Don't panic, this is not about me dieing or anything. Almost 30 years ago I made a Tarot deck and I am currently selling a signed and numbered limited edition of 100 for $100 each. Because of how this is being produced for sale I have been looking at the art closely again. My Death card is unique and it has appealed to many people over the years. I am very happy with the design and concept and am now considering doing a real painting based on it. I plan to gather certain photo references to be sure I get every detail as perfect as I can. My main quandary right now is what to do with the background? The original (as seen here) has a simple colored background and that worked OK but I just wonder if something more would be better for a real painting of it? Questions, ideas, comments all are welcome. Oh, just to explain the image, one of the meanings of the Death card in Tarot is "The removing of masks, the revealing of the truth".
Friday, March 6, 2009
Planning My Death
Don't panic, this is not about me dieing or anything. Almost 30 years ago I made a Tarot deck and I am currently selling a signed and numbered limited edition of 100 for $100 each. Because of how this is being produced for sale I have been looking at the art closely again. My Death card is unique and it has appealed to many people over the years. I am very happy with the design and concept and am now considering doing a real painting based on it. I plan to gather certain photo references to be sure I get every detail as perfect as I can. My main quandary right now is what to do with the background? The original (as seen here) has a simple colored background and that worked OK but I just wonder if something more would be better for a real painting of it? Questions, ideas, comments all are welcome. Oh, just to explain the image, one of the meanings of the Death card in Tarot is "The removing of masks, the revealing of the truth".
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Carnival of course. probably one of the nicer masquerade balls. or even just hints of Venice would work for a background.
ReplyDeleteWish I had money to burn that wasn't going towards Pennsic fund.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool concept. I would agree with akirashima that a masquerade ball or carnival would make a fitting background.
ReplyDeleteTristan:
ReplyDeleteYou finished this deck?!? When?!? I remember when you first started working on it, back in 1983 or so. Boy do I wish I had the money to purchase one of these, even though I don't know how to use them. Do you have anything posted anywhere that advertises these? (Yeah, you probably have them listed on your main website, but I'm being lazy right now and it's easier to ask the question than to actually open up another browser window and look for myself. Of course, I'd probably have spent less time doing that than I've spent writing this little parenthetical, but we both know that I love to babble on. Once an English major, always an English major. Or, as you've heard me say many times in the past, I got my B.A. in BS. ;) )
Please keep us informed here on your journal as to the progress of the sale of these decks. I wish you well in selling them!
Jon
Jon, I think I had it done when I was around you...I know I took them to events and to my first Pennsic as a compleat deck. Ah, remember, wasn't it at the Milikin University art department that I did the lamination for them? You or Anne got me in to do them.
ReplyDeleteAs for advertising, I haven't yet put them on my site (I know I should) but I have sold 9 of them so far and have 5 of them printed and ready to send to the buyers (well they get sent as they are finished and I have all but the box done for deck #5. Deck #6 is being constructed. These are VERY hands on labour intensive. I print the cards on sheet of 8, then I cut them all out and do the same for the backs. Then I glue the backs and fronts together and then they are laminated and I cut those apart. Then I print the box and cut and fold and glue it. These are printed on my new, expensive art printer. The quality is fantastic, they are water proof and fade resistant. Very good finished product! But BOY is it alot of work!
I know this is older, but I am going backwards and I didn't see Death in any of your new posts. A suggestion I have is the scene that the story masque of the red death got its popularity from. I dont remember all the details, but I know that the partygoers went from one room to another through the night, and I remember that the twelfth room had a huge grandfather clock in it as well as some red velvet curtains... Hope this helps!
ReplyDelete