The first card I designed- The Star- was actually quite easy, although it evolved as it went from my initial sketch to the finished product (although admittedly, it's not finished until it's become the card itself). I imagine it's because I have had a close association with the card and love everything about it. The other cards are proving to be a little more of a challenge- with the High Priestess, I had a basic idea which changed a lot, even as I was drawing the final piece... even as I was colouring.
The Fool is currently in progress- this was an interesting one. The image itself came to me before I went to bed one night, but I had no idea what it was. I just knew it was a card, and that was it. So I interrupted Mr Shanti's reading to describe the image to him, so he could help me decipher what my brain was getting at. Although, considering how he has less experience with the Tarot than I do (although he does own a couple of decks), he basically nodded along while I described the picture and abruptly interrupted myself with "it's The Fool! Of course, it's the Fool! Okay, I'm good- you can go back to reading."
I felt a burst of joy last night when I showed Mr Shanti my Fool in-progress (sketched out and partly coloured) and he was very enthusiastic in his agreement that I had, indeed, created The Fool. I was worried he might not agree, considering that some of the basic imagery (e.g. the cliff) are notably absent.
I wanted to write my post with tips on how to create a Tarot card but, honestly, there is no cut-and-dry answer. Everyone works differently, it's just a matter of finding what works for you. When I was a teenager, I tried working through the Tarot like I did with my schoolwork: diagrams, tables, etc. But it didn't work for me- whilst that stuff resonates with me academically, I learned at the Gathering that I need to approach the Tarot like I do with dance and cooking: instinct. Like an artist.
For me, my artistic process is to play around with the core components (e.g. music, concept, ingredients) and wait for inspiration to guide me. It seems like a really hippy-dippy method, but that appears to be my process: I allow the card to be what it wants to be. When I first planned my Star, she was clothed but, as I was drawing her, my instincts told me that she was nude- and the opposite occurred with my High Priestess, who went from wearing a sheath to a full cloak.
The same goes for mediums- at the Gathering, my friend Jenny said that she thought she might have had more luck had she been working with paints instead of a felt pen. Had I had paints in front of me, it would have been a disaster! I love painting, but I need to pre-plan all of it. Give me pencils, and I am in my element, which is why I chose to use graphite and colouring pencils to create the images on my card. I intend to add the border digitally so that they are uniform. The back of the cards might be digital too, but I haven't decided yet- I might hand draw that too. So another piece of advice would be to find which medium works best for you- perhaps you also love drawing, or paints are more your style. Maybe collage is your thing or you're skilful with Photoshop or a camera.
I think, the most important thing is to take your time. Don't force anything and take it one card at a time. If you need to write notes, go for it. If you need to look at existing cards, do that. If you take a jab at one card and think that's enough, that's fine too.
I do highly recommend trying spiritual art though- whether it be dance, visual, music, dramatic or a combination of them. It's very freeing!
Blessings
Shanti
xxx