Artist Trading Cards
Introduction to Mixed Media
BIG IDEA:
• Experimenting with art making techniques and materials
GOALS: For students to…
• Understand space, emphasis, and balance
• Learn how to use multiple media in one work of art
• Consider what it means to trade their work of art
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
• How can you create a successful work of art on such a small scale?
• How can you create a work of art using at least two different materials?
• How can you explore different ideas and create multiple works of art?
OBJECTIVES: Students will…
• Create at least 10 artist trading cards
• Stay within the size limit of 2 ½”x3 ½”
• Use at least two different materials per artist trading card and experiment with a
variety of materials
• Participate in a critique of the completed artist trading cards
• Participate in a trading session in class or via mail
STANDARDS: http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/
Elementary School:
• ART:
o Visual Arts/Creating, Grade 4, VA:Cr2.1.4: Explore and invent art-making
techniques and approaches.
o Visual Arts/Creating, Grade 5, VA:Cr2.1.5: Experiment and develop skills
in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice.
o Visual Arts/Creating, Grade 4, A:Cr2.2.4: When making works of art,
utilize and care for materials, tools, and equipment in a manner that
prevents danger to oneself and others.
o Visual Arts/Creating, Grade 5, VA:Cr2.2.5: Demonstrate quality
craftsmanship through care for and use of materials, tools, and equipment.
o Visual Art/Responding, Grade 4, VA:Re9.1.4: Apply one set of criteria to
evaluate more than one work of art.
o Visual Art/Responding, Grade 5, VA:Re9.1.5: Recognize differences
in criteria used to evaluate works of art depending on styles, genres, and
media as well as historical and cultural contexts.
Middle School:
• ART:
o Visual Arts/Creating, Grade 6, VA:Cr2.1.6: Demonstrate openness in
trying new ideas, materials, methods, and approaches in making works
of art and design.
o Visual Arts/Creating, Grade 7, VA:Cr2.1.7: Demonstrate persistence in
developing skills with various materials, methods, and approaches in
creating works of art or design
o Visual Arts/Creating, Grade 8, VA:Cr2.1.8: Demonstrate willingness to
experiment, innovate, and take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meanings
that emerge in the process of art-making or designing.
o Visual Arts/Responding, Grade 6, VA:Re9.1.6: Develop and apply
relevant criteria to evaluate a work of art.
o Visual Arts/Responding, Grade 7, VA:Re9.1.7: Compare and explain the
difference between an evaluation of an artwork based on
personal criteria and an evaluation of an artwork based on a set of
established criteria.
o Visual Arts/Responding, Grade 8, VA:Re9.1.8: Create a convincing and
logical argument to support an evaluation of art.
High School:
• ART:
o Visual Arts/Creating: VA:Cr1.2.HSII: Choose from a range
of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices
to plan works of art and design
o Visual Arts/Creating: VA:Cr2.1.HSI: Engage in making a work
of art or design without having a preconceived plan
o Visual Arts/Presenting: VA:Pr.4.1.HSI: Analyze, select,
and curate artifacts and/or artworks for presentation and preservation.
o Visual Arts/Responding: VA:Re9.1.HSI: Establish relevant criteria in
order to evaluate a work of art or collection of works.
SUPPLIES: Because the focus of the assignment is experimenting with materials,
supplies may vary based on what you have access to.
• 2 ½”x3 ½” cardstock (enough for each student to get at least 10 blank cards). Use
index cards, cut your own cardstock, or purchase from Blick:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/strathmore-artist-trading-cards/
• Rubber cement, Elmer’s glue, hot glue
• Scissors
• Magazines
• Newspaper
• Paint brushes
• Watercolor
• Acrylic paint
• Bleeding tissue paper
• Tape
• Markers
• Colored pencils
• Crayons
• Stamps, stencils
• Sharpies
• Pens, pencils, and other drawing material
• Mod Podge (can help seal layers once completed)
• Envelopes and stamps (If mailing works of art)
PRODUCT:
• At least 10 decorated artist trading cards created with more than one material
• Completed checklist
• Completed critique sheet
PRINTABLES:
• Artist Trading Card Artwork checklist
• Artist Trading Card Critique Sheet
• Artist Trading Card Rubric
BONUS:
• Artist Trading Card PowerPoint
VOCABULARY:
• Artist Trading Card: Small works of art, about the size of a baseball card. Created
to trade and share with other artists once completed
• Medium/Media: The material used to create a work of art (ex: acrylic paint,
pencil)
• Mixed Media Art: Artwork in the making of which more than one medium has
been employed.
• Altered Books: A form of mixed media artwork that changes a book from its
original form into a different form, altering its meaning.
• Collage: An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface,
often with unifying lines and color.
• Assemblage: A sculptural form of mixed media artwork. A three-dimensional
collage made from found objects.
• Element of Art, Space: the area between and around objects. The space around
objects is often called negative space.
• Principal of Design, Balance: a condition in which different elements are equal or
in the correct proportions.
• Principal of Design, Emphasis: Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the
viewer’s attention. Usually the artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it
with other areas. The area could be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc.
• Focal Point: the center of interest or activity
RESOURCES:
• ATCs for All: http://www.atcsforall.com/
• Artist Trading Cards (original site): http://www.artist-trading-cards.ch/
• Go Make Something: http://gomakesomething.com/category/ht/atcs/
• Artist Trading Cards on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artisttradingcards
IMPLEMENTATION: For a 50 minute class, times may vary.
