True Black Tarot: Humanity as artifacts of our beliefs

Arthurdubya

I started my deck about a month or two ago, but since I have a full-time job I've only been able to get one image done every week or two. This is going to take a while!

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I've got descriptions and symbolism for each image on this page:
http://imgur.com/gallery/2RiZX

This deck started rather innocently as a personal project. I had never read tarot cards, but was drawn to the ideas, symbolism, and occult references. I looked around to find a deck I really wanted, but thought: "I don't see any decks that I'm drawn to, that really represent me. I should make my own."

I wanted my deck to be something luxurious, captivating, and loved. Coming from a product design field, there were certain details I needed to have, especially in an item that carries so much meaning and sentiment. Soft-touch nonreflective coatings on all the cards, metallic ink, UV gloss-on-matte coatings for the back, and black edging. After a week of research, I realized this was going to cost big money, and take about 900 hours to fully complete.

In that case, go big or go home! This deck is still in its infancy, but the plan now is to get 30-40 cards done by next September and fund it via Kickstarter!

Anyway, more about the actual deck concept! This is copy-pasted from an explanation I gave to someone else, which was my first time putting this into words:

"I've always imagined that visions are removed from their context, much like how dreams are difficult to decipher because they have no obvious context or meaning. We wake up, and we have a vague feeling and recollection, but things are not very clear. I love this feeling, not in a warm-and-fuzzy way, but in an intriguing and thought-inspiring way, and I wanted to recreate it.

Another analogy is like having the reader temporarily take the perspective of a trans-dimensional being. Crazy, but bear with me.

To them, time and space have no set properties. The symbols we have in these cards are artifacts from another world, transplanted from our time into their museums, frozen halfway in motion and souvenirs of how humans embodied their intuitions, fears, and hopes. Even when a person is depicted, that person is not seen as its own human personality and entity, but as a vessel for an idea. This is the reason I plan on obscuring every human's face: so they have no identities, and stand as a symbol for a human. When a reader sees an image in this deck, I want them to see through the eyes of our trans-dimensional visitor for a brief moment, to see their anthropological take on our human nature, and to be present in this barren museum room of man's psyche's artifacts."

Sorry for the long read! If you've kept up so far, thank you!

I can't say I have much experience reading tarot, as I'm a beginner, but I've got a professional reader as an aide to ensure I have the requisite symbolism and meanings behind each card, and I want to share all of this with you guys in exchange for your thoughts and suggestions!

I'd also like to think that I can help contribute back with my experience in the illustration field and product design, so if you have any questions regarding the nitty-gritty, never hesitate!

I plan on keeping this forum in the loop as things progress, but if you want to follow outside of it (especially when Kickstarter time starts to near) you can join up here! https://www.facebook.com/TrueBlackTarot/
 

DDwarks

I love it!
I don't do Facebook so PLEASE make sure you post on here too when it's kickstarter time!
I love the trans dimensional concept!
 

Metafizzypop

This has some possibilities.........

The art looks high-tech, but at the same time it also seems raw and visceral. The images have a primitive-meets-modern vibe that I like. I feel bad for that poor bunny.

I hope you continue to work on this deck until you've got all 78 cards done. I would love to do readings with it. I can't wait to see what you do with the Major Arcana. I'm sure if you put this up on Kickstarter that it will get funded!
 

Arthurdubya

Thanks for the kind words! I will most certainly keep everyone posted during Kickstarter time, as well as with small batches of updates.

Metafizzy,I very much love your "primitive-meets-modern" comment, because that's exactly what I'm shooting for! I also think you'd get a kick out of this:

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It's my bedroom, and actually one of the main driving factors as to how I've arrived where I am with my interest in this specific style!

I'm fairly (90%) certain that it would get funded, but I want more than the "minimum viable product".

My ultimate goal is to create the best experience possible for this tarot deck, as opposed to the most economically feasible. The best case scenario is that each deck has its own tuck box, faux suede drawstring pouch, wrapped in a sheer black decorative cloth along with a 160-page full-color booklet with all the tarot card images at double their card size. All this in a larger two-part box. The estimated production cost for this is something like $35-40 per set, which would mean raising $35-40,000 on kickstarter! I'm going to need to generate a LOT of interest to meet that!
 

Metafizzypop

Wowie, that is one nice room. I don't think I've ever seen a room look so good outside of a magazine. It's kinda obvious that it belongs to an artist and not a stockbroker, lol. And it does fit the primitive/modern description.

You've got some lofty goals for the deck, but I think you'll get there.
 

Ballerina

I love the look of this deck and can't wait to see more cards. I would definitely back on Kickstarter.
 

Lee

Beautiful artwork, can't wait to see more! :)
 

gregory

I love it!
I don't do Facebook so PLEASE make sure you post on here too when it's kickstarter time!
I love the trans dimensional concept!
Looks good to me too - and I am another not on facebooker !

One a week isn't bad. Mine took me over 7 YEARS :D
 

Arthurdubya

Gregory! I remember clicking through some older posts and looking at people's profiles. You have QUITE the tarot collection!

What does your tarot look like? Please link me to it!
 

reall

fantastic pro modern design! is what I was thinking until that last img!x,x Yikes! *minute of silence for that poor bunny!wu,uw I have no doubt you'll kick your kickstarter but I'm not fan of medieval n raw animal cruelty included!x,x so I guess anyone can't handle that may skip it as I have a feeling we'll be seeing more grim considering name and topic?x,x