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Simple Collaged ATC's

artyfax by artyfax

Simple Collaged ATC's

I have created two other lenses which address the topic of collaged ATC's (Artist Trading Cards), these were aimed specifically at beginners and explained some very simple concepts.

This lens starts to be a more practical example for crafters who may have had a little experience and may be looking for something just a little more advanced. First of all I look at the tools that I use on a regular basis, you may have made a very similar choice but you may have your own favourite preferences. they will all have to do the same job however.

I consider the preparation of a substantial card base and I prepare a background, select an image and put all this together with some text to make what is a very simple collaged ATC. I hope that crafters of all skill levels will be able to pick-up something of value from this simple worked example.

Please respect the copyright of all images contained in this lens.

What Is An ATC?

Very simply an ATC ( Artist Trading Card) is a small and specifically sized art format. It is rigidly specified that it will be 2.5 X 3.5 inches ( 64 X 89 mms) although because more than one technique may be used to create it, the thickness is not specified. ATC's are traded and if sold become known as ACEO's ( Art Cards, Editions and Originals). You can read more in my lens Making, collecting and selling Artist Trading Cards

Basic Craft Tools For Collage

basic craft toolsI thought I would start this lens by just showing what a simple tool set is required for collaging. You will have your own favourites and maybe some that I haven't included, but this is what I use for most all of my collage work. Of course there are techniques which use more or specialised tools, such as a heat gun for embossing but these techniquesare for a different lens.

So.... A cutting mat is probably a very good idea. You can get away without one but it would not be recommended. And you will need a scalpel / craft knife for detailed or intricate cuts. A pair of largish scissors and also a small pair for delicate work. I have included a pair of tweezers, but I honestly don't use them very often.

The metal ruler is for making straight cuts, surprising how a small movement of the scissors off a straight line can be picked up very easily.

I use a glue stick for most paper glueing tasks although I have several different types of glue in my toolbox. And I find double sided tape excellent for some jobs, I would put this in as a necessary item, ribbons and lace, etc, are easier to stick down using this. I know this usage is not paper but they are such common elements of collage.

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One Quick Tip Before We Start

A Bag Of Paper Scraps

scrap paperIf you are a crafter and work with paper ( or textiles or anything for that matter) you will learn never to throw anything away. Keep all your scraps to use in your crafting. It can often be very helpful and provide clues as to where to go next.

A little bit of colour! A scrap to frame an image! A scrap to provide a focus or join elements together to aid the composition. Yes, I am afraid that composition is important but your artists eye will tell you what is right and what is wrong in most cases when collaging artist trading cards.

What Comes First, The Background Or The Main Image?

You Get To Pick!

atc backgroundI often get inspired by a good background, but equally I can find myself searching or trying to create just the right background for an amazing image which I have just got to use for my next collaged artist trading card.

Here are some paper scraps which I will potentially use for the background on this atc. I have not yet decided how to approach it and so I pick one or two alternatives and just play with an image to see how it could work. Here there is a sheet of red hand-made paper containing fibres, a sheet of printed tissue paper and some vintage ephemera, including a page from a french text book and some sheet music.

This time for me it was...

... the image which gave me the inspiration for this ATC

The Main Image

And Associated Text

mothers day collage sheetI have just had this digital collage sheet (partial sheet only shown) from Art And ImagesbyKim and I was taken by the idea of one of the images accompanied by the text ( the title of the sheet). A quick inspection showed me the image that I wanted ( size and ease of extraction from the background).

I used the small scissors to cut around the image and the text, and I further cut out internal spaces using the craft knife. In this case they were the gaps between the bonnet tie and the woman's arm and neck/head.

The text I rubbed with a "concrete" coloured ink pad to tone down the colour (the white of the printer paper) and I added a little colour to the roses with a felt tipped marker pen.

I therefore had my main image and associated text to add which also serves as a title.

