View Full Version : sizing of orginal artwork
For those of you doing hand drawn and painted art for a deck, what is the best way to go about it with sizing? Better to be just a little larger than what you plan on the finished printed cards being - or should it be much larger, even double the size? I know wanting the detail to come thru on the smaller card is a big issue....so I am thinking double...
thanks
+O+ Hey. My first deck I folded an a4 into quarters and painted on a6 sized rectangles. I don't recommend it. Second time round I'm using a4 sized pieces of paper because they fit easily on a photocopier as well as give me all the room I need to sketch what I need to sketch. Since they'll be shrunk down to less than half size [and I've done this before] there won't be a problem with the resolution required. A3 is probably optimal - but then how much detail do you want/need? Also you have to mess about too much using A3 on most standard home printers.
Why a4? I make a4 drawings, photocopy them, and then paint the template - that way the original doesn't suffer if I f up. +O+
okay....um....what is an a4? What is an a6?
If I do this, I will not be printing it myself....so that won't be an issue. I probably will just use some watercolor paper, or maybe just a regular drawing paper or gator board with paper affixed to it for the originals. And there will just be 2 or 3 initially, I want to see how they come out as far as the art goes, and if people like them.
thanks for your reply!
As a user, I like the detail that ends up in the cards from the larger original artworks. The Thoth was created in a larger size. The Rosetta was created as actual card size. I wish the Rosetta had been created as bigger arwork then shrunk down. That is just me personally.
Best wishes on your creation!
Babalon Jones
24-04-2012, 10:46
Speaking as the creator of the Rosetta, I too wish I had worked in a bigger size! But live and learn, and working in that size actually was helpful in some ways even if not in others. It certainly was a discipline and honed my skills. And taught me how to hold my breath while painting a fine line ;-)
I'm working on two more decks right now, and am loving working bigger. The size is approx 7x9.5 and 8x10 for my second and third deck, but I intend to crop some and am including bleed in the design knowing what will be considered chop-offable.
I have discovered though that there is definitely a limit as to how small of an object you can include without losing the detail when it has been shrunk. I dislike those very busy looking decks that people talk about needing a magnifying glass to see properly. I have good eyesight (even though I abused it working on the Rosetta!) but I want the design to be pleasing not overly busy.
The advantage of working smaller is that you can see right away how the image will look that size, perspective-wise and detail wise and even maybe mood-wise, before shrinking the image. Which is no small advantage though often overlooked. (Perhaps the ideal would be to do small thumbnail sketches first for that part and then the full size, if you have the ability to work that way.) And I suppose cost-wise working smaller has an advantage too as art materials for 78 works are not cheap.
The downside of working smaller is it is very, very difficult to paint or draw detail that small, harder to get the perspective of the human body drawn that small, and it actually takes much longer to execute as it takes so much concentration to get it right. For those reasons, I recommend working at least double or triple your actual finished size; it seems to be what the publishers recommend.
Good luck! I can't wait to see your cards :)
thanks to all of you for your suggestions....I know what you mean, about working small - it isn't as easy as you think it will be! I myself prefer smaller cards - and was planning, if I do this, to make the images larger, even the final images on the cards themselves....along the same lines as the Morgan Greer - just big stuff, no borders, drawings going off the edges...
It's not going to be a tarot deck, I think I am going to try a Lenormand. I am going to do 2 or 3 cards, and see how well they are received here. Then take if from there.
Lotus Padma
24-04-2012, 13:42
hi Bhavana! Can't wait to see your cards! i love your artwork :)
I am glad you asked this, I was wondering the same thing myself! ♥♥
bogiesan
25-04-2012, 06:30
For those of you doing hand drawn and painted art for a deck, what is the best way to go about it with sizing? Better to be just a little larger than what you plan on the finished printed cards being - or should it be much larger, even double the size? I know wanting the detail to come thru on the smaller card is a big issue....so I am thinking double...
thanks
You can research this on many graphic arts forums and blogs and by searching for tutorials on how to use scanning hardware and software.
You need to imagine your pathway to printing and I'd suggest you figure that out before you actually begin to create your artwork.
For instance, who will be scanning your flat art? If it's the printer's staff, do they know what you're after? If it's you, can you deliver the proper file formats to the printer?
Are you going with CMYK inks, laser, or a variation of digital CMYK with multiples of each color? Offset in bulk or on-demand? The inks are differnt and the resolution of the printing systems can be dramatically different. Paper surfaces affect resolution, too.
Talk to your printer way in advance and try to get some specific informaiton from them about file formats, inks, paper stocks and sheet sizes available for you to do cards.
HudsonGray
26-04-2012, 10:24
Here's a link to paper sizes (it explains A3, etc.). Not only does it give dimensions in inches and milimeters, it's got a visual reference of paper laid on top each other.
http://www.papersizes.org/a-paper-sizes.htm
Printers use the designation terms usually, as well as artists that work with paper as a medium.
bogiesan
26-04-2012, 13:04
Here's a link to paper sizes (it explains A3, etc.). Not only does it give dimensions in inches and milimeters, it's got a visual reference of paper laid on top each other.
http://www.papersizes.org/a-paper-sizes.htm
Printers use the designation terms usually, as well as artists that work with paper as a medium.
Great link, thanks. I noticed the fine print, "A sizes are used everywhere in the civilized world except, of course, the USA."