This preliminary pencil rough is my starting point for creating an original Artist Trading Card (also called ATC or ACEO). These cards are sold on eBay as original art or as artist's samples for collectors.

If I have several pieces of artwork with the same theme, I may get them professionally reproduced and sell the themed set as Limited Edition Prints.

This first sketch is my form of visual note-taking and I usually rough out several different ideas for each Artist Trading Card. The finished size will be 2.5" x 3.5" tall.

Adding details

Now it's time to take the artwork to the next level. I have to pick one of my original rough ideas.

Then I redraw the art on heavy-weight water color paper. I like to start with an ink outline and then add all the tiny details.

Note the fine lines used in the flower wreath, dress and wings. It's starting to take shape.

Highlights & shadows

Now it's time to lay in the shadows and build the form up into a dimensional image.

On this example I've used a sepia wash for the highlights and shadows. Sepia is generally a good color for the underpainting.

Finishing touches

This is the fun, but scary part of creating original artwork.

The image really starts to come to life as the various colors are washed over the underpainting. But if I make a mistake at this point... it can't be fixed and I have to start all over again!

Voilà... here's the finished artwork!

This is how I create an original illustration for an Artist Trading Card (ATC or ACEO). For this demo, I used Wilson and Newton colored inks on 300 lb. watercolor paper.

If you have any questions about me--or my artwork--send email to: