cirom said:
I've followed this thread with great interest. There are various decks available and being produced that are digital montages of photographs or existing works of art by other artists, with themes based on style and historical periods of art history. This one is particularly well done and I personally like the choices you've made for the sample cards.
My only caveat to this kind of approach and imagery is that its even more sensitive to the subjectivity of the characteristics, features and poses of the original artworks in order to best communicate the message and feel of any given card. Depending on those percieved qualities of facial expression etc, any given image might arguably be one of any number of cards. You seem to be controlling this quite nicely by the merging of other items into you image, such as flowers etc. In my opinion that will be the key to applying a sense of uniformity that will turn of collection of 78 varying art images into a more personal cohesive set. I raise this observation as something to consider as you proceed with the rest of the project, nevertheless I really like the images I've seen so far and my personal preference is the second one for the Empress.
Good luck.
Thank you so much, Cirom. Your advice is invaluable to me. You are right that "any given image might arguably be one of any number of cards", and that I must, therefore, be very, very careful in the choices I make. You have perceived my intentions regarding the uniformity of my cards very well indeed. I am attempting to do this through, as you say, "the merging of other items into each image." I have moved on to the Aces, but I think the Majors will be completed before the Minors. Your encouragement is most heartening and I am very grateful for it. The challenge, of course, will be to maintain this uniformity throughout all of the 78 cards. My plan is to have very cohesive Majors and the four individual suits, and then to unify the whole.
Some find that the second Empress would lend itself better to the Queen of Cups, but I am, now, inclined towards her. Perhaps she does not appear as authoritarian as might be desired, but I think there are different types of strength.
It is all a slow process because I have to balance creating with the strictures of earning a living, but I will share my efforts as they progress, and hope I will be able to benefit, again, from some more of your very sound advice and kind encouragement. I value plain speaking, and am always in need of the most candid of suggestions.
Thank you again!
