How do people feel about altering cards?

[kittiann]

I have a Haindl that I wrote the Futhark runes on instead of the different runes system that he used. It actually turned out quite nicely, and makes the runes association much clearer to me, since the Futhark is the system I'm familiar with. I'll put up some pictures of how they turned out. In the lower left-hand corner are the Futhark runes.

 

[Kissa]

great job, kittiann! I am surprised you didn't trim those ugly grey borders ;-) I trimmed my Haindl...
Did you use one of these new black markers for calligraphy (beveled)? Your hands don't shake

SunChariot, yep I agree with pretty much everything you said.
Re: the artist's point of view, i haven't thought about it yet... Let's just say that artists are always misunderstood and the crowd never completely gets what they wanted to do/express/create. So most artists propbably, hearing that some little nobody altered the reproduction of their artwork, would just shrug and watch somewhere else... right?

Grizabella... wow, that's way too much planning! Backup of backup sounds a bit pervert to me ;-) No seriously, if purchasing a backup copy sets you free from the guilt of altering one deck, do it, by all means. Focus on the fun creative process, don't get frozen by the fear of f***g it all up ;-)
<thinking: so backup copies are like the altering crank's safety harness... hmmm interesting concept...>

 

[Tarot Orat]

I have a Haindl that I wrote the Futhark runes on instead of the different runes system that he used.

What a great idea, the change in the cards is subtle but I can see right away that this speaks to me much more than the deck I have. I've been reading these card-altering threads with a mixture of "this is fascinating, must keep reading!" and "I want to do this right now!" - I think I'll go write the Futhark runes right now, it'll take less time than drawing and coloring and putting on stickers, so I can run right back to the computer and read some more :-D

 

[Tarot Orat]

For example, I have the Robin Wood deck which I really like, but was never able to read with or really connect with. I figured out eventually that it was because there were too many blondes in the deck. No offense to blondes, but I just couldn't relate to it. So....after much umming and ahhing, I finally got a brown permanent marker and re-coloured a lot of the blondes to make them brunettes.

I can't stand all those blondes! (And why does the sad woman on the WoF have to be the brunette?) Some blondes, okay, but not THAT many. I finally took the plunge last night and made all the Wands have red hair (Prismacolor Art Markers in Carmine Red and Yellow-Orange). Now they all look wonderfully fiery and Celtic!

(Just now realized that the deck is drawn in Prismacolor pencils...Prismacolor matches the shades of their pencils, pastels, and markers, so no wonder my markers blended in so well!)

I love the Queen of Wands as a redhead especially. You glow girl!

 

[WyrdRaven]

look at the picture of "Strength" in the link. a very seductive pose. the artist obviously has an obsession with long haired male blondes. living out a fantasy through tarot cards LMAO!!!

I think I hear this deck calling my name!!!

Oh, and on the subject of altering cards... I am DYING to paint background color on Old Path, Northern Shadows and Oz. All that white surrounding the illustrations-- it's detrimental and distracting, just keeps me from entering the reality of the card. I can't tell you how many times I've almost done it, then chickened out because I was afraid I would end up ruining the cards!

 

[pepperedmoth]

I've trimmed, never altered in other ways.

An original work of art is one thing; a mass produced reproduction is another. I annotate, highlight, and otherwise beat on my books. Tarot cards are the same.

Anne Fadiman describes the difference between people who keep their books pristine ("No! You must NEVER lay a book face down on the table!") and those who make them their own as the difference between courtly and passionate lovers.

Be a passionate lover. :-D

 

[greatdane]

"touching up" a deck

I have the mini Secret and wanted to be able to take to friends with small kids, so I knew I needed to touch up a few jiggly parts just a bit, in order to take out in the general public. I have to admit, I also loved the idea of adding a bit of bling to the cards with metallic silver. I would not have attempted this with an expensive and/or oop deck, but I can get a new mini Secret for ten dollars INC ship from Amazon, so....

Went to the closest office supply store and in the art supplies section, they had a marker called Painters in silver. It said fine point and that it worked on just about any surface and was permanent. So I got it and immediately started on the deck. OK, here's where I learned "fine" point doesn't mean the paint won't kind of "bleed" beyond where you actually mark. While I couldn't make the straightest of lines because the paint wandered a bit, I like how the deck looks with the extra bling added! Next time, I would just try an extra fine Sharpie!

GD

 

[nisaba]

I'm currently (slowly) pimping my bog-standard tartan-backed RWS. And I -er- <blush> wrote-on-a-difficult-deck-years-ago

<doubletake> Who, me? Did *I* say that?

 

[Grizabella]

I was just thinking of this thread a few days ago. It's the banana comment that got me. Now every time I use the Robin Wood and see the Lovers card, I think of what Fu said. LOL In the book, I think Robin Wood said she had used her husband as the model for that card. Ahem! That's kinda personal. Tooting one's own horn----or should I say her husband's horn---? just seems kind of unnecessary, but if she felt the need to do that, more power to her. No offense to her or her husband intended. I still like the deck.

 

[Grizabella]

I've trimmed, never altered in other ways.

An original work of art is one thing; a mass produced reproduction is another. I annotate, highlight, and otherwise beat on my books. Tarot cards are the same.

Anne Fadiman describes the difference between people who keep their books pristine ("No! You must NEVER lay a book face down on the table!") and those who make them their own as the difference between courtly and passionate lovers.

Be a passionate lover. :-D

Oh hey now! I'm the don't write in 'em or lay an open book face down school and I was a mighty passionate lover! Bite your tongue! LOL

Begging the pardon of anyone for whom that's too much information. I haven't always been old, you know.