Today I’m writing the first of two blog posts on creating art cards. Art cards are not to be confused with atc cards (artist trading cards), although some people use these terms interchangeably. Atc cards are a specific size (2 ½ by 3 ½ inches or 64 mm × 89 mm) and are meant to be traded with other artists.
I got started with art cards one day when I was in a rut with my art and it seemed like I couldn’t create anything that satisfied me. As I leafed through one of my assemblage art books, I ran across some miniature pieces of art created on small pieces of wood. I was inspired; I found a deck of playing cards and glued 2 of them together. I covered them with gesso and paint and started making my art. I was happily surprised at how easy it seemed to come together. It was a very satisfying experience.
As I thought about it, there are a lot of benefits to making art cards. First of all, it’s a good way to use up small bits of material and art supplies left over from other art projects- bits of lace, fabric, ribbon or pieces of textured paper or those odd and ends you’ve saved and were never able to use in your other art. For example, I’ve been saving “welding splats” gifted to me by a friend who welds. (welding splats is a term I coined for those pieces of welding material that “splat” on the table during the welding process and make cool metallic designs.)
Making art cards is a fun way to be creative without pressure. It’s not like painting a 12 by 18 inch canvas. If you don’t like the way your card turns out, it’s no big loss, you simply get another card and start over.
It’s also a way to use up those backgrounds you’ve created. Many artists have a stash of papers they’ve painted with paint left over from various projects. Sometimes, all you have to do is add a few embellishments or some text and your art card is done.
Another benefit of creating art cards is that you can create them fairly quickly, while you are waiting for your kids to get home from school, or a phone call from your boss or the clothes dryer to buzz.
It’s also a good way to practice new techniques before using them in a bigger project. Let’s say that you saw a cool technique you’d like to use in the mixed media piece you are creating for your grandma, but what if it doesn’t work the way you think it will? Try the technique on some art cards first and then you’ll have a better idea of how to proceed. Along this same line, you can use the art cards to test color and design combinations and figure out what elements will work together.
Art cards can be used to embellish or serve as a focal point in your mixed media pieces (greeting cards, journal or notebook covers etc.).
There are a lot of benefits to creating art cards- you can use up those leftover crafting bits and papers, it’s a way to warm up your creative muscles and build your confidence and test new design ideas and techniques. Go here to read part two, How to Make Art Cards.