Payewacker’s Tarot.

Ace of Cups.
This is the first card designed and drawn by me. This drawing actually stemmed from a different purpose altogether. Out of the need for more artwork on our walls, being known as “The Artist’s Café”, I thought to do a design, which is a little “ of the trodden road” . The face and the blocks was supposed to be at the bottom looking up and above it a glass filled with wine, a King submerged halfway in the wine and two Queens on the blocks, broken in half –chess. But, getting clients, I put it away, upside down. That was when it struck me, I’m going to design a deck, this is where it started. Thus, my other thought, out of the window. Now we have a right side up Ace of Cups.

A very important consideration, was to retain the symbolism as seen on the RW. We find the dove transforming into a face with the round and cross as centerpiece on the forehead. The blocks pour into the golden chalice streams of silver and blue. From the cup we find five slits pouring water into the lake. The chalice being supported by the flower of the water lily. The face replaced the hand. The brows will be painted in silver, the rest of the face will be light blue.

I have not inserted the Yods yet. I actually did, but they were too big and cluttered the entire drawing. I will, after the card has been painted, minise a copy to the size of the actual cards, add the Yods, blow it up again, and paint the Yods onto the finished painting. I am considering making the Yods gold as well.  

Give me some comments please!

Blessed be

Hello Payewacker,
That looks really good, especially the crown /head bit looking down into the Cup.
However, as far as the Cup iteself goes, I feel perhaps it should not have so many 'legs'?  I feel it may be losing its 'ridigity' or even the concept of a cup with all those column-like legs..
From here it looks to me like a marble font?

These are my inital comments so far.

Good  basis to start with and please let us see the colour version when you have it ready.

All the best with the project!!!!

Hi Cedars,

Thank-you very much for your comments.

The five "legs" are the streams of water flowing out, I haven't added ripples or splashes, this will be done when I'm painting it.

I see what you mean on the Cup losing it's shape, I will make the streams narrower to show the cup better. I tried to put some at the back, but then lost the streams behind the cup again.

Your input is very important, because you pointed out something, which may confuse others or we loose the complete message the card should convey.

I can't wait for Mandy to bring the paints, we can find gold and silver here, but it's about 4 X the price.

I'm going to use this theme for all the Aces, replacing the "emblem" and adjusting the backgrounds.

Blessed be.

Cheers Payewacker

if you can find the space... how about adding some handles to the Cup?
Just an idea........

Hi Cedars,

I haven't thought of that, there is space on the sides and what makes it easier is that it is absolutely symmetrical both sides. I also found a solution to the thick streams.

Although I had it like this, I took it out at first because the "pipes" was too long. I will redraw small spouts in the sides to accommodate thinner streams.
This is also easy, just run a hosepipe and copy the "action" quickly.

I want the "cup" itself to disperse the water, not really overflowing. The blending of a relationship with it's differing aspects is also the message I want to project.

I don't really know how translucent i would get the paint, because the streams is a mixture of silver and blue. I've never worked with solid silver and gold paint before.

An interesting aspect to the card is the dove transforming into a face with the disk as a center piece. In this, my message is that, love is freely given from above, how we receive and blend the emotions, from this point forward, is our own success or failure. Do we want to gain or "cost" a relationship, or will we give love freely?

Blessed be.