What's your favorite art style for deck?

[reall]

I know we have some similar topic here, but I would like to hear what art style do you prefer for your cards to be like? is it classic, abstract, aged, modern, photo etc whatever post it here!

 

[rylla]

I'm not too familiar with art styles but I like the art style in Japaridze and Karma. So I guess I like surreal. Idealy for me a tarot deck should be mysterious, otherworldly, non-static, with flowing images, lots of movement, expressive and colorful. I prefer hand painted decks over digital art or photographic images.

 

[FaintlyMacabre]

I think photographic is my least favorite, followed by....I don't know what. The ones where you need too much imagination to figure out what they are. Please let me be able to figure out the cards w/o a cheatsheet.

I know that is not what you asked, but maybe I can get there that way. I think I may like original art best.

Diana

 

[Falcor]

I like my decks hand drawn with vivid art, fitting colors and expressive/interesting compositions. All those over cutesy or prettied angels/fairies/godesses decks I am staying away from, cant stand it(no offence anyone). The only exception is Happy tarot.

Also I can not connect to photo or photo manipulated decks. Maybe only the Past Life oracle is ok.

 

[MaeWasteland]

I *love* the art on the Wildwood Tarot (and also have a Celtic Lenormand which I think is by the same artist, and also (mostly - I'm less keen on his faces and there are a few iffy ones in the CL, if I remember correctly) gorgeous.) I never much liked the classic RWS but I bought the PCS centennial tin with the alternative colouring and love it. Her actual art style I love, I just found the colours overpowering-yet-muddy (whereas I actually really like that one RWS recolour with the OTT acid colours! I think it's mainly the yellow that is used in a lot of them that I dislike, reminds me of the horrible colour my ex picked for what were then our bedroom walls, which I'm still stuck with as I haven't been able to manage repainting my room in years).

I love *some* of the photomanipulation art for some decks - for example I think the High Priestess from the Tarot Illuminati (the picture used on the cover of the box, I think) is GLORIOUS. But about 70% of the cards in that deck I really strongly dislike, it's too 'uncanny valley' for me. I do love the colour pallette in that deck, though, and IIRC it included numerous people of colour which is a strong plus.

Overall, photomanipulation now means I will seek out multiple youtube videos showcasing each individual card (I tend to do that with all possible purchases anyway as I'm a bit special interest-y (am autistic) on decks right now so I tend to obsess, but with photomanipulated art it's a necessity) - for example the Enchanted Map Oracle is based off photomanipulation, I believe (certainly looks like it), but something about it (possibly something as simple as the... I'm not sure it's the right term but there's a sort of 'watercolour wash' feel over the cards?) makes it feel different somehow, and I am very hopeful that I won't feel as let down by it as I was by the Tarot Illuminati (which, in fairness, I bought in a haze of exhaustion after a far-too-long day out with family.) Mind you, looking again at the Tarot Illuminati pics online, I don't know, they're looking a lot more appealing, perhaps I'll go and dig it out and have another look!

Otherwise, I'm generally fond of art that tends more to either the watercolour/coloured pencil (but ideally stays just this side of twee/cutesie) or the almost picture book-esque (the RWS actually reminds me of the pictures from a series of books I LOVED as a kid called Ant and Bee - in fact, I suspect the artist for those books may have been a fan! Even the colour scheme is very similar https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/86/da/40/86da40e7c3e2217827832adca0e1ce24.jpg )

Sadly, I don't know of anywhere that I can get to (I live in London but I'm disabled so can't travel far most of the time - Central London is too far, generally) that has a decent selection of decks to look at before purchase (I know a couple of shops that sell decks but they're all sealed as they obviously don't sell enough to have 'display/shuffling' copies!) so I'm stuck with youtube previews and reviews, which of course may not always translate into loving a deck quite as much IRL when the weight, texture and so on of the cards comes into play in relation to my own two hands, and combines with my impression of the artwork IRL.

Still, if nothing else, I'm exploring my own ideas and preferences when it comes to art in a relatively contained, manageably priced way, and I don't have to figure out how to frame and hang it (unless I choose to!)

 

[danieljuk]

I really love modern pop art and art deco in styles! I really love decks which have lots of bright colours

 

[reall]

I'm not too familiar with art styles but I like the art style in Japaridze and Karma. So I guess I like surreal. Idealy for me a tarot deck should be mysterious, otherworldly, non-static, with flowing images, lots of movement, expressive and colorful. I prefer hand painted decks over digital art or photographic images.

oh! tnx for pointing examples! I agree with all! but not sure what's my fav?x,x somehow I find my preferences for Tarot to be more traditional/classic RW,M,CT iconic/symbolic people figures?x,x etc and for oracle I like more artzy decks!^^)

I think photographic is my least favorite, followed by....I don't know what. The ones where you need too much imagination to figure out what they are. Please let me be able to figure out the cards w/o a cheatsheet.

I know that is not what you asked, but maybe I can get there that way. I think I may like original art best.

Diana

ha ha! I know what you mean!) I like to know whats on my card without looking at guidebook to tell me that!XD lolz ) for me photographic/too realistic goes best for oracle /meditation decks as there is more freedom for cards design?)

I like my decks hand drawn with vivid art, fitting colors and expressive/interesting compositions. All those over cutesy or prettied angels/fairies/godesses decks I am staying away from, cant stand it(no offence anyone). The only exception is Happy tarot.

