the urnash tarot

Egypt Urnash

Silicon Dawn tarot: now completed, extras in progress

edit, June 2011:

It's finally here! I got my proof copy from Lo Scarabeo yesterday. 99 cards with light-reactive printing, a lovely book, all wrapped up in a cool box.

Here's a quick little video of me opening the box and showing off a few of the cards.

Also it's shown up for pre-order! If you're in Europe, you can get it from Lo Scarabeo here; folks in the Americas like myself can get it from Llewellyn here. Or ask your local game/comics/occult shop to order it for you!

(edit ends.)

The past couple weeks I've found myself working on a tarot deck. I don't want to; I'm already hip-deep in the middle of a large-scale comics project that'll occupy me well into the next year.

But when I find myself filling up a nearly-new sketchbook with kinetic, symbolic roughs for the Major Arcana and the beginnings of the Minors, what can I do but go with it?

I'm curious to see what dedicated Tarot fanciers will think of it, as compared to my friends and fans...

17: Star
18: Moon
19: Sun
20: Judgement
21. Universe

Collected roughs for the Major Arcana

The Major Arcana were roughed out in three sessions over the past couple of weeks; the five finished cards were done this past weekend. Other projects will of course rear their heads but I wouldn't be surprised if I have the Majors done and a bunch of roughs for the Minors by the end of October. The Muses seem to like this project.

The order's still up in the air, and a few of the roughs in that collection are destined for replacement because they're just not interesting enough. It will probably be a fully-illustrated deck, once I absorb enough details of the Minors to turn them over in my head and cross-reference them with all the other mythology I have lying around in there.

Oh yeah, and the medium, if anyone's curious, is Adobe Illustrator.

-Egypt Urnash

Edit on 10-August-2008: I have now finished the traditional 78 cards. The eight (or twelve, four are still in flux) extra cards that I've added along the way are still in progress.

There will be a gallery exhibition of the normal 78 at Space 242 in Boston; the opening is August 29th. You can also see all of the cards at once on my website.

The deck is tentatively named "The Silicon Dawn Tarot".

Edit on 13-October-2010 (jeeze, has it been that long since I started this?): Coming from Lo Scarabeo in early 2011 if all goes well, with some spiffy printing process tricks and a total of 90 cards.
 

Satori

Bravo.

You are way good with Illustrator. My brother in law is an Illustrator artist and I know what he goes through. Your style is really cool. My BIL would love it. I love it. You have something here.....

I love the Star...I admit that I was looking to see what she was pouring her water on....as if it matters.

Nice work. I like the loose, controlled feel of the images. Sun is very clever, I like the bees. Will eagerly await more of your cards.
 

6 Haunted Days

I really love the Moon. It's perfect! My reaction to it was immediate and intense. The jackal swimming in the water is truly inspired. All the varying shades of blue is so calming, dream-like and gorgeous. Did I mention I :love: This Moon card? :)

The Star is incredible! I am assuming the star face is a mask or not finished? I would love too see a face! I love the mixes of browns and blues.

The Universe so far looks very alive and flowing. I especially like your use of colours on the dress....all the elements (and of course what they represent) shown in unique colours. Her flame hair is very electric.

I really don't like Judgement card. It could be that this card has an immensely profound, many layered meaning for me....and to see it equated to Jazz....*shudder* I detest Jazz. So perhaps it is that, and I don't feel the image conveys the deeper meanings and implications of this arcana. In a nutshell, doesn't do it justice.

Bees and a hive! Adoring this bright, happy and gorgeous Sun!


Very much looking forward to your other images!!! I'm loving the lines, colours, feeling of the images flowing together and the energy. :)

Miss 6
 

Sidhe-Ra

My smile grew broader with each image I opened. Nice. VERY nice. :)

xx
 

Aulruna

Listen to that voice some more, it obvioulsy got something important to say!!

Love those cards.

Don't love the Moon - adore it, obsessively!!
 

Vetch

ARRRGH! I'm just coming from the other thread, Sidhe-Ra's Transparent Deck one, where I stated that I only like my good ole Rider-Waite, until I saw that transparent one, which is stunning. And now this.
I will stop clicking on those creative threads. They corrupt me.

Still warm from the sun,

Vetch
 

MonoAzul313

beautiful!

I must agree with everyone else...the style is whimisical, yet elegant, and I love the colors you've chosen for each card--nice use of a limited palatte. Love the moon...there's a coquettish, pin-up quality about her. :)

More!
 

Egypt Urnash

10: Fortune

The Moon is one of my favorites too, so far - the dreamy, mysterious mode that I feel the subject needs is something I do by default. Glad y'all like it!

6, the Star is wearing a mask. Masks are one of the themes I play with in my art a lot; there will be other masks scattered throughout the deck. The Emperor and Empress are wearing them, the Aces are figures naked except for a mask with their suit's symbol, there will probably be others here and there. I like masks!

The jazz theme for Judgement comes from a lot of things. I'm originally from New Orleans so it's just... part of my world. This is a raucous jazz funeral for the entire universe - or for the old self you've climbed out of, if you give the Majors the 'fool's journey' reading. Send it off with a celebration, remember the good parts, and look forward to the next round. Which is kind of the theme I'm putting through a lot of these; almost every card about 'change' so far advocates taking the risk and having fun with it.

-EU.
 

Vetch

Your sketches (not only the aces) look intriguing, too.

'Fortune' is cold, and a cool concept, imo. And I really really like your style very much. It is clear and rich and enchanted and cool at the same time. Imo. :)
 

WolfDeca

Wow! This is usually not my style at all, but I love all of these, including the sketches. They're so - active. Are you planning to publish this?

(I adore Temperance's hair, and Fortune. I also dig the aces, with their inbetween genders, but that's just one of my quirks.)