Quality vs. quantity in artist trading cards

Quality in art is hard to define for some people, and easy to define for art critics, curators and professional artists. Since most ATC creators are NOT professional artists, I will be speaking to those people. While all of us (even non-crafters) have a certain style of art that appeals to us and are able to communicate those that repel us, most cannot explain what makes it “quality” art.

Any person, whether they call themselves an artist or not can make quality art. There are a few ingredients to making art of a good quality and they are not complex. Like anything else in life, it takes time to develop good habits in your art studio (if it’s your dining room table, that’s fine too!) and they will take you far.

Let’s talk about the ingredients that make up art of a pleasing quality. First and foremost, knowing your art materials and how they work are of utmost importance in getting the most out of them and avoiding frustration and blockage while you’re trying to create. You can learn anything you need to know about your art materials from reading their label, contacting the manufacturer, visiting their website, surfing the web for art materials info and learning from others who already have experience with these products. Help is abundant in how to books which are available in libraries, bookstores and online groups.

Second, practice makes perfect…right? Well, almost! Some folks who have been creating for years may still feel their work is “not quite there yet” but they continue to create. That’s the key! Keep at it. Getting good at making any kind of art is all about spending time at it. Do you think Olympic athletes could just practice once a week and hope to win any medals? Of course not. That same theory applies to any craft or hobby. Spending as little as 20 minutes a day creating will help to polish your skills as an artist. There are many books available that will use lessons to help you build upon your art repertoire.

Third, slowing down and enjoying the art process is what creating is all about. If you try to “crank out” 20 ATC’s in two hours, they will look like you “cranked them out” in two hours. No one can expect to deliver something nice looking in a rushed environment. Take the time to doodle, turn your radio to something you like, have good lighting at your desk so you’re able to see all of your canvas/paper/etc and get rid of any distractions such as kids/pets/noise as much as possible. Take your time and repeat your strokes on scrap paper, use an old envelope from today’s mail and paint on it. You will not feel pressured to make the next great work of art and will relax your hands and comfortably create what comes from within.

Last, don’t let anyone see your art that is liable to criticize you in a less than supportive way when you are a fledgling artist. Many people who are not creative do not have the “right” words to say when faced with a family or friend’s art and the wrong thing will make you feel like you’ve failed. There is no “right” or “wrong” in creating, just jump in and start. That is the hardest part. Work at your art, step away from it and look at it in a day, a week or a month later and you will see something different. Don’t put pressure to look like any certain artist you admire, they have their style and you will develop your style. Copying is part of learning art, but not when we are past the learning stage. Then we must make it our own using our own significant symbolism and style. Read books on design at the library. Lark Books makes a wonderful book on design written by Steven Aimone.

Learn the elements and principles of design and practice them one by one using different warm up exercises during your free time. Sketch items that are right around you, flowers, shoes, pets, fruits, furniture, etc. All you need is a pencil and some copy paper. Everyone who says they can’t draw just hasn’t spent the time necessary to teach themselves how to “see” the lines, shadows and highlights of an ordinary object. You can do it! I know you can. Spend the time making your best work and you will be proud of yourself knowing you really did your best. Hopefully you will be more aware of someone else’s hard work when you receive their art in return!

Happy creating!
Sharon Zimmer