The Fool is a soul in search of experience said Arthur
Edward Waite, an occult writer from the 1880s and co-creator of the
Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck. The Fool
represents the protagonist and he is on a journey very similar to the Hero’s
journey.
So, my reasoning for choosing the Fool as my first card to
design was that he stands for the protagonist and symbolizes the beginning and
the end. It’s funny, but in my story, Dragon’s Gate there is a clue that is
given to the main character and part of it said the ‘beginning must go to the
end.’ Okay, it’s out of context, but for
me it was time to cue the Twilight Zone theme music. You know the one.
I was going to walk you through my steps on how I did this
card, but I got so involved I forgot to document it. Ooops.
But, I used acrylics for paint and covered the surface with Mod Podge so
the liquid wouldn’t soak into the mat board.
Cut the card to the size of 5 x 7 to have a larger work area.
My story takes place on a mythical Chinese island, P’eng-lai,
the isle of the Immortals of Chinese mythology.
I mixed the Tarot with the I Ching, since obviously Tarot cards are a
western tradition.
The Chinese calligraphy means balance, but it’s not specific
what kind of balance. The character is
walking on a bamboo pole across an abyss.
In Chinese culture the bamboo symbolizes moral integrity, resistance,
modesty and loyalty, all things needed when on a Hero’s journey. On the journey, the protagonist might feel loneliness
because he is leaving behind what he has known and venturing into the unknown,
which is another thing bamboo represents.
There is a fan, which is meant to ward off evil spirits, the
color red, represents good luck, and of course, the fan can be used to cool oneself
off. The peacock feather also represents
warding off evil doers.
On the pants leg is the I Ching hexagram meaning The
Wanderer. It calls for the necessary
attitude for undertaking a journey. Such
as to be sincere, flexible and understanding of the new surroundings.
The overall color of the card alludes to the idea of a world
slowly dying. The burnt red color of the fan and the turquoise green of the
feather represent the hope that my main character represents.
What do you think?
Any suggestions? Would you like
to know more about my process for developing my Tarot deck?
Till next time,
Elizabeth
26 comments:
Beautiful! And such a unique concept for tarot deck. Great job, Elizabeth, I can't wait to see more :)
Thank you, Ella. It was fun doing the research too.
Elizabeth
Wow, you are really talented.
Thank you Kelly.
dang, that's so cool that you're designing your own deck. awesome! that would be great swag if you printed off a card (or maybe even the whole deck) as a giveaway.
Cool ideas Jessie. It's so much fun being a writer. hehehe.
This is a wonderful and unique idea! Very creative! Yes, I would like to know more about your process.
Book Endings thank you for dropping by. My next card is the Magician which should be even more fun to do.
Jessie and I were thinking the same thing, "what a cool swag item". I'm always impressed by people who are so multi-talented. :)
Sarah, thank you. A swag it is. hehehe!
Beautiful artwork.
Catherine, thank you.
Interesting. Lovely artwork. I agree with the others.You have a special talent and the cards would make great swag.
Beverly, thank you.
That is very cool. I love the symbolism of all the parts that you've added and yet it is 'simple'. The artwork is beautiful.
I look forward to seeing the Magician.
:) Jai, thank you. Must admit it makes doing research even more fun than it already is.
:) Jai, thank you. Must admit it makes doing research even more fun than it already is.
Very cool, Elizabeth! You are quite talented as an artist. The images are not overly detailed and yet they create a strong image together. I'm wondering about the Fool's outfit. Is he wearing boots or stockings and shoes? What is his hat made of, it looks like fur? Is his dress traditional? If so, what time period is it from, 1880s?
Wonderful! That's such a clever idea and great artwork. And like Jessie and Sarah said, if you got these copied and printed they'd make great swag to go with the book. Happy writing, researching and being creative! :)
Kat, thank you. The fool is wearing cloth boots and the hat is fur.(good eye) Most traditional dress hasn't changed that much in China.
Katja, thank you for your input. Looks like the sway idea is a keeper. :)
And same to you!
Did you paint the card yourself? It's really artistic and beautifully composed. I used to do the I Ching when I was in college. Fun stuff! :-)
Awesome, Elizabeth. Love the depth of symbolism yet simple in its execution. Masterful!
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Lexa,
Yup, I painted it using acrylics, not my choice medium since I normally work with oils.
So cool, you used to do the I Ching.
Melanie,
Thank you for your kind words. :) I was trying not to clutter up the card and leave negative space. Guess it worked. hehehe.
I'm catching up on my inbox and wanted to comment on how much I enjoyed seeing your artwork. The design for a tarot card is very clever! Thanks so much for sharing this.
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