Art Card Project About Postage
Create ATCs, Graceful Envelope Style, With Used Postage
Incorporating pieces of used postage into art is both fun and easy. Create small pieces of mixed media art by following the instructions outlined here.
If you are not familiar with Graceful Envelopes, please read the article written here.
There are a lot of ways to incorporate used postage (or faux postage) into mixed media art projects. This particular project is the incorporation of used postage on to an ATC in order to create something similar to a graceful envelope.
For this mixed-media art project, you will need the following materials:
- One or more ATC blanks
- One or more pieces of used or faux postage depicting a picture of your choice
- Heavy-duty glue stick
- Acrylic or watercolor paint
- Watercolor pencils
- Paintbrushes
- Small containers of water
- Glitter gel pens or an ultra-fine black sharpie
Follow these simple instructions to complete this mixed-media art card project:
- If you are working on more than one ATC, place all of your materials in front of you for easy access. It is quicker to work on each step on each ATC at once. You may wish to work on each separate, though, and that is fine.
- Create a color wash as the background for each ATC. Choose a color that compliments or matches the main color featured in the stamps chosen for this project. Allow the paint to dry completely before moving on to the next step. Speed drying time through use of a heat gun or a hair dryer.
- Affix the stamp to the ATC using the heavy-duty glue stick. The stamp’s placement depends completely on the art you are going to create on this ATC. If you are creating something that looks like a traditional envelope, then follow that lead. If you are incorporating the stamp into something else, then it will need to be positioned so it matches up properly. It may be necessary to sketch plans out in your art journal ahead of time.
- Create a drawing using the watercolor pencils matching, or that is inspired by, the picture depicted in the postage stamp. Fill the color in with more watercolor pencil manipulation, or with the palette used for the color wash. Allow the painting to dry completely before moving on to the next step. Again, using a heat gun or hair dryer will speed this process.
- Add your return address and a faux address to the ATC using the glitter gel pens or the black ultra-fine sharpie.
As mentioned, there are many alternatives for using used postage in ATCs. Experiment with different techniques, materials, and manipulations. Do not limit yourself just to this idea about mirroring graceful envelope techniques.
