I recently discovered something — Artist Trading Cards.
Someone gave me a small packet of blank paper cards — 2.5″ x 3.5″. The description on the package said that they were Artist Trading Cards. Apparently, they have social media hashtags and everything. It said the intent was for artists to paint small original pieces of art which could then be traded back and forth. The cards were small enough that you couldn’t spend a lot of time on each one, so they were not supposed to be major creations. However, each one would still be a true, original creation.
The cards in the packet were textured like canvas, so more tailored to painting on with oils or acrylics. Since I have been working in watercolor, I took a larger sheet of 140lb, cold pressed watercolor paper and cut it down to smaller pieces — the same size as in the original packet. Since then, I have had fun painting several of these, sometimes as details of larger figures I have painted, and sometimes as independent works.
While the small format of the paintings is, in itself, a fun challenge, ultimately, I hope to find other artists who have made some of these and actually do some swaps.
I have collected several here:
Chuck, I would love to take this challenge! I do not feel very skilled in watercolor but I truly love pyrography and would welcome the chance to do some trading cards on watercolor paper..(pure experimentation!) Let me know your thoughts.
Penny Marsh
Penny, sounds like a fascinating experiment to try! Really, the only requirement is the size, and the fact that you’re ready to trade them for other similar small artwork.