Also I can not connect to photo or photo manipulated decks. Maybe only the Past Life oracle is ok.

) agree on vivid art and interesting!) ha ha! I like cute but HAPPY tarot is too sweet!x,x I call it Candy TAROT!X,X got sugar rush just by looking at it!x,x lolz )

@MaeWasteland I know what you mean! Wildwood is interesting! And my friend got Celtic L and I was like WoW!XO ) hm, I think aged RW would be interesting?XD

Ha ha! I got same impression for Tarot Illuminati! Some cards are so GOOD! And I often get back to it But there is few that totally ruined deck for me,,, x,x ) hm, I think photo manipulation may look perfect if well done!XD but it often fail, luw watercolor!^^ Shadowscapes is beautiful!^^ and when I was kid we had that Bee cartoon!^^ lolz but agree that type of classic art style is best for Tarot? Nothing to good!x,x or it may end up bad?x,x like illuminati?x,x facepalm

And I understand perfectly about frustration of people with disability!x,x and in my part of the world is rare to find shop that sells Tarot or any other cards!x,x that’s why I opened one!^^lolz hope to one day be able to open Tarot café!^^ like library where people could hang out and check on all sorts of tarot deck!^^ it’s a long shot!XD but at least hope to see someone do it one day!^^ lolz )

@danieljuk agree! I discovered Art Deco and Art Nouveau recently and Mucha Tarot is on it's way to me!^^ lolz but would like to see more experiments with pin up x art deco style?XD )

 

[GlitterNova]

I have a soft spot for a few different kinds of art in tarot. Firstly, I like girly and 'pretty' decks that have soft or expressive colors. For example, the Paulina Tarot and the Fairy Lights Tarot. Watercolors are like a magnet to me, for example the Tarot of the Dream Enchantress (I love this one so much!) and the Tarots of the Renaissance.

I also have a soft spot for well-executed fantasy and gothic decks. For example, I'm loving the Barbieri Tarot, the Tarot of Vampyres, and the Victoria Frances Gothic Oracle. You'll notice that, while these decks aren't necessarily girly, they still are 'pretty'. What can I say, I like 'pretty'!

Finally, I'm going to go against the grain and say I like photocollage decks! One of my favorite decks is the Steampunk Tarot. The artwork is executed very well and it has just the right amount of a 'piecemeal' look. Two other examples are the Zombie Tarot and the Vintage Wisdom Oracle.

Really, though, as long as the art in a deck is of a consistent quality and well-executed, I can get along with it. The Mary-El, Thoth and RWS are good examples of this. I just prefer pretty decks

 

[RavenLuna]

I love vivid art like the Thoth, Mary-El and Druidcraft, but I also love watercolours like the Wildwood, the Llewellyn, Shadowscapes, Mystic Faerie and Tarot of the Hidden Realm (mixed media). However I'm not fond of the self-published decks that keep coming out, where someone gets their mitts on a set of watercolours and uses them heavy-handedly on dodgy drawings. I much prefer art that has been made by someone who is a professional artist.

I don't much like collages, photos or computer graphics, although I would hang some Deviant Moon artwork on my wall. The Cosmos Tarot and Shaman's Oracle are also done well IMHO.

I also adore Art Deco styles.

 

[Falcor]

oh! tnx for pointing examples! I agree with all! but not sure what's my fav?x,x somehow I find my preferences for Tarot to be more traditional/classic RW,M,CT iconic/symbolic people figures?x,x etc and for oracle I like more artzy decks!^^)


ha ha! I know what you mean!) I like to know whats on my card without looking at guidebook to tell me that!XD lolz ) for me photographic/too realistic goes best for oracle /meditation decks as there is more freedom for cards design?)


) agree on vivid art and interesting!) ha ha! I like cute but HAPPY tarot is too sweet!x,x I call it Candy TAROT!X,X got sugar rush just by looking at it!x,x lolz )

@MaeWasteland I know what you mean! Wildwood is interesting! And my friend got Celtic L and I was like WoW!XO ) hm, I think aged RW would be interesting?XD

Ha ha! I got same impression for Tarot Illuminati! Some cards are so GOOD! And I often get back to it But there is few that totally ruined deck for me,,, x,x ) hm, I think photo manipulation may look perfect if well done!XD but it often fail, luw watercolor!^^ Shadowscapes is beautiful!^^ and when I was kid we had that Bee cartoon!^^ lolz but agree that type of classic art style is best for Tarot? Nothing to good!x,x or it may end up bad?x,x like illuminati?x,x facepalm

And I understand perfectly about frustration of people with disability!x,x and in my part of the world is rare to find shop that sells Tarot or any other cards!x,x that’s why I opened one!^^lolz hope to one day be able to open Tarot café!^^ like library where people could hang out and check on all sorts of tarot deck!^^ it’s a long shot!XD but at least hope to see someone do it one day!^^ lolz )

@danieljuk agree! I discovered Art Deco and Art Nouveau recently and Mucha Tarot is on it's way to me!^^ lolz but would like to see more experiments with pin up x art deco style?XD )

That's why I'll never buy the Happy Tarot. It is really too much of a candy to deal or to read with(for me) but I like the innocence of that deck. It feels natural if you understand me and not forced over cutesy that I feel from some decks. It's definitely a sweet, colorful deck for children to learn tarot with.