Imperial Deck - IN PROGRESS

[Zlaker]

These cards look amazing, really stunning artwork, I like the chain mail armor on the jack and the scale mail armor on the king. Really cool.

Plus the king looks like a dragons egg. Kudos.

And the faint diamond at the center of the ace jewel is a really nice touch

[Leif]

Here's the next finished court card - the Queen of Clubs! This one will probably be the simplest of all the court eggs.

thanks, Randy

Something's been throwing me off when I look at the courts and I think I've finally figured it out - why do the indices and the eggs employ somewhat different-looking typefaces?  Would it be possible to match them?

Ah, Thanks Don for posting this, I also felt that there was something not quite right with the courts. And, now, when I know it, I can't stop thinking about it! It's like that Falcon Crest thing. Remember Falcon Crest? Remember Maggie? Remember her constant sighing? You will now.


Anyway, I have an idea I would like you to try. Try changing the typeface in the eggs to a script font or an initial, maybe like one of these. http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=404 . Something that differs totally from the index typeface.

My teacher told me when I studied to be a book binder: Use as few typefaces as possible, and if you have to use more than one, make sure that they are very different.

Actually, I think that you really don't need that extra letter in the egg. it's not like the index letter is hard to see. Different crowns would work, or you could expand upon the cross in the ace idea. Use that same cross for the courts, or make them more and more ornate. And the other suits can use the other aces images.

One thing I was thinking about. To me the enamel button pips looks like they are concave rather than convex, if that makes any sense. I think it has to do with the light. Usually it comes from the top left, leaving the lower right fairly dark. With these buttons it seems to be coming from low right? Or at least there seem to be a fair amount of light coming from low right? and since people generally are used to have the light from top left when they see buttons, the effect is that it looks hollowed out or indented. Obviously, working with 3D stuff you already know this, so I assume that it is intentional. I like to know what the thoughts behind that decision is?

[sprouts1115]

your back design is nice, but people bitch about thin boarders.  you have to much white around your last boarder which is the cut boarder.  i like your ornate design on diagonal corners; keep it. but may i suggest. the extra white in the middle and top and bottom be a 3d plateau starting grey to black.  basically making a card within a card.  why don't we kill the white cut boarder to begin with. white to grey maybe. 

texasplayingcards.com

[MrMollusk]

your back design is nice, but people bitch about thin boarders.  you have to much white around your last boarder which is the cut boarder.  i like your ornate design on diagonal corners; keep it. but may i suggest. the extra white in the middle and top and bottom be a 3d plateau starting grey to black.  basically making a card within a card.  why don't we kill the white cut boarder to begin with. white to grey maybe. 

texasplayingcards.com

Huh?
I can't personally see anything wrong with the back design. And what do you mean by "extra white"? It really doesn't need to be futzed with. As for people bitching about thin borders, I hear more bitching about decks NOT having thin borders. They're perfect for cardistry.

[RandyButterfield]

I think the edge sprout is referring to is the non-corner area of the back border. I assure you rip that even those areas are closer to the trim edge than most back designs. The corners on the border are just extremely close to the trim edge!

Leif, I'm a little offended by your comments. It's been 18 years since I earned a BFA in Graphic Design and I've been working with great clients regularly since. If I didn't know how to effectively use and manipulate typography I would no longer be in the field, I would be one of the plethera of Craigslist "Designers" who can't find work. Of course I tried using Script fonts or decorative Initial fonts inside the plaques. Script fonts look horrible inside the oval shape and the Initial fonts look great but are very unreadable at first glance. With such an unconventional court character like an Egg, I need the font to be easily readable. The font I use is very readable and at first glance passes off as similar in nature to the corner fonts.

Since Don was so persistent about replacing the Gold letter with a symbol I went back in and tried a few alternative crowns and flowers with a similar look and silhouette to what I would draw.The Gold letters were the strongest looks, by far! One of my goals with the courts is to force the eye to the top right Egg. The Gold letters do this very well. With a Gold crown, flower or even Pip inside the plaque it tends to blend in with the rest of the Egg's design. The eye doesn't have a spot to focus in on and wanders, thus making it hard to tell whether it's a King, Queen or Jack.