The Card Base

The Backing CardI like my ATC's to be quite sturdy. I will usually use at least two thicknesses of card if they are say of similar thickness to that used in breakfast cereal packets. In this photo you can see two pieces of card cut to size ( 2.5 X 3.5 inches) and the printed information sheet I use to display information such as the artist's (my) name, the title of the piece, date it was completed, wether original or a print and my signature.

You can also see a packet of the trading card pockets which I always use to protect all my finished atc's.

I covered both layers of card with glue and pressed the sticky faces together. By now I had decided to use the french text as a first layer for the background so I cut out a piece a few millimetres larger than the card all the way around and glued the card in the center of this.



I then cut off the corners and applying more glue stuck the overlapping edges to the rear of the card.



This was then ready for the next layer. My thanks to Kim Newberg for this technique.

Preparing The Backgroud

The second layer for the background, was to be the patterned tissue paper, this should be partially transparent when glue down and provide a nice sense of depth.

I like to get a little texture into the card when I use this material so the first thing I do is to cut the tissue paper to size, again just larger than the ATC, and roll it up into a very tight ball. See the photo.

Carefully unwrap the tissue and apply glue to the text side of the card. Then layer the tissue to the card without rubbing too hard, this should leave a nice textured surface.

Again apply more glue to the overlapping edges and fold these over to give a neat edge.



The backing label can then be glued to the rear of the card. It is then ready for the main elements, the image and the title text.


The Completed ATC

Happy Mothers' Day

happy mothers dayFirst of all, before applying any glue, I placed the image on the backing and decided that it was lacking something.

I went to my bag of scraps and found a piece of purplish paper which just matched the colours in the pattern on the tissue. I used a piece of this to create a diagonal line across the backing. And before I applied the image, I used an ink pad around the card, all the way around the edges. This acts to "antique" the card and also to focus the viewer on the center and the main image.

I made two pieces from the title text and positioned these to reflect the angle of the scrap paper, but this time over the image.

And that it that, the card is completed. Hope that you liked the explanation.

Artist Trading Cards On EBay

If you want to start a personal art collection there is no easier way than to buy inexpensive art cards from somewhere like EBay.
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My Previous ATC Projects on Squidoo

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Have You Made Artist Trading Cards Before?

I Would Love to Know

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It is easy to lose touch with an audience on the internet, who is reading this lens for instance. Why not complete this poll and let me know.

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Some More Examples Of My ATC's

... from the latter part of 2008

Some Of My Artist Trading Cards on You Tube

Collaged Artist Trading Cards

A show-reel of some artist trading cards by myself, these were all completed in the latter half of 2008. Seems to be my most recent collection on You Tube. Most Of These Are collaged although there are some multi-media and rubber-stamped images, note the series from my favourite geisha stamp.
ATC's from the end of 2008
by shadfan66 | video info

4 ratings | 202 views
curated content from YouTube

Get Creative With Amazon

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How Did I Do?

Would You LikeTo Make A Comment?

Are you likely to be making this sort of art work. They are definitely growing in popularity and in the worst case can be used to make individual greetings cards for your friend and relatives.

  • fanfreluche Feb 27, 2011 @ 2:50 pm | delete
    These are pretty cool. Do you sell them? or trade with other artists? The one you showed in your "making of" is very nice :)
  • artyfax Feb 27, 2011 @ 4:26 pm | delete
    I have sold "painted" cards in the past but for the past couple of years I have been engaged in swapping over the internet and making friends worldwide. I have quite a collection ( several hundreds) although I know many artists who have much larger collections than I have
  • imagesbykim Feb 26, 2011 @ 12:25 pm | delete
    Fabulous lens John! I have added to my favorites and lensroll on several of my own lenses. I especially love the technique with the scrunched tissue and glue!
    Thanks for the plug about my collage sheets!
    kim
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artyfax

I am a largely self-taught artist with a long time interest in the creative arts. After school I studied metallurgy and achieved two higher degrees in... more »

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