For the longest time, I kept noticing the acronym ATC show up on blogs and webpages of illustrators and designers. From the context, I could tell that there was some type of trade or swap going on, but I still didn’t quite get it. So I snooped around some more and soon realized that the buzz is about artist trading cards (ATC).

Each trading card is a tiny piece of original artwork. The idea behind them is to trade, swap, and collect. Just like sports fans trade cards of the favorite players, people collect ATCs by their favorite illustrators and designers.

(Above: Artist trading cards by Katey Nicosia, of One Good Bumblebee)

The advantage of ATCs over collecting an assortment of postcards and small-size prints is that they’re all the same size, measuring 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches high. This makes it easy for the collector to put them in boxes or special albums to save and look at conveniently without damaging the artwork on each card.

Also, what makes an ATC more special than a postcard reproduction is that they’re available in very limited numbers. Their values lies in their being one-of-a-kind originals, or a small batches of the same image — numbered editions. That information, along with the artist’s name, contact information and the title of the piece, are displayed on the back of each card.

(You can see the artist and image information written on the back of this stamp and collaged trading card by Monique (moki). This card was one of the ATCs traded in a recent swap with the theme of “fairy tales and fables.”)

When trading cards, artists often add an extra note telling more about themselves and the image pictured on the card — so that whoever receives it will find out more about them. The biggest draw of ATCs is that they’re a great way to share your work and get to know more artists, in your own community and worldwide.

Here are some basics to keep in mind when making your own artist trading card:

Use sturdy material for the card base, such as cardstock. If you don’t want to be wasteful and would like to get the most number of cards cut from a standard-size sheet (8.5 by 11 inches), take a look at the artist trading card cutting diagram by Mirkwood designs. If you’re interested, there’s also an artist trading card envelope template.

Once you have your blank cards, take out your art supplies and get to work! Draw, paint, collage, sew, you can do anything and everything that’s possible to the little card.

When you’re done, you’ll find that there are some pieces you like more than others, and some cards you won’t even want to part with! Just think — other artists you trade with will be in the same situation, and wouldn’t you rather receive one of the their favorite pieces rather than the ones they don’t like?

Before you part with your cards, remember to take some high quality photos of every piece of work. You might even want to scan images onto your computer. Even though you’re trading your original pieces, you can, if you choose to, make prints of those images onto your own cards, envelopes, and notebooks.

(The Small Object’s Collector Cards are copies of her original art pieces. The collector cards are sold in a set of 9.)So it’s time to start swapping! You can either look around in cyberspace for an open call to swap, or e-mail a group of crafty people you know and suggest a theme for your own ATC swap.

If you’d like to see more about ATCs, including forums, tips, and trade circles, check out these two sites: ATCards.com and Artist Trading Cards: A Collaborative Cultural Performance.

To see what other ATCs are out there, take a look at the ones on the flickr groups artist trading cards and atc’s. Remember to share photos of your own work, and send us a link to tell us if you do!

July 18th, 2006