ATC number 17 of 20 Prompts series creative artist trading cArds

Are you ready to answer?

 

What’s always attractive?

 

Are you aware of an announcement?

En plein air which is French for in the open air painting isn’t a practice I’ve already taken up, although I admire artists who get outside of their walls to sketch or paint actual panorama, agricultural and angular areas. Another approach, “artist trading cards” is my latest avenue to advance creatively.

Front artist trading card (ATC) 17-of-20 in series.

An artist using an A-shaped easel painting at lake shore; inspired by the 17th letter in the Prompts series creative trading cArds and painted from imagination.

Admirable attitudes arise from adding adventurous activities.

Artistic insight is advantageous to capture amazing angles on camera, yet illustrations and paintings require more work. I was once a part of an an art class that walked to a residential area near the school we attended. We learned about linear perspective, an illustration process that creates an illusion of depth on a flat surface. Horizontal parallel lines converge at vanishing points on the composition’s horizon line. The assignment was to draw an actual home with gabled dormer windows on the roof by penciling guide lines with a straight edge ruler. Artwork from observation, on-site or indoors, involves attention to size of elements in the composition, lighting details, full saturation of color in foreground, tinting colors in the distance and use of shadows.

ATC back number 17-of-20 in series.

Title of the piece: Pondering Plein Air • Media used: watercolor and pencil on natural parchment style paper • Date created: 3.14.2024 • Artist name and signature: Elizabeth Knaus • Group or swap information: Creative Trading Cards • Artist contact info (website, email, etc.): freshretrogallery

Abundant reasons to appreciate and apply artistic skills.

Art is for personal amusement and accomplishing practical vocational opportunities. My father designed architectural drawings to plan the seed cleaning business he built with the help of my mother. I chose a career in communication art and design, so my creative graphic and written work is admitted through print and social media avenues.

Natural parchment style paper for artist trading card Pondering Plein Air painting, 17th in series using Prompts by FreshRetroGallery.

Artist trading cards awaken creativity as well as accesses a collaborative purpose.

Artists apply an aim to abbreviate by reducing dimensions of the works they create and are aware of advantages. Production cost and wall space limitations prove that unlimited conventional large artworks aren’t attainable for all artists. Working small size of artist trading cards (ATC) 3.5" by 2.5" accomplishes conserving and using up available medium on hand and adding multimedia applications such as altered playing cards. Additionally, the interaction of trading art adds a playful aspect.

Creative ATC Prompts for Artist Trading Cards

Always look to the Almighty Creator!

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. John 20:18

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6

Index for books of the Bible Sketches

3-of-20 ATC Prompts series

crEative artist trading card ideas

 

Everything in order?

How to establish concepts.

Want to to elevate your artistic train of thoughts? Want to figure out how to use time, materials and space efficiently?

Front No. 3-of-20 in ATC series

Random 10 Crayola metallic color crayons used to make an ATC inspired by FreshRetroGallery Prompts E-list of 60 words. E, the third letter in the group phrase crEative trading cards, is developed into an original 2.5x3 inch art piece on parchment style paper cut and printed on back for ATC making.

Enjoyable exchange plan.

Artist trading cards can be created in your own free time, or together with friends. The making process is a simple gift to yourself, or everyone in a group. You may choose to keep, give away, trade with someone, have a drawing, or take turns choosing. You’ll think of ideas such as: (1) everyone makes an ATC in the same location during a given amount of time, or (2) everyone is asked to bring a ready-made-ATC to the event. For example, seven other neighbor women came to my home for a simple meal and “new easy game”. Near the end of our time together, I passed out 8 little pieces of numbered paper for a drawing to determine the sequence each of us chose an ATC handmade by someone else. Everyone was a winner!

Efficiency is an element of art productivity and space.

Eventually, downsizing a dwelling space makes sense for many people. The size of artist trading cards is perfect for spaces that crave a small touch of original handmade art. Small enough to collect in an envelope or album, their beauty can be displayed in a fancy dish, simple box or clipped to a string banner for light wall art. 

Have you ever heard, “time is money”? Someone who’s willing to pay you to design, create and produce something, realizes value in your work. Your goal may be to design a large series of paintings for one who appreciates art enough to pay you for a grouping to hang on a long wall, cohesive with the interior of the entire space of a restaurant, bank, or home. Efficiency comes into play by beginning thumbnail size. 2.5x3" ATC size is wise for experimentation to save time and material expenses that will eventually be spent to create massive artworks. Time and budget spent on artwork is constricted by agreeable goals and integrity. 

Exercise mindfulness.

Exercising the process of making ATCs helps people grow a full mind. Make time to practice developing a quality. Enhance your right-brain thinking and lean into innovative creativity using Prompts.  

Numero 3 ATC back

Title of the piece: Random Ten • Media used: pencil, Crayola Metallic Crayons • Date created: 3.24.2024 • Artist name and signature: Elizabeth Knaus • Group or swap information: Creative Trading Cards • Artist contact info (website, email, etc.): freshretrogallery

 

Group or swap information is written on the back of each ATC in the series. 

Group/swap goal for this ATC: use the third letter of the phrase crEative trading cards. Inspiration for the 2.5x3.5" piece of art is influenced by the prompt list of 60 words under the letter E. Learn more about Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards.

