically or diagonally or even fold out to extra dimensions, but they must measure 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. The ideal template for getting the most ATCs from a sheet of 8 1/2-by-11 inch paper is six cards oriented vertically and four cards oriented horizontally. Or grab a deck of cards or some old sports trading cards and alter them. Card stock is more resilient, thus allowing for more embellishment.
-
Step 2
Gather your supplies. Typical ATCs consist of no more than the most basic art techniques that can be accomplished with pencil, crayon, pastel, chalk, charcoal, rubber stamps, collage, photography, calligraphy, colored pencil, ink, paint or markers. But some creators of ATCs go all-out, delving into origami, pop-ups, printmaking, embossing powder embellishments, sewing, weaving, acetone transfers, screen printing, stencils, pinprick images, embroidery, foil, beading, fabric, clay, assemblage, wire, metal, Shrinky Dinks, photo negatives, digital distortions, die-cuts, digital imagery, embossed paper and flip books.
-
Step 3
Create your artist trading card. If you're using baseball cards or a deck of cards, you may need to apply a layer of gesso first, due to the laminated surface. Be sure to let the cards dry thoroughly before handling them. If the edges curl in the drying process, you can place them between sheets of waxed paper and stack books on them to flatten them. Typically, if you coat both sides, the bending evens itself out after the card is thoroughly dry.
-
Step 4
Sign and date the artist trading cards. If they are part of an edition, you can also number them. Some artists design their own symbol as part of their signature, either hand-drawing it or rubber-stamping it on the back of the card. Other artists create miniature business cards or labels with websites or other information printed therein, so that recipients of the ATCs can contact them.
-
Step 5
Swap your cards. While the originator of the ATC movement intended that the cards only be swapped in person, this proved unfeasible for people in more isolated locations or for those who wanted to trade cards internationally. Some artists opt to participate in mail art swaps publicized by groups such as Nervousness. This website is the virtual home of LMAO, not an acronym for Laughing My Ass Off, but rather Land Mail Art Objects. Thematic artist trading card swaps can be a fun challenge, centering on anything from Day of the Dead to saving the planet.
