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My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards

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My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« on: October 19, 2013, 06:23:54 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Hello Landry here and I have spent the last few months reworking my deck of Bicycle playing cards that I had on Kickstarter. I thought that I would show off what I have and see what you think of them so far. I think it would be cool to have a white and black deck the black deck would be only if reaching a set goal is met. The name I came up with is Unique Designs. The concept is the same as the first deck but I changed some of the designs and cleaned up the artwork. I added the burned edge look and was very happy with how it turned out had to try different things to get the right look. I redrew the back design on the cards and changed it up some and I like it better than the original design. I have finished about half of the cards and I would like to know what you think of the pips and the layout, is there something you think needs some work. Thanks Landry
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2013, 06:39:27 PM »
 

Anthony

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Hey Landry, I like the abstract nature of the designs. In my opinion though, I think I would like them more without the burnt framework doesn't seem to go with the overall design and I wouldn't use the intertwined numbers (see attachment), I would go with the design you have for that number and just leave it at that. Just my opinion of course. Good luck to you!

« Last Edit: October 19, 2013, 06:40:58 PM by Sparkz »
 

Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2013, 01:29:55 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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Who is the target market for this deck?  Artists, magicians, cardists, collectors, retirees, fry cooks, males between 15 and 25, urban housewives...?  It's really difficult to tell what you're going for here.  If you aim at everything all at once, you increase your chances of hitting nothing.

Indices should be simple and easily read.  Yours are huge and inconsistent in their design.  Ditch the "mirrored" numbers and letters.  Make them more uniform in size from card to card.

I agree with Sparkz that the burnt-edge effect is not doing this deck any favors.

Drop the idea of the black deck.  The design doesn't look good at all as a black deck, and a second color means a second press run, a second contract and a second minimum order, bringing your total minimum order to 5,000 decks and doubling the cost of your project.  I've seen better decks than this fail because they tried right off the starting blocks to create two decks and it made the goal too high.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2013, 04:28:23 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Thanks for your input, I want to implement your ideas. I'm not sure who my cards will appeal to is there a market for a magicians deck. Besides being a gaft deck what else would my cards need to appeal to the magician.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2013, 11:40:01 PM »
 

Don Boyer

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Thanks for your input, I want to implement your ideas. I'm not sure who my cards will appeal to is there a market for a magicians deck. Besides being a gaft deck what else would my cards need to appeal to the magician.

Believe it or not, magicians tend to lean toward more traditional designs for general-purpose decks.  It's not that the audience will think the deck is fake, rigged, magic, etc., but that it's what most people are familiar and comfortable with - the back might be custom, but the faces would be largely standard, perhaps with some new colorations.

This isn't to say that magicians never use full-custom decks.  It really depends on the audience.  An "evil" looking deck like the Bicycle Karnival Dose Redux would be perfect for Halloween shows or an audience of teenagers, particularly if they're emo or goth (and even that deck is still largely based on traditional USPC faces with some alterations).  A fraternal or Masonic lodge might enjoy seeing a deck like the Sentinels because of all the imagery that deck contains.  I know children go nuts for USPC's The Dog deck, and that has all-custom faces with "super-deformed" photo images of different breeds of dogs.

I could imagine using this as a magician if I was performing for a bunch of local artists at a gallery or an art guild or something.  Kids might like the drawings on it as well.  But beyond that, I don't see it being as appealing for magicians.

The appeal to cardists as well would be limited in its present state.  Your corners on the back design are completely white and your indices are so huge and irregular they wouldn't be visible in a decent fan.  Stretch out the back design, extending it to a fine, white border - within the tolerances of USPC's ability to accurately print.  Fix those indices, make them uniform and smaller, then push them far enough into the corners that in a normally-spaced fan or spread, the indices would be easily visible and readable.

While I'm not a huge fan of a four-color pip design, an art-oriented deck like this can make it work.  Your spot cards from 3 through 10 appear to be consistent - they have the appropriate number of pips in them, placed in artistic patterns.  Make the 2s and Aces conform to this format.  Regarding the court cards - your images are a little too abstract to be appealing or make the card easily identified.  Consider a more Cubist rendition of traditional court faces, doubled as you would see on a standard court, and with a large pip next to the heads.  Using the line work style you've already showed in your other cards, this shouldn't be too big of a stretch for you to render.

Mind you, these are all just my opinions and ideas.  Take them or leave them as you wish, whole or piecemeal.  It's not like I've never been wrong about something.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2013, 12:39:00 AM »
 

Rob Wright

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Hey Landry, I like the abstract nature of the designs. In my opinion though, I think I would like them more without the burnt framework doesn't seem to go with the overall design and I wouldn't use the intertwined numbers (see attachment), I would go with the design you have for that number and just leave it at that. Just my opinion of course. Good luck to you!

I have to agree with Sparkz on this one. Some of the  indices are almost unrecognizable. Even if this is meant to be more of an art style deck. It should still be fairly recognizable.

