Would this type of painting make a good tarot card for a deck?

Aina

geoxena said:
Oh, I really like the style of this painting! I think it's great and certainly appropriate for a Tarot deck!

About the stars surrounding the largest one in the center, what I think is not necessarily that they need to be more star-shaped, but that they should be smaller - if you are going to include them at all. I feel that they could be half the size they are or smaller- it's perfectly fine if they are just twinkly dots. I think the large star needs to really take center stage.

I'm a new member here, so I haven't read much of the forum yet, but I hope that my feedback is helpful!

Wow, thank you so much for writing your opinion. I appreciate it. Maybe you're right about the stars. The small ones are just balls (well, in real-life the stars are not star-shaped)

I will probably have to repaint this picture to improve some proportions of the lady and the overall correctness of the painting. I'll just need to spend some more time with it

Thanks again for commenting! I am a new member too, by the way

Aina

rota said:
I think it's kind of busy, but that's just one person's opinion. The most important quality of a tarot card image should be how quickly and easily it is read, and anything that gets in the way of reading should be dispensed with.

But busy-ness is not a deal-breaker. Lots of good decks are amazing busy, with floating symbols everywhere, fussy art, and odd color combinations.... it can certainly be done!

++++++

Hi, thank you very much for commenting on this thread and offering your feedback. What you said about the most important qualities of a tarot card image definitely makes sense. I also prefer to buy decks with clear and aesthetic images that are easy to read and soothes the mind rather than engulfs it with unnecessary distractions. That's why I kind of doubted at first whether this sort of painting would do as a tarot card image and that's why I've put it on this thread. In any case, some might like and some might not like. I think, the one that paints might be the one that only does the job but not necessarily likes it. For example, I adore the drawings in Cosmic Tarot and painting in Druid Craft but I no way could paint like that, so that makes me "dislike" my images a little. My husband, by the way, was not a fan of this one

Aina

rylla said:
I like it too. In my view this painting goes very well for a tarot deck.

Thanks for saying it! I needed to hear that!

Aina

Margo9023 said:
Hi Aina! I like your style and would definitely like a Tarot deck like this. I would definitely continue! I have drawn several cards in pencil but I haven't mastered using paints so I'm afraid of destroying my drawings. Maybe I'll get the courage to continue drawing more Tarot cards and being able to paint them. When I paint on canvas I usually do better with a coat of color - then things just come alive by seeing things no one else sees - like faces - I'll create by seeing but never seen these people before lol! And their usually in turbans. Best wishes!
Margo

Hello Margo! Glad to hear you like the style. People in turbans! I love that! I am actually making 4 decks in one go, 2 are fast ones and 2 are "long term ones", as I call it. In my one long term deck I have also made 4-5 drawings and cannot decide what to do with coloring part so not to spoil them. As they are on A4 sized paper (easy scanning), I might just as well color them with high quality pencils which I haven't purchased yet. So it's on hold. I also "see people's faces" in my imagination and they are "alive". I suppose they might be ascended masters or someone from the higher domain, someone that lived on Earth before or something like that. Many of mine also have turbans because I kind of specialize in Indian and Middle Eastern theme if I could put it this way but I usually want to include ALL races in a tarot deck because many people at this time are the "citizens of the world" rather than one country of one particular race. I like that idea. Good luck with your deck!

Aina

Chronata said:
I think it's very cool. The woman reminds me of Isis, and I like the textural feel of the paint strokes.
Don't worry so much about being more realistic...there are enough of those decks out there already (CGI, photo collage)
Yours is more interesting, because it has a painterly style.
I am curious to see more!

Thank you, Chronata, for the feedback. Actually this was very inspiring. I was about to abandon this idea because it will take so much time and money to paint 78 pictures and in one painting I will use one packet of acrylic paint. It may take a year or 6 months if I am fast. Then, of course, no one will publish it because I am in India, so the work will remain useless and a "waste-of time" (my painting skills might improve though).
But when someone says they like it and I should go on, I feel the surge of energy coming in and it all starts looking very easy.
The relieving thought here is that, as you say, there are many amazing realistic decks out there and there is no need to try and make mine like that. I can understand it because I love that black and white linoleum cutting deck "Light and Shadow Tarot" which looks just so beautiful but not really very realistic or standard. Thanks again, for your comment!

starlightexp

I think it's not so much as the type of painting but rather the style you like to work with that you can sustain over 78 cards and to be sure to start in the right aspect ratio that will shrink down to be the card size you want

Aina

starlightexp said:
I think it's not so much as the type of painting but rather the style you like to work with that you can sustain over 78 cards and to be sure to start in the right aspect ratio that will shrink down to be the card size you want

Yes, I thought about that. It should be simple enough to contain the basics and some detail for the sake of it not to be real plain and boring. I bet it would be hard to paint the "5 of wands", "the 10 of pentacles" and even the "10 of swords" where there are many things and people involved. If I make them to tiny, they won't be visible in the card, I should change the overall composition, because I don't want my brush size to go all 000 and couldn't fit a big canvas (I use paper) into my camera lens. That's how I think, lol. All practical. But then it's better to do it first and then look at it, hard to talk about paintings when they are not there yet because plans change and ideas come and go while painting

Margo9023

Aina said:
Hello Margo! Glad to hear you like the style. People in turbans! I love that! I am actually making 4 decks in one go, 2 are fast ones and 2 are "long term ones", as I call it. In my one long term deck I have also made 4-5 drawings and cannot decide what to do with coloring part so not to spoil them. As they are on A4 sized paper (easy scanning), I might just as well color them with high quality pencils which I haven't purchased yet. So it's on hold. I also "see people's faces" in my imagination and they are "alive". I suppose they might be ascended masters or someone from the higher domain, someone that lived on Earth before or something like that. Many of mine also have turbans because I kind of specialize in Indian and Middle Eastern theme if I could put it this way but I usually want to include ALL races in a tarot deck because many people at this time are the "citizens of the world" rather than one country of one particular race. I like that idea. Good luck with your deck!

Hi Aina! Wow! You are very busy. I can't believe I finally found someone that can relate to what I'm seeing (from channeling or I'm not sure what it is called) and creating these people. This is fascinating! I luv all cultures but for some reason these images come to life! I like the colored pencil too. I'm hoping to be able to move along further once my child is back to school. If I can can I contact you sometime? I just can't believe I finally feel like someone can relate to what comes out when I draw.
Luv & Peace,
Margo

Aina

Margo9023 said:
Hi Aina! Wow! You are very busy. I can't believe I finally found someone that can relate to what I'm seeing (from channeling or I'm not sure what it is called) and creating these people. This is fascinating! I luv all cultures but for some reason these images come to life! I like the colored pencil too. I'm hoping to be able to move along further once my child is back to school. If I can can I contact you sometime? I just can't believe I finally feel like someone can relate to what comes out when I draw.
Luv & Peace,
Margo

Hey Margo, you can contact me anytime through the PM over here. I think it's not a big deal, there is a very thin line between drawing and channeling. Sometimes it's hard to say if you're drawing from your imagination or channeling. I have read somewhere though, that our visions are there for purpose and our mission is to manifest them. So see you soon!

Margo9023

Aina

Aina said:
Hey Margo, you can contact me anytime through the PM over here. I think it's not a big deal, there is a very thin line between drawing and channeling. Sometimes it's hard to say if you're drawing from your imagination or channeling. I have read somewhere though, that our visions are there for purpose and our mission is to manifest them. So see you soon!

Hi Aina! Thank you so much! I will be in contact. : )
Then maybe, I should continue with my drawing. There must be a purpose.
Luv & Peace,
Margo