Spoonbender's Tarot

I've had a lot of fun making twenty-two sketches for the Major Arcana these past few days. I've tried to let the images come to me in an uninhibited way and so I didn’t worry too much about being realistic and stuff. That's why the figures turned out to have large heads with slim, elongated bodies and no elbows or knees, as you'll see. Some of the cards came very naturally, others were a bigger challenge (especially the Moon), but I'm quite pleased with the way they turned out - if I wasn't then I suppose I wouldn't have started this thread.

I'm now finishing the drawings by going over the lines with a pen and with the help of my trusty lightbox, and I wanted to share the completed ones. I'm very interested in getting some feedback and (constructive) criticism. You can find Strength here and the (R-rated!!!) Devil here. The woman on the Strength card is supposed to be black, by the way, but I haven't made up my mind yet about how to colour the images in. And for some reason I felt the Devil just had to be naked – it's honestly the only card so far that is a bit shocking like that.

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Edited to add links to all of the cards I've uploaded so far:

The Trumps

I. The Bateleur
II. The Papess
III. The Empress
IV. The Emperor
V. The Priest
VI. The Lover
VII. The Chariot
VIII. Justice
IX. The Hermit
X. The Wheel
XI. Strength
XII. The Hanged Man
XIII. Death
XIV. Temperance
XV. The Devil
XVI. The Tower
XVII. The Star
XVIII. The Moon
XIX. The Sun
XX. Judgement
XXI. The World
The Fool

The Courts

Page of Swords
Knight of Swords
Queen of Swords (Second Version)
King of Swords

Page of Batons
Knight of Batons
Queen of Batons
King of Batons

Page of Coins
Knight of Coins
Queen of Coins
King of Coins

Hmm.. the drawings are interesting but they are too... boring. Yes of course the Devil is a bit of a shock but I don't like the Strenght.
Of course it's only my opinion and anyway I'll look forward to see other creations of yours

Hi Spoon

I like what you have started. I like their simplicity. And I look forward to seeing how they become coloured. Will it possibly be flat block colouring?

Keep sharing!

LB

[your old friend .. did anyone tell you I was actually Yaboot ]

i like them

apart from the nakedness of the devil this looks like a great deck for kids to be honest!

His neck tie matches his.............well, u know......

Apart from the fact he's a little floppy, I like your rather humorous Devil!

spoonbender: I like the simplicity & thoughtfulness of the line drawings, because they can convey depth within simplicity.

Can see that the woman in Strength is black, & has an easy companionship with the lion. Very evocative of Africa, its struggles & the enduring.

A naked Devil & a scrawny one at that quite appropos. Given the devil concept, the former stands on its own with no accessorizing. & the latter alludes to a hunger or neediness (such as that never quite fulfills nor satisfies), so no 'fleshing out'.

Glad to see these. Been looking for more of your artwork ever since I saw your cards for one of Aeclectic's collaborative decks.

Thanks so very much for sharing!

Hi spoonbender,

I really like them, I love the simplicity. I'm very much looking forward to seeing more and seeing them with color.

Well done sir!

First of all: Thanks A LOT for replying, Karakurt, LB, peace_pixie, Moonboy, Sidhe-Ra, MeeWah and Robert!!! I was a bit nervous starting this thread, so I'm very happy with your replies. And LB, I had no idea whatsoever that you were Yaboot - I still can't believe that all this time I saw LB posting, it was you. It's so good seeing you again!

But anyway, yes, I really wanted to keep the images simple, in a way that the characters just stand on their own, without backgrounds or all sorts of symbols. So I can understand why they seem a bit boring to you, Karakurt. If I'd ever actually colour them in, I think that'd add a lot as well. LB: I have no idea what you mean with flat block colouring, I'm afraid. How exactly does that work? I was thinking of colouring them with Photoshop or something, with cartoon-like bright colours, but then I'd first have to take some Photoshop lessons .

MeeWah, I'm very glad the images speak to you in such a way. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts on them like that.

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For those interested, I've also completed The Fool, Justice and The Wheel. Maybe these three show even more than the previous two that the Tarot de Marseille is my main source of inspiration. I imagine the Fool is a fiery redhead, by the way, and that lady Justice's hair is greying, with white locks (and both are Caucasian).

Spoon

I love these Spoonbender, really!

The fool is great. There is a whimsical charm to the style that I find extremly refreshing. Keep it up!