Which card did you create first?

Or started to create - since one can work on several at a time, of course, and what's first started is not necessarily first finished!

I'm about to embark on the actual drawing, beyond the simple sketches I've made, and I'm feeling pulled towards both the Hanged Man, which is the card that first entered my head and *demanded* that I create this deck, and the Fool, who's not only the first card of the deck but also represents that big step I'm about to take and the journey I'm launching myself into!

I have a friend who's also creating a deck, she's starting with the Fool both because it's the beginning, symbolizes *her* beginning of the process, and was the first image that came to her. I'm up in the air about it, though - hm, not unlike the Hanged Man is...

I started with the Emperor. It seems an odd choice to start with and I don't even remember why now, but it gave me the confidence to go on once I had it done.

Marie

With our new Alice Tarot we began with the Empress (the Duchess in Alice) but had terrible problems with her. The first card we actually finished was the Queen of Cups (the Alice White Queen). Though we have since changed her twice. So as it's turned out, it's really hard to say which card we actually created first - we have a tendency to work on three or four at once in any case. I suppose everyone has a different way of working!

Thank you for the feedback!

It's an honor to have such a rapid response, and I'm just floored that the creators of such excellent and exquisite decks have read and considered my thoughts! I think I will take the plunge and start with the Hanged Man (or the Hanged One, since the figure is not human), I love knowing that I don't have to finish one single perfect card but can work on several at a time, start over if I don't like the first version, etc. This is such a great forum!

I created the Empress first. The image struck me as so sublime and frightening all at the same time. My deck is a long way from being complete, by the way.

For the Vulpine Tarot, I started with The Stars. To be honest, I was working on something entirely different when the project began. It never occurred to me that I could make a tarot card out of that first sketch until I was about half-way through with it.

For my Americana I started with the High Priestess.

For both my Lenormands I started with the Rider.

I think it's just whatever image is calling to you the loudest. You should go with it! The deck will transform and re-invent itself as you progress anyway.

tarotmama said:

I think it's just whatever image is calling to you the loudest. You should go with it! The deck will transform and re-invent itself as you progress anyway.

Click to expand...

Isn't that the truth! We started with the Fool and with the next cards came a whole new vision. Now we will have to go back and redo the first one!

We aren't particularly going in order, but there have been cards he's done and I say, "No, put that aside, it's perfect for the 8 of coins." I do plan to do them in sections though, the majors, the minors, and the court.

He's pretty much doing what he wants, skips some to go back to later once he's inspired. It's a process, and a long on.

It was the Fool for me 10 years ago and now that I've started to redraw them, I found myself beginning with the Fool yet again. There are other cards I am much more excited about reworking, but it didn't feel right to begin with any of the others

A happy beegirl dancing in the sky, her light amber honey: the first card finished for the Silicon Dawn was the Sun. Where else would a hothouse flower like myself begin in a cold northern winter?

The first one I sketched was the Fool, though. But that sketch - along with several of the other low-numbered Majors - ended up abandoned.

And my unfinished, jokey "Tarot of the Yiffy Vixens" started with the Yiff of Pentacles. Er, the Ace.

An alternate question that comes to me is… where did people end their decks? My last in the traditional cards for the SD was the High Priest, followed by one of my additions, History. Back where I started, but on the other side, and tying it all up in a nice package.