Simple Collaged ATC's For Beginners

There is a way to approach creating qn ATC which will almost guarantee a winner every time. The block diagram shows six simple to follow steps, which are explained in the following modules. Most steps are also fully detailed in additional lenses, with examples from my own ATC's. Look out for links to MORE information in each step.

These additional details are meant to serve as a guide and extra reading or lilnks to more web sites will be given where appropriate.

So what are the 6 simple steps? Read on!

This could be :-
*a printed image such as a photograph
*a downloaded digital image,
*a page from a book or magazine,
*a coloured card or piece of wall paper,
* commercial patterned craft paper
*an off-cut of fabric,
*a painted image,
*a stamped image
*a collage itself
*or anything else which you find interesting.

It can be as simple or as complex as you want, the source or technique you use will often make this choice for you.

I will take you through creating an ATC using the process described in this lens. The image here is a simulated vintage craft paper, which I received free with a craft magazine. I actually cut it larger than the required size This is so that I can "wrap it " around a stiff card backing to make a sturdy ATC. I actually use a double layer of card cut from cereal packets for most of my ATC's. "Wrapping" the background image/paper around the backing card is described in a tutorial right here on Squidoo, well worth a read.

MORE: Although the above sources of backing papers, etc are more than adequate, if you want to be more adventurous try making your own. I discuss a number of techniques in my page Ready Made And Easy ATC Backgrounds .

The main image (or element) will be something that "goes" with the background that you have already selected; or just looks good. It may creates a catchy colour scheme or otherwise something that complements it in some way. This is where your creativity must kick in, and goes a long way to determining a personal style. You may have a theme in mind and select both the background and the main image together.

Now... step one and two are completely interchangeable. So if an image inspires you to create an atc look for a background that complements it. If the background image (or a technique) grabs your fancy, select the main image to match the background. It is a case which comes first - the chicken or the egg. But one way or another you will have a pair i.e. a background and an image which form the basis of your art work. Look at any ATC and see if you can see these two elements.

This image of a "victorian women violinist" seemed to me to complement the vintage patterned paper, and so decided to use it as my main image. It was actually downloaded from a source of free images on the internet, see below, printed and cut out from the sheet of paper. The negative spaces between the arms and the violin were also cut away as you will see as the ATC takes shape. I like to do this so that the background shows through but it is a personal choice.

Also a personal choice is the way that the image is cut out. I like to cut inside the outline so that any white lines , etc, are removed. Many artists actually prefer to leave an "aura" around the image and you may find that in some places this could be a correct choice for you. Another alternative is to tear the image out. This leaves a soft outline, which may be right for certain images or designs.

MORE:
Thoughts on the use of the colour wheel to select your images
MORE:
coming soon, free images on the internet

Here again, your creativity will guide you in selecting these elements. Choose from paper based images, stamped images, ribbons or threads or even small 3-D embellishments; the range is only limited by your creative imagination.

Anything which helps to bring out a "theme" or "story" which the ATC is trying to convey to the viewer.

Here, I have chosen prints of vintage clock faces which I think may complement the theme I have chosen. Also timing is important to a musician. I have also selected a scrap of patterned paper to add a linear dimension, a selection based on personal experience.

Maybe a quote or famous saying or some philosophical gem.

This could be handwritten on to the face of the ATC or printed using a computer or word processor or simlar. If you are fond of art doodles then this is another possibility.

Your creativity will suggest the font , and the length of the text. If printed, you can cut out using scissors or craft knife or tear the text to give random edges. It is up to you.

I have chosen what may appear at first to be a surprising choice, but the clocks will show spatial recession into the final image because the smaller ones are not clear and lack contrast. It also reminded me of a song.

Now you have all the graphic elements in place it is time to finalise the design of the card.

How is this done? Play with them. Lay out the background and move the other elements around until you achieve a pleasing appearance. At this stage you may want to consider if the ATC needs something else, more detail images for example. Are there any empty spaces? Or indeed are there too many elements making the design look too busy? Play around with the design until you are satisfied.

