Kgirl
Indeed. I think the pencil drawing is really quite striking and has so much depth.
Tarot Artist Wanted
McFaire
I have a wild suggestion Lance. Have you thought of attempting some artwork yourself?
Speaking from experience, I have seen people in their 40s 50s 60s+ discover artistic abilities that they never dreamed they had.
Your writing accomplishments indicate a creative spirit, and your years of cartomancy (mentioned in your profile) indicate a keenly honed intuitive mind. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you discovered your inner artist at this stage.
We tend to believe that "a hand for drawing" is something that you are either born with, or not -- but, a great deal of what we see in art is learned. You'll not likely learn to be Michelangelo or Mozart. But you may be amazed at what you can create, especially with today's digital tools which allow unlimited editing.
If this idea interests you, let me know. I can tell you more about my experiences and how I have seen this play out.
Speaking from experience, I have seen people in their 40s 50s 60s+ discover artistic abilities that they never dreamed they had.
Your writing accomplishments indicate a creative spirit, and your years of cartomancy (mentioned in your profile) indicate a keenly honed intuitive mind. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you discovered your inner artist at this stage.
We tend to believe that "a hand for drawing" is something that you are either born with, or not -- but, a great deal of what we see in art is learned. You'll not likely learn to be Michelangelo or Mozart. But you may be amazed at what you can create, especially with today's digital tools which allow unlimited editing.
If this idea interests you, let me know. I can tell you more about my experiences and how I have seen this play out.
Cartomancer
Hi McFaire,
I would like to have advice about artistic matters.
The art I am attempting is based on old star maps that portray what the tarot images picture and I have a number of pre-art pieces already done. It is my belief that the creators of tarot Major Arcana images had secret information that they used to carry on an ancient wisdom system. The Golden Dawn and Waite had information that ties his work to secret knowledge systems that existed thousands of years ago. My experience in CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, and other software programs is helpful in forming the basis of the art such as the Fool card as seen in the link. I cannot imagine that I will ever be a great artist or even an adequate one, but I can provide exact details for an artist to create cards that demonstrate why the cards look the way they do. I had special training in the decipherment of ancient symbols such as the Hebrew and Phoenician alphabet as well as an introduction to Egyptian, Chinese, Mayan and other writing forms and have been doing graphics for these as they relate to the Tarot. I have worked with several professional artists in the production of Tarot images, but I suspect that my current attempt at collaboration may be tricky and I welcome advice about such matters. It is my opinion that uncovering the secrets of the Tarot and sharing this wisdom is a noble pursuit and I salute those in this forum that contribute to this endeavor. - Lance
McFaire
How interesting -- your background in digital arts, in addition to the other factors I mentioned. Stay open on this aspect!
Because of the depth and breadth of this material, I think it would be unlikely that an artist is going to want to, or be able to, take direction at the level that you are going to need. I can't really picture an artist going through this project as a sort of drafts-person for your creative vision. The magnitude of the personal and spiritual journey for the artist will be too great. He or she would need to be able to flow freely in order to bring the project to fruition, and there is no telling what might occur during that process. You would have to be able to give and take on creative control, and be open to what is coming out through the art even when it is not what you expected.
So that really boils it down to three possibilities: (1) you find an artist whose vision of the project is so very closely aligned to your own that you can function effectively as one; (2) you find the perfect apprentice with respect to both the art and the "science," who will accept your direction through to the end; or (3) you find a way to embark on the artist journey yourself.
Because of the depth and breadth of this material, I think it would be unlikely that an artist is going to want to, or be able to, take direction at the level that you are going to need. I can't really picture an artist going through this project as a sort of drafts-person for your creative vision. The magnitude of the personal and spiritual journey for the artist will be too great. He or she would need to be able to flow freely in order to bring the project to fruition, and there is no telling what might occur during that process. You would have to be able to give and take on creative control, and be open to what is coming out through the art even when it is not what you expected.
So that really boils it down to three possibilities: (1) you find an artist whose vision of the project is so very closely aligned to your own that you can function effectively as one; (2) you find the perfect apprentice with respect to both the art and the "science," who will accept your direction through to the end; or (3) you find a way to embark on the artist journey yourself.
