Deck Must-Haves

Chimera Dust

Tarot Orat said:
Just thought of something else: I don't like having to guess what suit symbol or number I'm looking at in the Minors! It's also annoying if the card is taken up by "ACE OF SWORDS" or something, but if I can't tell at first or second glance if it even is a sword, or if I have to count to figure out if there are 9 or 10 wands, it's much more difficult to work with.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. I don't like overly prominent borders, but it's a pain if I need to take out the LWB in order to know what the card is. Unless it's an extremely good idea that really does make sense with the meaning of the card, which I would actually love. It seems that many decks that don't incorporate obvious symbols in the Minors are usually too opaque and don't go for a clear picture of what's going on. In the Mythic Tarot, for example, this is the case but I actually enjoy it because each one depicts a scene relevant to understanding the card. Conversely, I prefer cards that have something on them than just a certain number of symbols, though it depends on the deck.
 

seven stars

That said you are all quite right in everything you have said and on no account should you ever buy my deck as I intend to publish huge cards on soggy card stock. Hopefully they will be sticky and hard to shuffle and I really would love it if the edges will chip and the ink would come off on your hands. The deck will be very expensive and come in a massive game box so the postage will be extortionate and it probably won't even arrive ever said:
heehee....love this....I'll take two.
Click to expand...
 

jcwirish

I prefer large cards with little to no borders.

I don't like overly packed imagery, but I must have lots of color. (but not a lot of oranges or yellows. Those colors are too hot for me)

I like cards that feel as much like paper or cardboard as possible. I hate shiny, plasticky cards.

I also need to love the Moon and the Hermit cards more than any others.

One of the most important things for me is water! I want lots of water imagery, and I want the Cups to show water the most. I don't like decks with very little water in the Cups suit.

I don't like it when the heart in the 3 of Swords looks like an actual human heart. That bugs me.

I don't mind nudity in decks, but I don't like decks that seem to show every female character topless. I don't need to be bombarded with boobs!

I want detail in the art work. I want to see movement in the drawings, and not flat one-dimensional figures.

I'm sure there's more, but this is what come to mind.
 

Tasaulkah

wooden-eye said:
Just as an aside. I must say, as a deck creator, I get a bit terrified by these kind of threads. I find that I have committed at least half of these faux- pas in my own deck and it is far too flaming late to do a thing about it. Yet Still find I am compelled to read them. It is like an advanced harsh critique on your deck. I reckon if you work in a dedicated way and make the best deck that you can then then you will make the perfect deck for you at this point in your life. Hopefully the cards will then convince others you are right. Be the exception that proves the rule.
That said you are all quite right in everything you have said and on no account should you ever buy my deck as I intend to publish huge cards on soggy card stock. Hopefully they will be sticky and hard to shuffle and I really would love it if the edges will chip and the ink would come off on your hands. The deck will be very expensive and come in a massive game box so the postage will be extortionate and it probably won't even arrive ever, ever, ever....
Click to expand...

Hahaha! It's official, I now have another favourite person on here! Another artist, tarot lover and sarcastic! You're getting a friend request, Wooden-Eye! Akirafirst, you too!

This is fantastic! I'm getting lots of great stuff here. I really appreciate all of the ideas and idiosyncracies. However, I have come to the realization...I mean no offense but, I'm not gonna please all of you, ever. For instance, taking the examples of colour and perhaps, Theme; My deck has hot Colours where appropriate and cooler when necessary, it's not fluffy, so no fairies. Sorry, if you're keen on fairies, there are plenty decks out there for you, the isn't going to be one of them. There will be some abstract figure nudity, but nothing that grandma would be uncomfortable with, just art...not marble statue of David art, but more subtle, less genitalia than marble Dave, plus maybe a few nude breasts. Ultimately, it's my creation of an ancient relic, thus it won't deviate fully away from that spectrum. No gummy bears and gnomes, because to me tarot is about life. In my life, I've never encountered a real gnome, fairy or gummy critter. I do however have boobs. I've seen those. But breasts are in life and more relevant to me than cartoon critters. It's to gonna be chocked full o boobs but there is the odd tastefully done nude. Please though, feel free to keep telling me your preferences, be part of the creative process, just keep in mind that I may not be able to cater to each person's likings specifically. That's why there are so many variances in decks, so that one Will call to you.
 

jcwirish

akirafist said:
WELL - actually this is fantastic.
Just not in a tarot deck.
I'm just saying.
Click to expand...

ROFL! I thought I might get a few rebuttals for this remark, and from a fellow Las Vegan no less. :laugh:
 

seven stars

When I first decided to try to make a deck, I started painting pictures for the major arcana. I have children, & a lot of the cards remind me of situations with children, and so I set out to paint the Deck of the Child....for the fool, a young girl leaping off the cliff into the water. The Empress is a child dressing up her kitten & the Emperor is a small boy playing with his tin soldiers. This got old really fast and I haven't finished even the major arcana.

So then, I just sketched. Lots of images of various cards, but, I got bored with that, too. Seventy eight images that I had to really think about? And really, what I wanted was a vintage set & I could never draw things that had a vintage look to them.

