Saturday 30 December 2023

Animosity Tarot


I've been making two (partial) decks of Animosity Tarot cards for an event I'm running as part of the global Animosity Campaigns Weekender, in January next year. I need 2 sets of numbered coalition cards (Team Mogrek and Team Atressa) to give out for random game parings.

I could have gone the really quick and simple method of using regular playing cards. Or even just hand-written numbers on stained card.

But did I?
Did I buffalo.

So I'm making 20 illustrated tarot cards because of course I am. They are made from watercolour paper, stained with black tea (dabbed on with a used tea bag and hair-drier'd) and watered-down black ink (sponged on and dried).

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The first four (Death, The Tower, The Sun and The Tower) were cards I started a few years ago, but hey sat in a box unfinished since then. So they were quick wins to finish first and jump-start the work.



The rest are either Animosity-themed designs for standard tarot major arcana cards, or new ones to replace standard cards. For example: I have made the suits of Blades, Shadows, Beasts and Hands instead of the standard Wands/Staves, Coins/Pentacles, Swords and Cups; The Ship instead of The Chariot, and The River instead of The World).


The Magician, the Ace of Hands


The Ace of Blades, the Knave of Shadows 


The Six of Beasts, The Ship


The Moon, The Star


The River, The Wheel of Fortune 


The Whale, The Hanged Man


The Knight of Coins, The Hermit


Judgement


Strength, Justice 

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The Ship

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The cards are collected into two (incomplete) decks with either green or red backs - I have used scrapbooking paper as I was able to find patterns that look enough like the reverse sides of playing cards.

Since I imagine these cards are collected / drawn / copied by an orruk pirate shaman I'm not worried about inconstancies in the patterns (if you look closely you can see there are two different ones in the red deck) and the drawings are intentionally "grubby".


I carved a rubber stamper so I could add a crude print to the backs of the green cards, as I didn't have enough paper for all of them in either green pattern I had.


The card backs.


The green deck.


The red deck.

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I've made a printable PDF version of these cards too.

So if you want to, you can print your own onto watercolour paper or similar. I recommend folding along the edge of the cards and carefully tearing them rather than cut them straight, so they will keep the roughness and feel. Then back them with whatever patterned paper you can find - I used a glue stick so the paper wouldn't get all wrinkled (that I thought might happen if I used something more liquid like PVA glue).

Totally optional, but if you do make your own version I humbly ask that you consider buying me a coffee (or maybe a pot of paint?)



Update: I finally finished the "Animosity Tarot" versions of Hammer, Dagger and Shield cards for Warcry deployment groups.

4 comments:

  1. Blimey! These cards are a thing of beauty!
    Lovely work Saul.

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    1. Thanks Gary! I really enjoyed making them (and Happy New year!)

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  2. Beautiful cards and one hell of a gaming aid. Downloaded and donation made.

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    1. I know I have already said this on Ko-fi, but it's worth saying again:

      Thank you so much! You are very very kind 😍

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