Oakschool’s ATC Mania: Seven Weeks to Create, Collect, and Connect Your Artist Trading Cards
This week, we begin our third week of ATC Mania! ATC Mania is a schoolwide asynchronous Oakschool art class offered by Sage Oak art teacher Eliza Rogan. ATC stands for Artist Trading Card. These are small, collectible pieces of art that artists can create and trade with each other. Each card is typically 2.5 x 3.5 inches in size, and it can be made as a drawing, painting, collage, or other types of mixed media.
Over seven weeks, YOU have the opportunity to create Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) by following the new lessons released each week. This Oakschool course is entirely free for all Sage Oak students, and you can work at your own pace, anytime and anywhere. For those who are just joining, you still have time to create the two inspiring projects Ms. Rogan has guided us through so far:
- Neurographic Art ATC: We started with calming, abstract designs that let your mind wander while creating beautiful, free-form art.
- Experimental Collage ATC: We explored texture and color by layering found materials and experimenting with unique paper sources.
This Week’s Spotlight: Blackout Poetry and Collage Poetry ATCs
This week, we’re mixing words and art in a new way. Ms. Rogan teaches us how to create blackout poetry using old books or magazine pages. You’ll pick out words that catch your eye, circle them, and use a fine-point Sharpie to black out the surrounding text, creating your own poem. You can also cut out words from old books, newspapers, or magazines and arrange them with colorful shapes or cut-out images on your ATC. Don’t worry if you don’t have it all planned out! Ms. Rogan encourages you to let your creativity take the lead. You can take her lesson by viewing the video below.
Don’t forget there are more lessons to look forward to as we continue to create our ATCs:
- Week 4 – Abstract Watercolor Techniques and Laminating – Play with watercolors and create layered textures with laminating film or Mod Podge.
- Week 5 – Milagro Style Art and Repousse Techniques – Use fun materials like tin foil and aluminum cans to create Milagro-inspired pieces.
- Week 6 – Tiny Landscape ATC – Craft small, detailed landscapes perfect for honing your fine art skills.
- Week 7 – Creating an ATC Portfolio and “Big Mail Off” – Showcase your creations and prepare to exchange your cards with fellow Sage Oak artists!
Don’t forget to upload your ATCs to the ATC Mania Community Padlet. It’s the perfect spot to share and see the cards others are working on. Ms. Rogan and the other ATC makers can’t wait to see the amazing pieces you’ve been working on!
Keep watching Sage News for weekly updates and links to new lessons so you can continue to create, collect, and connect. Sage Oak has a wide variety of Oakschool class offerings with something for everyone. Click here to see them all!