Custom Deck Design REDUX-- Comments Appreciated

[wildwildcat]

Hello Don,
That is a good point I had not considered.  I will change it accordingly. I think the card backs would bea good choice.

[wildwildcat]

@Don Boyer

Hello, I used a new template on the Kings.  I hope this can alleviate the muu-muu problem?

[Don Boyer]

@Don Boyer

Hello, I used a new template on the Kings.  I hope this can alleviate the muu-muu problem?

You're still having some proportion problems.  The crown sits too high on the head - it would never stay put if it was that small and high.  The head is still too small, and the globe that's supposed to be held in his hand is way too tiny.  The sword looks more like a Bowie knife, or perhaps a small machete.

Closely compare your image with this King of Spades.  Notice how the King's head is about a third of the width of the frame in which he sits.  Look closely at the proportions of the entire body, the clothing, the weapon, etc.

[wildwildcat]

Hi Don,
You're right.  I've been using an overlay, and I'll try to post another updated art soon.  I believe the length on this one in question is still slightly off.

[wildwildcat]

Hello Don,
Here's another slight adjustment, with the suits tacked on as well.
Getting there?

[Don Boyer]

Hello Don,
Here's another slight adjustment, with the suits tacked on as well.
Getting there?

Do you know why the crowns are all flat in a standard set of court cards?

It's because they're against the top edge of the picture's frame!

If you're not making your cards that tall, why limit yourself to flat crowns?

This card's crown is still not big enough and sits too high on the head.  Make it come to where you might wear a sweatband - just above the eyebrows.

Does the deck have a particular theme?  Are these faces of anyone you know?

[wildwildcat]

Hello Don,
I'll see about adjusting the crown size more.

The flat top was one concept I had not considered.

I do not have a very strong rallying theme for the deck as of now.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Don Boyer]

I'd been trying to put my finger on something about the court clothes that was bothering me and I finally figured it out.  In standard courts, the designs actually have black borders all over the place separating patterns and fields of color.  Yours is lacking this and it makes the garment seem more like an amorphous blob - as mentioned earlier, a muu-muu.  The lines give the garment pattern at least some structure - it can't correspond exactly to a real-world court costume because of the two-headed nature of the art, but it does at least resemble a king's finery more closely.

Out of curiosity, why are you even using a traditional-style court?  I'm assuming those faces are of people you either know personally or know of.  Why have them dressed in 600-year old clothing?  Why not create something more contemporary - replace a censer with a cellphone, swap the sword for a cricket bat or a lacrosse stick and so on?  It might help give you a theme for the deck, and contemporarily-clothed courts appear very infrequently so your deck would stand out more.  (Just watch your proportions!)

FYI: regardless of whom you've chosen to be on your court cards - friend, celebrity, family, athlete - obtain model releases from them.  It's easy to find generic boiler-plate ones online that cover most contingencies.  For legal reasons, most printers, especially USPC, will require that you have all the rights to the images you use in your design - no releases can quickly result in no deck.

[wildwildcat]

Hello Don,
I really appreciate the insight you have been giving my designs!

I suppose I could always add the black lines to the courts manually, but it'll be lots of revising.

I really wanted to create a deck that was intricate and detailed, hence the suits and the small lines on the courts.  The faces thing was a fun addition, but ultimately nonessential.

I do enjoy your idea of contemporary courts, however now that school ha started for me, I'm not sure how much time I will have to create a new design.

Of course, my current one is in dire need of change as well, so I guess I have two routes, both of which will take considerable time.

Thank you all the same,
Owen

[Don Boyer]

Hello Don,
I really appreciate the insight you have been giving my designs!

I suppose I could always add the black lines to the courts manually, but it'll be lots of revising.

I really wanted to create a deck that was intricate and detailed, hence the suits and the small lines on the courts.  The faces thing was a fun addition, but ultimately nonessential.

I do enjoy your idea of contemporary courts, however now that school ha started for me, I'm not sure how much time I will have to create a new design.

Of course, my current one is in dire need of change as well, so I guess I have two routes, both of which will take considerable time.

Thank you all the same,
Owen

Since you're making the design for yourself and not some company, you can take all the time you want.  Decide on a single course of action, then take that course, even if you're doing it the slow-and-steady way.

For a good example of a deck with contemporarily-dressed courts, look for the Bicycle Black Tie deck - it's among my favorites.  Court gowns and robes get traded for cocktail dresses and suits with ties.

[wildwildcat]

Sounds good,

I'll think hard about which way I want to go, and stick to it.

I'll definitely check out the Black Ties,

On the note of printers, I have been looking at Brahma Playing Cards.  Their low rates seem to make them stand out, especially as they can offer 5000 decks at less than a dollar a deck

Do you feel lower pledge rates would be a stronger motivation for backers who are on the fence?

Thank you Don!

Owen

[wildwildcat]

Hello Don,
I've been doing some more work with trying to emulate the traditional court style.
Below is a tentative (rough draft) work of a new idea and style:


Thoughts?

[Don Boyer]

Hello Don,
I've been doing some more work with trying to emulate the traditional court style.
Below is a tentative (rough draft) work of a new idea and style:

Thoughts?

Are you going for a modern look or a traditional look?  Because right now, this looks like you put both looks in a blender, poured the mixture out and posted it here.

Settle on a specific, set style for your deck.  Carry through that style on every single card you design.

[Justin O.]

Why is one shoulder pad so much smaller than the other?

[wildwildcat]

Hello Justin,
I'm tweaking the design right now.  It's pretty unbalanced--I'll change that.

@DonBoyer,
In regards to a theme, I'm considering a complete overhaul, and trying to do I some more fantasy inspired art, with the Queens as sorcerers, Jacks as knights, and Kings as Lords, probably with some Warcraft inspired elements. Thoughts?

[Don Boyer]

Hello Justin,
I'm tweaking the design right now.  It's pretty unbalanced--I'll change that.

@DonBoyer,
In regards to a theme, I'm considering a complete overhaul, and trying to do I some more fantasy inspired art, with the Queens as sorcerers, Jacks as knights, and Kings as Lords, probably with some Warcraft inspired elements. Thoughts?

Sounds fun.  But I don't play Warcraft so I can't really speak to how it would look.  I can say that you should make your designs only vaguely like Warcraft and with different names - either that or obtain a license from Blizzard to make a Warcraft deck.  Considering that you have no previous professional deck-design experience, they'd be very disinclined to allow it.

[wildwildcat]

He'll Don,
Warcraft was a a example of the ornate fantasy theme I am a fan of.  I'll steer clear of anything too similar and will be sure to stay original, in the sense that the ideas come from me,
Cheers