So, I started thinking of all the things I wanted in a deck:

(1) Vintage. Real old, like, REALLY old looking.

(2) Beautiful images but simple. Not so simple as like, the Marseille or Tarot Classic, just, not too busy.

(3) Nothing cutesy, no fairies, themes, modern anything, no modern font or border, etc.

(4) Interesting back - it's embarrasing to have a boring or stupid back.

(5) Pips illustrated.

(6) The deck itself had to be able to hold up to a lot of abuse, so, no paper deck....I read in the street, my decks go thru hell.

(7) I really like there to be some sense of mystery about the cards, I don't know how to explain it....something not blatantly obvious. I want to be able to tell the querant all about the card without it saying in big silly letters "I'm the Magician! It's obvious what I'm all about!" I don't know how to explain this.....something cryptic.

There ARE a lot of new artists out there that are just incredible - I was looking at one just tonight - Deviant Moon by Patrick Valenza - what an amazing artist. But I see that deck and the font & border just turn me off & detract from how cool his art is (to me). I think if I just had a numbered deck of his images alone, done well with the right hues & not too "newish" looking, I would use it. Even though he's modern. Sola Busca doesn't exactly look your typical XV century.

There seriously should be a way that everyone could just put together all the elements that they want in their own personal deck - like, a program or something, where you could print it out exactly the way you want it - with lots of water or lots of boobs, specific artists, whatever. Maybe some day in the future some brilliant programmer will come up with that and everyone will have the deck of their dreams. speaking of which.....
 

Chimera Dust

seven stars said:
When I first decided to try to make a deck, I started painting pictures for the major arcana. I have children, & a lot of the cards remind me of situations with children, and so I set out to paint the Deck of the Child....for the fool, a young girl leaping off the cliff into the water. The Empress is a child dressing up her kitten & the Emperor is a small boy playing with his tin soldiers. This got old really fast and I haven't finished even the major arcana.

So then, I just sketched. Lots of images of various cards, but, I got bored with that, too. Seventy eight images that I had to really think about? And really, what I wanted was a vintage set & I could never draw things that had a vintage look to them.
Click to expand...

I think you shouldn't give up on it! Have you considered doing a collage deck? There's lots of vintage ads and postcards that are in the public domain (I can send you a few links if you need) and you could do some collages. That deck is such a cool idea that it would be awesome if you finished it. :) I probably wouldn't use anything like that for readings as there are no children in my family right now and I don't work with children, but I would buy a copy for my collection.
 

Tarot Orat

Tasaulkah said:
This is fantastic! I'm getting lots of great stuff here. I really appreciate all of the ideas and idiosyncracies. However, I have come to the realization...I mean no offense but, I'm not gonna please all of you, ever. For instance, taking the examples of colour and perhaps, Theme; My deck has hot Colours where appropriate and cooler when necessary, it's not fluffy, so no fairies. Sorry, if you're keen on fairies, there are plenty decks out there for you, the isn't going to be one of them. There will be some abstract figure nudity, but nothing that grandma would be uncomfortable with, just art...not marble statue of David art, but more subtle, less genitalia than marble Dave, plus maybe a few nude breasts. Ultimately, it's my creation of an ancient relic, thus it won't deviate fully away from that spectrum. No gummy bears and gnomes, because to me tarot is about life. In my life, I've never encountered a real gnome, fairy or gummy critter. I do however have boobs. I've seen those. But breasts are in life and more relevant to me than cartoon critters. It's to gonna be chocked full o boobs but there is the odd tastefully done nude. Please though, feel free to keep telling me your preferences, be part of the creative process, just keep in mind that I may not be able to cater to each person's likings specifically. That's why there are so many variances in decks, so that one Will call to you.
Click to expand...

This is such a great statement :) Of course one can't please everyone, but I love how you're so open to suggestion and ready to consider different ideas and incorporate them into your thoughts!

I think i was the first person who brought up nudity, lol....and as I said then, I don't mind if it fits the context of the card. Just, as jcwirish said, when every woman in a deck is topless it seems pretty arbitrary and I suspect the artists' motives ;)
 

seven stars

regarding nudity....man, some of the SB has some freakin nudity, like, hairy swinging balls....and then the clothing style is so high-collar, kind of funny. Whoever got that original deck had to have had a big laugh - I'm guessing the particularly nude male in the two of wands must have been someone known at the time that they wanted to poke fun of. The women's bush though in the 4 of coins, & she's real fat & droopy boobage, what do you think, ex-wife or something?

It's been really helpful to me with that deck since so many of the cards are different than we use today & I edited them to get feedback when I make the changes. Sometimes you get an idea & then look at it too long, & show it to someone else & they're like "their expressions just don't match the feel of that card & their stance is too oppositional" & you're like, EUREKA duh of course....No you can't please everyone but outside opinions help me a lot at least.

I probably missed it & you said it already, so sorry if I'm repeating something but did you say you're painting them? What medium? Wouldn't it be fun at some point to make lithographs like they used to? If I ever get back into another art class I'm going to make that a project. Lithos or engravings. There's just such a cool feel about them.
 
Size of Tarot card? Oh my word - the postage!