True Black Tarot: Humanity as artifacts of our beliefs

Holly doll

I'm totally entranced by this deck!!! Please - let me know when it goes to Kickstarter - I WANT IT!!!!! :party: })
 

Arthurdubya

1lP3Xwh.jpg


y0Tslqm.jpg


The Sun and Star cards! This rounds out the trinity of Sun, Moon, and Star, and it feels pretty good having that little trio down. :D

I'll also be doing the Ace and Page of Swords in this upcoming 10 posters, which should give us the Ace, Page, Knight, Queen, and King of swords in total!
 

uraszz

For the love of everything holy please PLEASE name the Pentacles suit as Coins!!! I have two dealbreakers when it comes to Tarot. I truly don't purchase decks with Strength as 8 and the Coins suit as Pentacles

Your artwork (especially your Knight of Cups because that's my personality card) is something I see myself using and cherishing for a long time

Pretty please?

Sincerely

-uraszz

ETA: Okay I just jumped in and wrote that reply without even looking at the kickstarter page lol. See how much I loved these already? I love that you're not adding numbers to the majors and just the number and court but not the suit. This looks masterful, elegant and beautiful. The depth is just... No words. I'm eagerly waiting for september because I think your deck is going to be the first ever pledge I'm going to make on kickstarter
 

Arthurdubya

uraszz:

Thanks so much for your kind words! Yes, I wanted this deck to be minimal, and for the design to be as transparent as possible so that the art itself could shine through. Getting rid of the suit-names were a quick way of getting some of that text off the card. I'm glad you like it!

Out of curiosity, why such a distancing from the "Pentacles" name? Granted, my deck won't ever have the suits named/printed, but I'd love to know why!
 

uraszz

uraszz:

Thanks so much for your kind words! Yes, I wanted this deck to be minimal, and for the design to be as transparent as possible so that the art itself could shine through. Getting rid of the suit-names were a quick way of getting some of that text off the card. I'm glad you like it!

Out of curiosity, why such a distancing from the "Pentacles" name? Granted, my deck won't ever have the suits named/printed, but I'd love to know why!

It's not that I hate it and in a way I do find it to be esoterically logical (just read the Ace of Disks of the Mary-El Tarot guidebook and you'll see why!) but my understanding of a "Pentacle" has never been to associate it with Earth. For me a Pentacle is always the coming together of ALL the elements (Spirit included) so I see it as a potential symbol for the Major Arcana

Disks took sometime to get used to but as I also said in my Facebook comment I see Disks to point to the more Spiritual aspect of Earth and Coins as the more Material side of it

I don't know if I conveyed what I felt

Sincerely

-uraszz
 

Arthurdubya

qtBMTcW.jpg


Ace of Swords just finished about an hour ago!

Certainly the most saturated of all paintings I've done so far. So much gold, so much fire!

This Ace of Swords is immediate. Topped by a flaming crown, the symbol of majesty and power, it is a statement, a command, the clearest of bells in a foggy world. The crown symbolizes power, as the suit of swords is rife with potential. It signals the "ah ha!" moment and beckons you to use your intellect, wit, and reason for the time at hand.

It emerges from a bed of golden flowers, a sign of the wealth and beauty that can be achieved when you use its power to dispel confusion and illusion. Note, however, that a few petals have been sliced apart by the sword's movement, a caution that the force of pure intellect is a double-edged sword, and also a shadow of things to come from the remainder of this suit.

The fire that tops this sword illuminates the path, and sears through the lies and deceit that could cloud your situation. It is a cleansing fire, though in its very nature, is indiscriminate. Fire may hurt, but its lack of preference also calls you to be objective in your thoughts. Now is not the time to be clouded by emotions, but to cut straight to the facts.
 

DDwarks

Phwoar! I haven't been commenting very much for a while but I am keeping an close eye on your work still.
You know I love it and have done so from the word go.
They are powerful images! Simple yet very deep!

Have you found yourself going on the Fool's journey I wonder? I'm wondering if creating a tarot deck from scratch makes you live the different stages too?
 

Arthurdubya

DDwarks, rylla:

As always, I greatly appreciate all the kind words. :D

I think we're all on the Fool's Journey throughout our lives. It's a neverending journey, and we ebb and flow from the different points from day to day, month to month, and life experience to life experience.

Certainly painting a full deck, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I've inadvertently started a small business, and trying to sort out how to make an actual production run of something are all little journeys, but nothing so grand and world-shaking as trying to figure out where my place in the universe is!
 

uraszz

qtBMTcW.jpg


Ace of Swords just finished about an hour ago!

Certainly the most saturated of all paintings I've done so far. So much gold, so much fire!

This Ace of Swords is immediate. Topped by a flaming crown, the symbol of majesty and power, it is a statement, a command, the clearest of bells in a foggy world. The crown symbolizes power, as the suit of swords is rife with potential. It signals the "ah ha!" moment and beckons you to use your intellect, wit, and reason for the time at hand.

It emerges from a bed of golden flowers, a sign of the wealth and beauty that can be achieved when you use its power to dispel confusion and illusion. Note, however, that a few petals have been sliced apart by the sword's movement, a caution that the force of pure intellect is a double-edged sword, and also a shadow of things to come from the remainder of this suit.

The fire that tops this sword illuminates the path, and sears through the lies and deceit that could cloud your situation. It is a cleansing fire, though in its very nature, is indiscriminate. Fire may hurt, but its lack of preference also calls you to be objective in your thoughts. Now is not the time to be clouded by emotions, but to cut straight to the facts.

Beautiful!