As far as the Pips, they were actually modeled, lit and rendered in 3d in a similar scene as the Eggs. The models are convex and the light source is in the top left. The bottom areas are lighter because of a reflection map, similar to what would happen with a shiny chrome surface.

Slacker - thanks! Yep, I'm a big Game of Thrones fan so I had to do one Egg that looked like a Dragon Egg. I haven't started with any of the Red Eggs yet but they will be lightly inspired by the Lannister's armour and have the Russian two-headed Eagle as there crest.

Thanks, Randy

[Loop Cuts]

First of all I commend you for subjecting your self to the community's scrutiny during your development process.  Especially as harsh as we can be at times with our own personal views.  With that aside, I love your work.  Very different but easy to fall in love with.  I think this deck is far better than your last and I just love the back design. 

[RandyButterfield]

Thanks Robert,

Yes. Posting designs as in progress definitely has its share of Pros and Cons! The biggest Pro is it builds up hype for the deck as it's being created. The biggest Con is the guise of the Internet allows people to become disrespectful or demanding with their feedback.

After the Imperial Deck I may rethink posting in-progress designs to the forums. I like how Lance teased everyone with his sweet new Fairies/Absinthe Back Design.

On that note, here's another finished court - the "Warrior Egg" Jack of Clubs. Or as I was calling him last week, "Jack the Riveter"!

Thanks, Randy

[Pacis]

Looking good! Nice choice of colours
The diamond of the ace jewel is a great addition. Really great artwork overall.

[Leif]

Leif, I'm a little offended by your comments. It's been 18 years since I earned a BFA in Graphic Design and I've been working with great clients regularly since. If I didn't know how to effectively use and manipulate typography I would no longer be in the field, I would be one of the plethera of Craigslist "Designers" who can't find work. Of course I tried using Script fonts or decorative Initial fonts inside the plaques. Script fonts look horrible inside the oval shape and the Initial fonts look great but are very unreadable at first glance. With such an unconventional court character like an Egg, I need the font to be easily readable. The font I use is very readable and at first glance passes off as similar in nature to the corner fonts.

Since Don was so persistent about replacing the Gold letter with a symbol I went back in and tried a few alternative crowns and flowers with a similar look and silhouette to what I would draw.The Gold letters were the strongest looks, by far! One of my goals with the courts is to force the eye to the top right Egg. The Gold letters do this very well. With a Gold crown, flower or even Pip inside the plaque it tends to blend in with the rest of the Egg's design. The eye doesn't have a spot to focus in on and wanders, thus making it hard to tell whether it's a King, Queen or Jack.

As far as the Pips, they were actually modeled, lit and rendered in 3d in a similar scene as the Eggs. The models are convex and the light source is in the top left. The bottom areas are lighter because of a reflection map, similar to what would happen with a shiny chrome surface.

Randy, I'm sorry that I offended you with my comments, I was only trying to help you. It was not  my intention to offend you at all, far from it. Maybe it sounded offending to you because I'm not native English speaking. Sometimes the meaning of words in a foreign language doesn't mean exactly what one think they mean. I will carefully reread my comments next time to make sure that I don't offend you or anyone else again.
Again, I am sorry I offended you.

[sprouts1115]

i like your theme randy.  jacks having armor.  queen having flowers.  the kings "well, being Royal"  I really like the queen of diamonds.  can i suggest the queen of spades having a black lotus with maybe a touch of blue to go with the clubs.   

[Soliloquy]

For a follow-up deck, you could always do Ukranian pysanky.

[Don Boyer]

For a follow-up deck, you could always do Ukranian pysanky.

First, Soliloquy, welcome to the Discourse.  When you have a chance, you should create a topic in the "Introduce Yourself" board!