 

ATC 3 of 20 in series, front and back, using Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards.

Thanks for evaluating my ideas of how to enjoy life.

Examine the details of Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards and the full line of gifts and helpful products at FreshRetroGallery.

Try Creative ATC Prompts for Artist Trading Cards.

Creative ATC Prompts for Artist Trading Cards

Prompts for ATC 1-of-20 in series

Creative artist trading cards!

 

Can cold and cute give you warm fuzzies?

Collage assembles thoughts begging to come out and play.

C is for Christ! Enjoy thinking ahead of activities for Christmas parties and interesting gifts to give. Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards are a fun choice for all ages, especially played on a rainy or snow day! Hands making something out of mindful ideas change the pace, lighten what’s heavy and squash boredom. When you shop for loved ones on your gift list, order one for yourself, too :)

Number 1-of-20 in a series of ATC, front

Collage ATC on natural parchment style paper colored blue under layer of snowy looking art paper; cotton ball snowman has black paper hat/eye/mouth/buttons, an orange colored pencil tip nose, rainbow ribbon scarf, plant stem arms—assembled under a clear protective piece of an upcycled window envelope layer with blue sketched C on top.

 

My example is based on a pre-decided group or swap information, written on the back of this ATC series. 

The goal for this ATC was to use the first letter of the phrase Creative trading cards. Inspiration for my first of the 2.5x3.5" pieces of art is influenced by the prompt list of 60 words under the letter C. Learn more about Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards.

Number 1-of-20 in a series of ATC, back

Title of the piece: Cold and Cute • Media used: colored pencil, sharpie, papers, cotton, branches, ribbon, glue, window envelope • Date created: 2.5.2024 • Artist name and signature: Elizabeth Knaus • Group or swap information: Creative Trading Cards • Artist contact info (website, email, etc.): freshretrogallery

 

I love brainstorming phone conversations, texts and messages with my daughter Laura.

Everyone’s creative because we’re created in our Creator’s image. So far, some people haven’t practiced creativity much. Others practice it daily to organize thoughts, instill thinking skills, expand problem-solving capacity while working in careers such as farming, teaching, chef, business, engineering, graphic design, art direction, etc. Satisfying healthy benefits of creativity are hidden in the secrets of its mysterious pleasure. Timing and degree of pursuing God’s gift of creativity, varies. Thanks to encouragement of family, an artist may have practiced it from a very young age; however, that opportunity wasn’t in the cards for others who, still, have yet to discover its quality. Curiosity enhances the creative process, plus, it becomes an ongoing advantage in application to many activities. Ignited, renewed, advocated by a friend, caretaker, or gifted from a grandchild—ATC making is an excellent way to connect youthful-to-midlife-to-elderly generations. Easily start and increase creative experimentation. Using Prompts boosts confidence to embrace possibilities. Getting together brings joy in-person and many ways connections are possible. Prompts for making creative ATC is a sort of game which brings out the best of each person’s unique creative abilities.

ATC 1 of 20 in series, front and back, using Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards.

 

Thanks for looking and considering my ideas of how to enjoy life.

I’m excited to add Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards to my line of gifts and helpful products at FreshRetroGallery.

Prompts for ATC creative artist trading cards

New! Prompts for ATCs at FreshRetroGallery

Who introduced you to art?

 

Mom, Dad, Grandma, sisters?

 

Teachers, friends, children, grandchildren?

Are you thankful people helped you understand the importance of art and cheered you on to play with it? Though you may not realize it’s good for you, try making a little piece of art and you’ll, literally, see what you think! Become a self-taught creative driver of your own beneficial artistic processes. Practice personal reflection just for the fun of transforming a blank space into a doodle or sketch.

Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards (ATC)

Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards (ATC) FreshRetroGallery

 Back side of ATC

Title of the piece: Retro Lettering • Media used: 2 way color retro pen fine & thick • Date created: 9:29 am 7.11.2024 • Artist name and signature: Elizabeth Knaus • Group or swap information: Parchment ATC • Artist contact info (website, email, etc.): FreshRetroGallery

My popular artistic designs—family tree ancestry and descendant charts—began as thumbnail sketches about the size of an Artist Trading Card before I developed the concepts to print full size.

The natural parchment style paper originally comes from trees which are milled, mixed by specific recipes and made into large sheets that are eventually run through a printing press. After the ink dries, the paper is trimmed to the size of the graphic art. I consciously take care not to waste, so, all parts of the large sheet are used for various projects. 

Love notes, sincere gratitude, Bible books scrolls, handmade journals, as well as blank, number 10 and A-2 stationery come from a portion of the press sheet left-over from my family tree chart designs. 

You’re welcome to try out my new Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards (ATC). I’m excited to encourage you to experiment with a Swiss artist’s concept to trade art, spreading worldwide since the 1990s. ATCs are 2.5x3.5 inches.

Retro Lettering

Santa once put scented markers in my stocking! As a child, I often hand lettered with markers and added a darker shadow on one side and bottom of the letters. On this ATC, I enjoyed the flat chiseled edge and fine point ends of this five-color set of pens.

ATC size blanks with printed backs

Retro Lettering. ATC front-back parchment style paper available at FreshRetroGallery

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• How is Paper Made?
• Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards ATCs