Lady of Coventry test card

[Don Boyer]

Another sample image for you guys to look at.  Personally I like the parchment background  (though I'd want the final version lighter), but the artist doesn't.  Is it really that bad?  If there's enough hatred I'll rethink it.

USPCC is urging me to shrink the design by 3% in order to avoid registration errors, though I worry that will make it even harder to read the indices when fanned.

(Oh, and picture the yellow areas in the border as slightly metallic gold.)

I think you'd be better served with white on the edge.  At the least, if you really want the parchment look, then make the border on the back the same color.

Take USPC's advice re preventing registration errors!  In fact, err on the side of caution and consider a percentage point or two SMALLER than what they want.  If you're concerned about the indices, beef up the thickness of the lines in the font without actually making the letter bigger (or at least not much bigger).  Either that or make the gold the background color for the letter and make the letter in red/black - that would stand out nicely and look almost like an illuminated book.

I think that the picture has too many details. Most of them will be lost and become "mud" when printed in the actual size.
As for parchment, I like it but I think it needs to be lighter.
Just an opinion though...

The banner's size is okay, medieval manuscript illuminations didn't pay much attention to the right proportions.

For me, it's that the banner is at the end of a sharp weapon that's sticking out of a castle window!  But it's nice regardless of what I think, really.  The art is gorgeous, and Lotrek is right in that medieval artists weren't the most scale-accurate in history.

[Lotrek]

I agree about he sharp weapon-like edge of the banner's stick.

[Bill Collins]

is there any more cards to see, I would like to see were this is heading. I think I could be a big fan of this deck.

[Soliloquy]

is there any more cards to see, I would like to see were this is heading. I think I could be a big fan of this deck.

He's working on the aces right now while I research the remaining court cards.  Here's some preliminary artwork for the aces; I think they're turning out very well.

Interestingly--I hadn't known this before--but the Anglo-Saxons of that era still used Roman numerals.  We briefly considered using them, but unfortunately I think that would affect the playability too much.  Would have been cool, though.

[Lotrek]

I agree Soliloquy, they're going very well and yes, Roman numerals will be confusing though beautiful. 

[Don Boyer]

is there any more cards to see, I would like to see were this is heading. I think I could be a big fan of this deck.

He's working on the aces right now while I research the remaining court cards.  Here's some preliminary artwork for the aces; I think they're turning out very well.

Interestingly--I hadn't known this before--but the Anglo-Saxons of that era still used Roman numerals.  We briefly considered using them, but unfortunately I think that would affect the playability too much.  Would have been cool, though.

You could use Roman numerals if you wanted to as a supplement to the existing indices.  You could place them under the index, to the right of the index or (like tarot cards) in the center of the top.

[Alex Willis]

Love the new artwork! 

[Soliloquy]

Here's one of the aces colored in.  I just love those dragons!  The artist wants to  know if I want more decoration within the diamond; I like it the way it is, but would love to hear your opinions.

[xela]

I did a really quick mock up of where I would like to see the diamond and other suits go:

[kdklown]

Thought I really liked the solid, but that mock up is tight!

[Don Boyer]

I would say to do something to make it more visually interesting in the center of the oversized pip.  Alex suggested negative space, but it could also be something as simple as some vines growing across the diamond, an image of the Lady Godiva's portrait in the center, etc.  Just something to jazz it up a tiny bit.  You have all that cool-looking "framework" but nothing in the middle but a solid field.

Compare the two images - you tell me which is more interesting... 

[Alex Willis]

Thought I really liked the solid, but that mock up is tight!

I concur, I like the mock up.

[Lotrek]

I prefer the first mock up but with a little detail on the Diamond, so there will be some balance between the flamboyant frame and the plain red.

[Collector]

I prefer the first mock up but with a little detail on the Diamond, so there will be some balance between the flamboyant frame and the plain red.

+1

[Soliloquy]

With some subtle tracing inside to break up the space:

[Don Boyer]

With some subtle tracing inside to break up the space:

That is an order of magnitude better!

[Collector]

With some subtle tracing inside to break up the space:

It is very nice.

[Alex Willis]

I'm really looking forward to this deck, your artist is doing a great job!  Will you be doing the distressed parchment background on all the cards like on the Ace sample?  The color just seems to pop on a white background and they seem a bit muted with the parchment.  It doesn't matter to me in the end as I will definitely be supporting this deck!