DAY 1: Introduction
• Introduce the assignment using the Artist Trading Cards PowerPoint.
• Engage the students in a discussion during the PowerPoint about artist trading
cards, forms of art, and mixed media.
• Look at work from Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg
• Discuss if a tiny work of art can still be considered a work of art:
o Do you think these can still be considered works of art? Why/why not?
o Do you think they could have as much value as larger works of art?
o What influences the value of a work of art? What can value mean?
o Some of your creations might take longer than others; do the ones that
take longer have more value than the ones that take less time?
• Discuss the process of trading cards.
o How would you feel about giving away one of your works of art?
o Would you be willing to trade with another Artist?
o Why do you think they encourage face to face trading sessions?
o How can the mailing process influence or change the work of art?
• Show examples of artist trading cards and explain the variety of materials the
students can use to create their cards.
• Hand out checklist
• Have student experiment with materials in their sketchbooks. This does not mean
sketch out their plan for every card, the card making process should be more free
and organic, however, encourage students to test materials before committing to
using them on their cards.
• Allow students to start on their first card if they are ready.
DAY 2: Review and Produce
• Before students get to work review the project, requirements, and information
about artist trading cards.
• Focus on the Element of Art, space, and two Principles of Design, balance and
emphasis. Explain how all three should be successfully reflected in their
completed works of art. Discuss how emphasis and focal point go hand in hand,
and how focal point is very important for a successful work of art, no mater how
small.
• Allow students to get out supplies and start on their trading cards.
• As students complete their artist trading cards, have them put them on display on
the critique wall. This will not only force the student to display their work, but
also help inspire other students with their work of art.
• The last five minutes of class have students clean up.
DAY 3-5: Review and Produce
• Review project, requirements, vocabulary, and artist trading card information
• Allow students to work on their artist trading cards. If they complete more than
10, encourage them to make more.
• The last five minutes of class have students clean up.
DAY 6: Critique
• Introduce or review the critique process. Encourage constructive criticism and for
students to always start with positive comments.
• High school: have students participate in a verbal critique. Require each student to
say which trading card is their favorite, which was most inventive with materials,
and which best displays the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Encourage
use of vocabulary works and thorough description of the work of art.
o If you have an Intro class or large class, the worksheet might be the easiest
option for critique, or a combination of written and verbal.
• Middle and Elementary School: Have students stand up, go to the critique wall,
and encourage them to closely look at all of the works of art. Once they have had
a chance to look, pass out the critique sheets. Have students complete the sheets,
remind them to use vocabulary words, complete sentences, and describe the
works of art in detail. Once finished, have students hand in their worksheets or
include a verbal critique and allow students to share some of their responses.
• Once the critique is complete, have students take down their trading cards and
turn them in. Grade the trading cards before the trading session.
DAY 7: Trading Session or Mail Preparation
• Hand back the artist trading cards and rubrics. Have students participate in an in
class trading session.
• If you opt for the mail in trade, have students prepare their trading cards to be
mailed. Find more information about trading cards via mail here:
http://www.atcsforall.com/
Name: _____________________________
Artist Trading Card Checklist
o I have created AT LEAST 10 artist trading cards
o I have used AT LEAST 2 different materials on EACH artist trading
card
o All of my artist trading cards are 2 ½”x3 ½”
o EMPHASIS and FOCAL POINT are included in every artist trading
card
o BALANCE is evident in every artist trading card
o SPACE is used successfully in every artist trading card
o I completed the critique sheet
Name: _____________________________
Artist Trading Card Checklist
o I have created AT LEAST 10 artist trading cards
o I have used AT LEAST 2 different materials on EACH artist trading
card
o All of my artist trading cards are 2 ½”x3 ½”
o EMPHASIS and FOCAL POINT are included in every artist trading
card
o BALANCE is evident in every artist trading card
o SPACE is used successfully in every artist trading card
o I completed the critique sheet
Name: _____________________________
Artist Trading Card Critique
Take time to carefully look at EVERY work of art on display. Pay attention to the
variety of materials and techniques the artists used. Pay attention to whether or
not the artist fulfilled the project requirements. Mentally choose a few that really
stand out to you. You must choose a different artist trading card for every
question below.
1. Which artist trading card caught your attention first? Describe it IN DETAIL.
Why did this trading card catch your attention?
2. Which artist trading card has the best focal point/best uses emphasis? Why?
Describe in detail below.
3. Which artist trading card displays the best use of balance? Why? Describe in
detail below.
4. Which artist trading card displays the best use of space? Why? Describe in detail
below.
5. Which artist trading card has the most interesting use of mixed media and art
making techniques? Why? Describe in detail below.
6. What can you learn by looking at your peers’ works of art?
7. Which of YOUR artist trading cards do you think best meets the project
requirements?
Name: _____________________________
Artist Trading Card Rubric
Category
Expectations
Possible
Points
Comments
Score
ATC
Requirements
All of the ATC (Artist
trading card)
requirements were
meet including: size, at
least 10 cards
completed, and mixed
media on every card
25
Design
The design on every
card is unique,
creative, and
interesting. Various
materials and
techniques were
explored; emphasis,
focal point, balance,
and space are evident
and used successfully.
35
Participation
Student participated in
the critique and
trading/mailing session
10
Craftsmanship
Overall every trading
card looks neat, well
cared for, and thought
out
10
Creativity
Design is interesting,
student thought outside
of the box, and
experimented with
materials
10
Effort
Student used class time
well and put thought
into their works of art.
10
Grade:
