ACEO - How to make a simple ACEO Original

"Tutorial Post"
I recently became interested in how to make an ACEO while reading posts at NotebookInHand (a really great site you should check out if you're a creative person wanting to be in the company of other creative people)..... http://www.notebookinhand.com   


I wanted to learn how to make one so I started looking around, found out that ACEO is an acronym for Art Cards, Editions and Originals.  Basically there is only one rule involved in creating an ACEO and that is it has to measure 2-1/2" X 3-1/2".  I learned the history of ACEO and of ATC (Art Trading Cards), but not that much on how to make an original ACEO.  


While I was making one of my first ACEO cards, my husband suggested I photograph all the steps and post "How To Make An ACEO" on my blog.  Good suggestion!  So that is what this Post is about ... 


I first get inspiration from something ... in this case it was a plaster Hooded Monks' Heads Candle Holder that has been in my husband's family for ages ...

I then needed some type of paper that was fairly heavy to work with and remembered a bunch of matte board scraps we had salvaged earlier from a local picture frame company and thought "Aha! That would be perfect!"  ...  so I gathered up my scrap for recycling into an ACEO.  I then cut a pattern, 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" to draw onto the piece I would be using ...

Using the dark blue pattern, I traced it onto the white matte board...

I then drew on a rough draft in pencil...

Worked on the sketch some more...

Took a .005mm ink pen and inked over the pencil sketching...

Erased all the pencil lines...

Found a box of Water Color Colored Pencils ... I had never used these type of pencils before, so now was a good time to experiment!

I colored in the areas I wanted done in watercolor effect, layering the colors to get the colors I was seeking.  I only had 8 pencils so  I figured by layering I could get close to the color I was seeking ... 

Found a paint brush and water, brushed on the water and achieved the following results:

After this I went back to my regular colored pencils and began applying a base color for the flesh... 

Now began shading the face and other areas of the picture that I wanted enhanced...

Once the picture was shadowed and enhanced I began the inking process...

For finer lines, as around the eyes and face I used a .005mm pen, for outline strokes I used a heavier stroke with a .3mm pen...

I then went on to add details to the picture using .1mm, .2mm, and .005mm pens
with the finished results shown below ...

Now its off to the cutting board to trim it down to regulation ACEO standard measurements...

With this completed I have my regulation size ACEO!

But, I want it to look a bit more finished so I grab a marker pen and darken the edges as show in this next example ....

To finish off the piece, I turn it over and title, date and sign the piece, completing the ACEO!  I did it!

I had previously done Hooded Monk #1 and Hooded Monk #3, so with the completion of Hooded Monk #2 I have a completed set.  What do you think?

I hope you have enjoyed and perhaps learned a bit through my little guided journey into the making of an Original ACEO!