What's an ATC??? Artist Trading Cards are works of art that
are TRADED. An ATC can be made from paper, fabric, plastic, metal,
playing cards, wood, frosting (yep, you read correctly - it has been
done!), or whatever. They can be decorated with paint, collage,
crayon, pencil, photography, words, buttons, thread, folded teabags,
whatever you want to use to say what you want to say with your art.
They can contain elements that fold, slide, spin, or simply sit still.
Most of the ATCs I've seen are rectangular, but it's also OK to "think
outside the box" and create an ATC that is any shape you want. There
are only two restrictions:
- The maximum dimensions are 2.5" x 3.5" (the size of a
standard playing card or sports trading card). Please note
that this doesn't mean that they can't unfold into something
larger.
- They are traded, never sold.
It's not a restriction, but it is nice if the card isn't overly bulky
so it can fit into a sleeve that's made for trading cards. (Many
people display their cards in one.) However, I gotta repeat that
this isn't a restriction. So, while I might not consider a pyramid with a
2.5" x 3.5" base an ATC, someone else might.
Who makes ATCs? Anyone who wants to. You don't
have to be an "artist." There are no age/gender/other restrictions.
What are you waiting for.... jump in there and create!
Where can you trade them??? If you're lucky enough to live in
an area with other "ATCers," you can go to a live trading session where
people get together to meet and exchange cards. Otherwise, there
are some online trading forums. The one I'm participating in is
ATCsforALL.com and there are folks
from all over the world meeting on this site to trade cards either
directly with other individuals or through swaps in which participants
send in a set of cards and receive the same number of cards from other
participants in return. Check out the incredible artwork available
on this site and, if you're inspired to, sign up (for free) and trade
some of your own creations. |