McFaire
Another comment: I looked at your post yesterday, and I kept thinking about the DruidCraft collaboration with Will Worthington and the Carr-Gomms. When you read through their book, and pour over Worthington's art, you see a high degree of alignment in the creative vision, but you can also recognize the places where the art took its own path that perhaps the authors were not expecting. In some cases, knowledge and/or symbology may have been withheld intentionally. But more likely, in a project of this size and complexity, with such sophisticated creative workers -- well, what happens is... what happens. And the collaborators must be able to accept that.
Bhavana
As an artist, these are my feelings exactly. Projects like this never turn out exactly as you expect, and trying to fulfill someone else's vision is no easy thing. I did portraits, of both animals and people, and for a while, gave the people who commissioned me say on the final piece. This often worked out fine, as most people left it up to my expertise, but in many cases I had clients who were sticklers for every little detail, and had me re-doing so much of the portraits that in the end I spent way more time than I was paid for. And it kind of sucked all the joy out of doing the work.
Who did the pencil drawing of the fool that was posted?
Who did the pencil drawing of the fool that was posted?
MoonGypsy
i can't help but mentioning what a wonderful artist our Bhavana is! i have 2 fabulous paintings i received as a gift, and i cherish them both--i have them in a place where i can always view and enjoy them 
BrightEye
Ellery Knight. That's what it says on the card.
McFaire
i can't help but mentioning what a wonderful artist our Bhavana is! i have 2 fabulous paintings i received as a gift, and i cherish them both--i have them in a place where i can always view and enjoy them
I would love to see those!
bogiesan
I am a photographer, video producer and animator. Creative collaborations with inexperienced clinets are more trouble than rewarding and, at this point in my career, I let hungrier and perhaps more foolish newbies have the newbies.
My collaborations with people who both know my work and can afford me are usually spectacularly fun and creatively rewarding for all parties. Not always. Sometimes I have to say a project is not working to my satisfaction. That ability to bail out for legitimate creative reasons is in my contract. Commissions are difficult to negotiate because we both need to be committed to one and only one vision. The vision is subject to change because that's how art happens, but the contract and the emotional connection with the other parties must reflect economic realities and that our relationships may also change. There's a difference between being a professional and delivering the job regardless of the circumstances and being a professional artist who insists, openy and up front, on 50% of the control.
A quick meeting over lunch is all that is needed for me to know if I want to work with someone.
A tarot photo project has never come my way but it is not something I would want to do unless there was a superbly competent designer driving it and there was plenty of cash to make sure the realization met everyone's expectations. Imagine building 78 sets with props, 78 costumes, 78 models, 78 makeup and hair jobs. Lighting. Even considering repeating themes (maybe one set for all cards in a suit) and using the same models in many cards, you've got several weeks of work just getting ready. Five to ten setups a day--that's three weeks of studio time. Post production digitial manipulation and reshooting take another couple of days.
Drawing, painting, constructing or digital creation of 78 individual pieces is no less complicated.
My collaborations with people who both know my work and can afford me are usually spectacularly fun and creatively rewarding for all parties. Not always. Sometimes I have to say a project is not working to my satisfaction. That ability to bail out for legitimate creative reasons is in my contract. Commissions are difficult to negotiate because we both need to be committed to one and only one vision. The vision is subject to change because that's how art happens, but the contract and the emotional connection with the other parties must reflect economic realities and that our relationships may also change. There's a difference between being a professional and delivering the job regardless of the circumstances and being a professional artist who insists, openy and up front, on 50% of the control.
A quick meeting over lunch is all that is needed for me to know if I want to work with someone.
A tarot photo project has never come my way but it is not something I would want to do unless there was a superbly competent designer driving it and there was plenty of cash to make sure the realization met everyone's expectations. Imagine building 78 sets with props, 78 costumes, 78 models, 78 makeup and hair jobs. Lighting. Even considering repeating themes (maybe one set for all cards in a suit) and using the same models in many cards, you've got several weeks of work just getting ready. Five to ten setups a day--that's three weeks of studio time. Post production digitial manipulation and reshooting take another couple of days.
Drawing, painting, constructing or digital creation of 78 individual pieces is no less complicated.