For the sake of simplicity here, I have arranged the elements digitally ( which is why the images have white outlines) but of course you can cut out your paper images and arrange them until you are happy with the overall design. You can see in the images here that I have decided to arrange the elements to give a diagonal arrangement. The violinist is on the left because she is facing to the right. You do not want the viewers eyes to be directed out of your design, this is a general principal of composition. The two smaller clock faces are behind the large one and align diagonally as does the text and the lined craft paper strip.

Perhaps at this stage, you should go and have a cup of coffee, or busy yourself with something else for a short while, or even sleep on it overnight before coming back to the ATC and looking the card over with a fresh eye.

Is there any change you would like to make, try it and see how it works before you finalise the design.

When you are satisfied with the composition, and only then - get out the glue!

A PVA type glue (white craft glue) is probably best for general purpose use with paper and textiles but there are others which you may use. The best advice is to read the instructions and don't use too much. For sticking down paper elements I most often use the ubiquitous gluestick. I get through many tubes of this useful product.

Whichever you use, try to use a glue which dries clear, so that if an accident happens it will not be too obvious.

Double sided adhesive tape and foam tape also have many uses for paper crafts where heavier elements, plastic or metal need to be bonded.

There are specialist sealants/glazes which can be applied to protect the ATC but these are not absolutely essential and can be tried as you progress in this media.

You can also use mechanical methods of fixing such as brads, eyelets, staples, sewing ( usually with textiles), etc.

You can see from the photograph that I decided to change the design, after consideration. It is difficult to be specific about why I did this, it is really personal, artistic preference. Both designs are acceptable and could have been used. there is still a strong diagonal aspect to the ATC but I find the second layout much more satisfying, the violin almost forms one of the hands on the large clock face. It simply seems a much tighter design. On second thoughts, if you look at the image in step 5, you can see that everything seems to be on the same top-left to bottom-right diagonal. In the modified arrangement things seem to be grouped around the clockface, to me this definitely seems a more pleasing composition.

It is customary to add a few details on the back of an ATC or ACEO, to complete it.

These are usually:-
*The title
*The date
*The artists name
* Signature
* Contact details (e.g. e-mail, etc)
*media = mixed media plus special items of note

Not all items in the list are necessary, there may be others but the top 5 are probably the minimum. A label I apply to all my ATC's is shown here. It is very easy to create something like this if you have a word processor or other software which allows text on images. Or it is possible to purchase blanks ready made on the internet. Ebay and Etsy are of course possible sites to look, but many craft suppliers will also stock them.
*The swap forum/group, if this applies

As a final touch you may like to use one of the many gels / laquers available to paint a protective layer layer over your art work. I always feel that this is unecessary however, because I use a transparent PVC pocket / envelope to do this job. Each of my ATC's is fitted into a pocket before it is posted to my swap partner. For this reason I do not use very thick elements in my ATC collages and many people add a rider to the size of an ATC to say that it should fit into a pocket. This is an entirely personal choice however.

OK, so now you want to have a go. Where do you get the images from to begin collaging? I will be giving a list of my favourite places on the web in due course, but try this lens to find a massive list of places you can visit to download free vintage images

The photo shows a copyright free image offered by Dover Publications, you can register (free) to receive an invite to view samples from its many publications, on a weekly basis. These are available to download.

You can use your own photos, or images from out of copyright books which in a nutshell means books published before 1922 in most countries. It is possible to use magazine photos but this may lead to copyright problems if you publish your art or try to sell it. Unfortunately posting art on the web counts as publishing so use magazine photos with care. many artists use these relying on the fact that they are altering them to side-step issues, and of course the copyright owners would have to bring a suit, and many would not deem it worthwhile but companies will if they feel their rights are being compromised. Disney is always protective of its characters and many household brand names are jealously looked after by their owners.

A useful article on copyright for artists can be found here