Tabula Mundi Tarot: formerly Tarot "M"

Spiffo

I've been learning so much about the colour scales, inspired by your posts. And it's having the most remarkable effect on my ability to see connections between cards.
 

Nemia

Yes, it's a rare opportunity to see a wonderfully talented and skilled artist at work. Babalon, you really know what you are doing. I'm deeply impressed by the quality of your art work - from an art point of view and a tarot point of view. This deck looks like a highlight and a classic in the making. A very special deck. Beautiful and unique.
 

Freder

Just looked over your most recent updates. Your Rosetta is one of my top five favorite decks, and I must say that I think you are outdoing it now. Can hardly wait for this... kudos to you!

DT
 

Zephyros

Proof that perfection can be improved upon. :)

I'm your biggest fan and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the final stage of your magnup opus. The line drawings were powerful enough, the addition of color just makes the cards pop all the more.

Truly, not just a beautiful deck but also a very important one in esoteric terms. There just aren't enough really good Thelemic decks out there, although yours takes the cake. There's just no other deck in that niche that's as good or as well thought out. I think it is safe to say you're doing your Will with this deck. :)

I was saddened to read you were dealing with death, I hope you are well.
 

Babalon Jones

Thanks to you all for taking the time. (I am honored as you all are very much inspired thinkers and people I like :cool:)

I spoke too soon about the easy weather this winter here, as Friday morning woke up to a snow scene (see picture attached to this post). This was in the AM and it kept snowing. But I had the day off, so I didn't mind, and it was pretty. It was (is still so far) light fluffy snow and wasn't one of those terrible ice messes where we lose power for a week.

(By the way frac_ture, welcome to New England! Quite a change from LA, the land of perfect 80 degree days most of the year right? Sorry about the snow! And I have to say, Promethea is one of my most treasured possessions!

And Zephyros, thank you for your concern. This time the death in life was more of an expected one, but it still isn't easy, and brought up all the feelings of the more unexpected death in my life last year. But, I am doing ok.)

I finally finished the Five of Disks. This was a card that was hard to paint. Some are easy and pleasurable (and it has nothing to do with whether the card is a less or more pleasant card, just recently I really enjoyed painting Ruin, because of the way the inks handled.). Pretty much every card with a lot of grey or violet is a pain, just because of the ink's handling. Especially if there are a lot of small details because then you have to ink around every one as unlike a transparent color you can't go over the small ink lines or you lose them. But also even though it is opaque it dries really splotchy and requires painting it over a few times to build it up and smooth it out. And this card had a lot of those colors and a lot of small details.

Plus the color scheme for the scales for the card is not the most harmonious. Which makes sense, considering it is Geburah (Five) and the Taurus decan ruled by Mercury (Mercury is fast, Taurus, well is not known for speed). So the colors of Mercury combined with those of Taurus plus a "Red, flecked Black". It actually worked perfect for the subject matter of the card. But there are the earthy warm colors of Taurus, combined with the more ethereal cool tones of Mercury - and then "red, flecked black". Not often the subject matter would warrant that combination artistically! (Yet it did...)

And painting around all the little dials and knobs was a pain! The card looks good in the end, but under magnification, it gets messy! It looks good in the original and will look great as a printed card or print, but if it is ever an app, well zooming in it isn't pretty! But I don't alter things digitally so it is what it is - authentic! Actually all the cards, under magnification I see all sorts of paintbrush hairs and sweater fibers and bubbles and brush strokes and white spots...I take out the very worst but most of them are left in. Amazing what the naked eye can't see or filters out! Oh well, I'm not gonna Worry about it! Anyway at the below link you can see the stages and the finished card.

http://www.tabulamundi.com/the-taurus-cards-the-fixed-signs-of-earth/

I get to do the Six of Disks next. Looking ahead I can tell already that one is going to be more fun to paint! The middle decan of Taurus, ruled by the Moon and in solar Tipareth...the crossed keys in the solar fertile valley filled with pomegranates and light. Sounds good to me!
 

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Zephyros

I have a special affinity for the Five of Discs, the first decan of Tarus, my birth card. Lots of mental energy from Mercury, but it grinds against plodding Taurus. I love how it turned out. :)
 

frac_ture

I spoke too soon about the easy weather this winter here, as Friday morning woke up to a snow scene (see picture attached to this post). This was in the AM and it kept snowing. But I had the day off, so I didn't mind, and it was pretty. It was (is still so far) light fluffy snow and wasn't one of those terrible ice messes where we lose power for a week.

(By the way frac_ture, welcome to New England! Quite a change from LA, the land of perfect 80 degree days most of the year right? Sorry about the snow! And I have to say, Promethea is one of my most treasured possessions!)

I finally finished the Five of Disks...

Thank you for the welcome! I have to say that all things considered, this winter season has so far been vastly more mild and agreeable than what I was fearing when I came back to this part of the world. I don't love the cold, but I really don't have much standing to complain about the weather of the last couple of months around here! Also, there are things I miss about California, but now that I'm not in a mega-urban area like LA, I'm seeing so much more wildlife on a daily basis, and I really get a lot out of that...

But anyway, I continue to be so impressed with this deck! You're doing fantastic, astonishing work. This deck feels innovative in many ways, and I can't wait to get to work with it when you have it completed. I'm keeping track of your progress, and whenever you're ready to take orders for the 78-card colored version, I'll be right there, ready to snap up at least one copy, if not a couple more as gifts (and maybe a spare...).

I hope 2016 has been a bright new year for you so far, and continues on in that vein! And I'm so thrilled to know that you enjoyed Promethea as much as you did! I'm always on a quest to turn more people on to it, and I feel certain I'll be doing the same with the Tabula Mundi! :)
 

Babalon Jones

I finished the Six of Disks today. Rare to finish a card from start to finish in one day. It took all day and evening but, it is done except for the scanning and border adding BS...

Ah Thursdays, my day off from Work and with only my dog to entertain and thus the day to paint all day. Except for taking my buddy for a Walk which we always must take, I paint all day and until into evening. If only every day was Thursday.
(Shoot I wouldn't have to make rope no more! :cool4: )

Was not planning on posting about this card but I was so struck by how much the color scales and the addition of color made a difference. I liked the black and white card well enough but I have to admit this is one that looks remarkably more potent in color!

http://www.tabulamundi.com/color-scales-in-action/
 

Spiffo

OMG, it is spectacular!
 

Alta

You are right, the added colour makes it so amazing. Thank you for posting about this, I have gotten a great deal from reading your commentaries.