Second, please educate us about Ukranian pysanky.  I can simply ask my wife - she was born there - but I doubt most of the rest of the gang here has that option... 

[RandyButterfield]

For a follow-up deck, you could always do Ukranian pysanky.

First, Soliloquy, welcome to the Discourse.  When you have a chance, you should create a topic in the "Introduce Yourself" board!

Second, please educate us about Ukranian pysanky.  I can simply ask my wife - she was born there - but I doubt most of the rest of the gang here has that option... 

I had not heard of it either. Google images has all kinds of of sweet looking examples! If I ever did a follow up that would be a cool way to go. I think I would need to do a few more normal decks I between though. These things take a ton of work!

I've put about 3 hours of modeling time into the next egg, King of Clubs, and it's still a while before it's ready to do my different Renders needed for compositing.

@Leif - sorry about my rant! It was a very long day when I posted it and I was catching comments from the Imperial and UC Decks simaltaneously. I wrongly ended up taking it out on you.

Thanks, Randy

[Soliloquy]

Will do, Don.  Pysanky are  elaborate traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated using melted beeswax in a resist technique.  You apply the wax to areas of color you want to preserve, then dye the egg in progressively darker shades.



More information on wikipedia.

[RandyButterfield]

Will do, Don.  Pysanky are  elaborate traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated using melted beeswax in a resist technique.  You apply the wax to areas of color you want to preserve, then dye the egg in progressively darker shades.



More information on wikipedia.

Besides looking very cool, the interesting thing about the Pysanky Eggs are that the details all come from the graphics. With the Imperial Eggs all of the details are created physically in the 3d Model. With the Pysanky Eggs the egg models would all be the same smooth shape. The details would all come from the Photoshop texture maps I would create. I'll definitely study up on these more in a few months!

Thanks, Randy

[Soliloquy]

Randy, I look forward to seeing the results.  I imagine the tuck box of a pysanky deck will be particularly attractive.  If you bring it to the point where it's produced I'm going to ask for a free deck

[RandyButterfield]

Randy, I look forward to seeing the results.  I imagine the tuck box of a pysanky deck will be particularly attractive.  If you bring it to the point where it's produced I'm going to ask for a free deck

Soliloquy, if a Pysanky Deck ever comes to fruition I will surely be sending some freebie Decks your way! It probably wouldn't be until next year, at least, though. I have new design in line after the Imperial Deck, that will probably be my summer project.

The King of Clubs will be finished up in a few days.

Thanks, Randy

[RandyButterfield]

Alright, here's the finished Mosaic King of Clubs.
I've attached a closeup this time as well.

thanks, Randy

[RandyButterfield]

In the midst of yesterday's flame wars, here's a quick image I put together for today's holiday. I figured it would be a fun thing since the Imperial Eggs were always given to the Tsars on Easter.

Thanks, Randy

[Don Boyer]

In the midst of yesterday's flame wars, here's a quick image I put together for today's holiday. I figured it would be a fun thing since the Imperial Eggs were always given to the Tsars on Easter.

Thanks, Randy

Awww, how purty!    Happy Easter!

[RandyButterfield]

Just finished up the Ace of Clubs!
Tomorrow I'll setup and post a layout of all the Clubs together.

thanks, Randy

[Don Boyer]

Just finished up the Ace of Clubs!
Tomorrow I'll setup and post a layout of all the Clubs together.

thanks, Randy

I like that one - if it was a real-life "prize" in a Faberge-style egg, it would be exceptionally delicate.

[RandyButterfield]

Thanks Don!

Here's a look at all of the Clubs.

thanks, Randy

[RandyButterfield]

Here's the finished Ace of Hearts and an image of all 4 Aces together.

thanks, Randy

[RandyButterfield]

Here's some more updates on the Imperial Deck. Finished up the Jack of Hearts and the last Queen - the Queen of Hearts.
Just 3 more Court Cards to go!

thanks, Randy