Making Artist Trading Cards and ACEOs
Lately I’ve been obsessed with making ACEOs and Artist Trading Cards. They have been a great way to beat artist block!
What are ACEOs, you may ask?
ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions, and Originals. They can be made in any medium, the only rule is that they must be the size of a traditional trading card, which is 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. ACEOs and ATCs (Artist Trading cards) are pretty much the same thing except that ATCs are for trade and ACEOs are for sale.
I’m no stranger to making, selling, and trading tiny art. Most typically have been 3″ x 3″ mountain and volcano landscapes and tiny bugs that were smaller. However, more recently I was dealing with artist block. I saw other artists making and selling ACEOs on the interwebs. I thought I would give them a try. While I have only sold a few so far, I have also traded a few, and making them has done wonders for my creativity.
How do you make ACEOs and ATCs?
The answer to this question is truly “however you would like”! I personally use large sheets of Strathmore Mixed Media paper and cut it down to size using a paper trimmer. I often will paint a watercolor background over the entire paper before cutting it, but I have also done this after as well. I often have scraps leftover that I save to use for other tiny projects. Once I have my paper cut into multiple trading cards, I create individual paintings or drawings from each one.
If you are making ACEOs and ATCs yourself, you can use whatever paper or backing you have available! I have seen people make them out of clay, cardboard, cross-stitch, etc. If you are making traditional art it is definitely recommended to use quality paper. Otherwise, if you use non-traditional materials be sure to disclose what you used if you are selling or trading. Otherwise, the only real rule is making sure that they are 2.5″ by 3.5″, so many possibilities!
Why do I love ACEOs and ATCs so much?
First of all I love tiny things and think that they are so cute. They are a very accessible form of art. I personally struggle with finishing larger projects sometimes, but when I’m working small it is much easier to complete a series or project. Making ACEOs has allowed me to test out multiple different ideas quickly without the same time and material commitment as my bigger pieces. Because of this my linework and style has improved rapidly. I also have a clearer vision and more motivation for some of my larger projects.
I also love the ACEO community that I have seen online. Seeing the creativity of other artists has been wonderful. I also love that the low barrier to entry is inspiring more people to pick up pen, pencils, or paint and create something.
Here is a video showing some of the ACEOs that I made when I first started creating them to break out of my artist block.
If you got this far into my post, thank you! I have some of my ACEOs available for sale on eBay if you are interested in owning an affordable piece of original art. I am planning on making prints of some of them in the future. I am also using them here on my site to continue to build my little dreamworld.
Besides all that, I hope that you try making some ACEOs or ATCs of your own!