The 2 center design- I don't see 2, I see 4. It's also the only number card that does not have the pips in the center design. To me it makes the card inconsistent with the others.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2013, 12:55:39 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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The 2 center design- I don't see 2, I see 4. It's also the only number card that does not have the pips in the center design. To me it makes the card inconsistent with the others.

The Aces have the same flaw - no real pip anywhere that I could see.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2013, 06:48:08 AM »
 

Sovereign

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Besides being a gaft deck what else would my cards need to appeal to the magician.

In my opinion / experience with magic, the cards need to be instantly and clearly recognisable. When I spend five minutes generating dramatic momentum leading up to a single moment of amazement where I reveal the card and say "Is that the card you are thinking of?" the response I don't want is "Er, I don't know, wait a second, er..." Just my opinion though of course.

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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2013, 05:55:59 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Hello again been working to make some changes. I have changed up the aces added a pip to the king queen jack changed my 5's and 7's here are some new images. Thank you so much Landry
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #9 on: November 21, 2013, 06:03:19 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Cards Update
« Last Edit: November 21, 2013, 06:08:51 PM by lms_jam »
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2013, 10:13:42 PM »
 

Don Boyer

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Cards Update

You posted the same photo twice?

Why two pips on the Ace of Clubs?

Please, pick a reasonably easy-on-the-eyes font for the indices and STICK WITH IT, instead of changing font with the changes of the breeze.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2013, 07:48:30 PM »
 

lms_jam

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To follow the theme of the deck and to keep it cohesive I chose to have 2 pips on the aces.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2013, 05:34:05 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Hello wanted to show you the updated design on the back of the deck tried to fill in the edges and it does make the back look better.
http://skynerdstudios.deviantart.com/art/Playing-Card-Back-Design-418624615?ga_submit_new=10%253A1386541770&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1&ga_recent=1
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2013, 10:31:17 PM »
 

Anthony

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Hello wanted to show you the updated design on the back of the deck tried to fill in the edges and it does make the back look better.
http://skynerdstudios.deviantart.com/art/Playing-Card-Back-Design-418624615?ga_submit_new=10%253A1386541770&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1&ga_recent=1
I know it's a subtle difference but I do like it better.
 

Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #14 on: December 09, 2013, 12:13:04 PM »
 

Lukeout

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I second the comment about consistency of fonts. This deck seems like it would be a great conversation starter, as it throws away so many conventions.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2013, 06:18:10 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Hello again I have been trying to work on my font and have a photo. Tried to make the font more consistent what do you think. Appreciate your feedback so much still a lot of work left to do but enjoying it very much. http://skynerdstudios.deviantart.com/art/Playing-Card-Indices-420254750?ga_submit_new=10%253A1387235817&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1&ga_recent=1
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #16 on: December 17, 2013, 12:36:04 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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Hello again I have been trying to work on my font and have a photo. Tried to make the font more consistent what do you think. Appreciate your feedback so much still a lot of work left to do but enjoying it very much. http://skynerdstudios.deviantart.com/art/Playing-Card-Indices-420254750?ga_submit_new=10%253A1387235817&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1&ga_recent=1

It's better, but not quite there yet.  It still looks like you're collecting bits and bobs from four or five different fonts to create your indices.  Additionally, placing a spade in the middle of the "A" can be confusing when it's an ace of a different suit.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #17 on: December 17, 2013, 04:28:25 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Sorry the A for each suit has a different pip just showing the spade suit here thanks.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #18 on: December 18, 2013, 12:08:54 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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Sorry the A for each suit has a different pip just showing the spade suit here thanks.

See, now that's not good - you're making four cards of the same rank look different in the rank portion of their indices.  Go crazy as you want in the body art, but the indices should be straightforward and easily read.
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2014, 05:42:15 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Hello I have been at work on the Indices and I updated them Also have the final Pantone Colors tried to have all the Indices look cohesive and the picture shows all the colors fro each suit. Thanks Again for the input. http://skynerdstudios.deviantart.com/art/Indices-431642962?ga_submit_new=10%253A1391467005
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #20 on: February 26, 2014, 11:10:48 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Hell everyone I finished my deck of cards and would like to get your final thought before I proceed I have been having issues uploading the jpg. so I have the picture on my deviant art  http://skynerdstudios.deviantart.com/art/Unique-Designs-Playing-Cards-436963883 Please check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks a lot Landry
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #21 on: February 26, 2014, 11:12:18 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Sorry that time the picture uploaded Thanks
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #22 on: February 27, 2014, 05:29:38 PM »
 

lms_jam

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Here is the box and one of the Joker Cards
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Re: My updated deck of Bicycle Playing Cards
« Reply #23 on: February 28, 2014, 08:23:22 AM »
 

Anthony

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Hey Landry, you've definitely taken critique well and I'm sure you've invested a lot of time to make your deck meet your vision and goal. I think at a certain point as an artist, designer, whatever, you need to go with your gut and move forward with your project. If you feel it's what YOU want it to be, go for it. Just remember your never going to please everyone  ;)

I still like the "Hand Drawn" feel of the back design.

We appreciate you sharing the process and continue to do so, and obviously feel free to keep us posted as your release date gets solidified!