Vritra Atu 0
+O+ When drawing Tarot, I find that its best to begin by sketching the composition or layout of the picture. I do this based on a list of predetermined Arcana ideas I have written down and think will look good and represent the archetype - but sometimes the only way to see if that image will work is to sketch it first.
When I worked with the Naos Deck I foolishly used pieces of paper that were A6, a quarter of an A4. It meant that detail was very hard to put in and painting was a real challenge, especially for any fine lines. I'm working with A4 this time around - I'd go larger but shrinking them down is problematic. This limits what I can draw and also the orientation of the cards which are portrait and not landscape for Tarot. [Of course, by improving my drawing skills, I've also doomed myself to having to improve my painting!]
The preliminary sketch doesn't have to be fantastic or detailed - its important just to lay down the basic geometric shapes and outlines and also to see the geometry of the negative space or the places where you haven't drawn on the paper. For me, getting the right aesthetic shapes is crucial - they need to be pleasing, and the right curve inward or outward on any line can make all the difference.
After deciding that I like the look of it I then try to re-draw the initial sketch, adjusting and redrawing the basic shapes a bit at a time to resemble what I want. If I can do this whilst still keeping within the relative placement on the original image, not making the jaw too long that it messes with another feature or obscures something - then I'm pretty happy.
This is Archetype 0 - Vritra the Void Dragon. Vritra is an ancient Indo-European Sentience in Indus legend that prefigured the Gods themselves - a titanic dragon like serpent [Think, Planet-Smasher] he devoured and kept the worlds waters to itself preventing life on Earth, Gods began to appear and challenge him but he devoured them too. That was until Indra slew Vritra, spilling the waters of life into the Earth and allowing life to flourish. Owing to the Temple of THEM's current based around the Mastery of Form and the interrelationship between the natural formation of the world unfolding and the growth of the psyche, Vritra forms Atu 0 of Tendril - the pre-archetypal foundation of all archetypes. +O+