Updated standard court

[rjtomlinson1977]

Here's the Jack of Hearts for the Tomlinson Playing Card Co. standard court. Still deciding on colors. I want to evoke the classic look but at the same time modernize it. The pips will be different... I just slapped standard ones on for now.

[Don Boyer]

Here's the Jack of Hearts for the Tomlinson Playing Card Co. standard court. Still deciding on colors. I want to evoke the classic look but at the same time modernize it. The pips will be different... I just slapped standard ones on for now.

In what way would you consider this design to be modernized?  Because frankly, I'm not seeing it.  It resembles a court card you'd find on playing cards from a company that didn't use USPC or Arrco faces - but were generally done in much the same style.  Beyond removing the border around the court character, enlarging it a bit and showing the top of his headgear, this doesn't look very different - it's a traditional-style court, plain and simple.  Now mind you, that's not an awful thing, redoing the classic style with a bit of a twist.  But don't call it modernized - altered, yes; modern, no.

If you want modern, REALLY update it.  What are the royals wearing these days?  That's more like modern.  An updated art style - that, too, would be modern.  Make the cards fresh and new while still conforming to the International standard.  I've been seeing courts like this on decks that are a hundred years old or more, right down to the artistic style.  Pretend you're inventing playing cards for the first time in the 21st Century - you're basically starting fresh, so, what do you do with them to make them look like 21st Century playing cards?

[rjtomlinson1977]

My definition and your definition may be different. Here's a side by side comparison. I didn't mean modern in terms of what they're wearing but in terms of the cleanliness of the design. With any design after it's been reproduce time and time again it starts to lose quality. In the case of playing cards, they were designed before Adobe Illustrator (and computers) were around.
I'm fully aware of the various courts used by different companies... that's why I created this set. I want a standard set for the Tomlinson Playing Card Co. that will set it apart from other companies.

[Don Boyer]

My definition and your definition may be different. Here's a side by side comparison. I didn't mean modern in terms of what they're wearing but in terms of the cleanliness of the design. With any design after it's been reproduce time and time again it starts to lose quality. In the case of playing cards, they were designed before Adobe Illustrator (and computers) were around.
I'm fully aware of the various courts used by different companies... that's why I created this set. I want a standard set for the Tomlinson Playing Card Co. that will set it apart from other companies.

Yes, Illustrator and computers weren't around when USPC first made cards in 1885.  But they've been around a few decades now, and have been used many times by USPC to make cleaner, clearer images for their decks.  I look at the two designs you present and I feel that while yours is just a skosh simpler in terms of court dress, they're both equally modern and clear, using modern as you defined it.  They're modern in the sense that they look more up to date than even playing cards in the 1970s and 1980s looked, in the years when computer-aided design was the stuff of fantasies.  It's modern in the sense that the latest tech is being used to make the design - but in that sense, they're no different from USPC Standard faces, which also utilize the latest tech for their design.

[rjtomlinson1977]

I guess we have to agree to disagree. Personally when I look at the two I see major improvement... but like they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The line work on old standards is terrible... just my opinion. If it fails to fund I'll just need to color them blue or some horrendous color and call it a day.

[Don Boyer]

I guess we have to agree to disagree. Personally when I look at the two I see major improvement... but like they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The line work on old standards is terrible... just my opinion. If it fails to fund I'll just need to color them blue or some horrendous color and call it a day.

It would seem to be the case, yes.  But don't just give them a horrendous color and call it a day.  Consider a reinvention of the courts, something that's got a smaller nod to the past and a larger nod to a more modern design aesthetic.  Everyone knows the old school courts - since I was a child I've always found their outfits to be rather bizarre.  Perhaps you can make something that looks closer to modern dress?

I am indeed glad that you're not personally upset at what I posted.  I'm just one guy with an opinion, after all, and I'm the first to admit that not every word pouring from my mouth is made of chocolate and dipped in gold flakes and caramel.  The comments are on the design, not the designer.

[Leif]

It does look very good as a slightly more modern design with lots of nods to the original. But in my very humble opinion it doesn't set it apart enough from other designs I've seen. Is it possible to distill it even more so that it shows more of rjtomlinson in it?

If I may ask: what would your courts look like if you'd never seen a court card before? Of course, that would be rather hard, but I hope you understand what I mean.

If you did that jack just from your own head, and then added a few nods to history, would it look any different?

EDIT: I went back and reread the thread, and I think I understand what you mean. You want them to be very clearly recognizable as standard playing cards courts, yet with a modern touch? In that case you can't change all too much, but you have to keep them conforming to the standard. You've done great with these.
How important is it to you to stick to the standard design? For example, Jackson Robinsons standard courts deviate rather much from standard, yet they are clearly recognizable?

[rjtomlinson1977]

I'm still in the early stages of the design. But I do understand what you mean about designing as if I never saw a playing card before. For this I wanted to try my first attempt at a standard court. I'm always looking to improve and add to my skill-set. I'm sure I'll change things up before I have a final result. Thanks for the advice.

[Collector]

People, don’t force @RJ to design a new custom deck of playing cards. He tries to create an original but standard deck for his playing card company. It isn’t the same thing as his custom cards on Kickstarter. It can be a mass produced pack of playing cards for poker, magicians and cardists.

P.S.
@RJ, try some embellishments (light grey lines) for backgrounds of number cards. I like the Jack of Hearts in general, but, IMHO, there are some small poor details. His axe is too close to his head; try to make the big pip a little bit smaller; try to do something with hearts in the middle of the court – they look strange; maybe add light blue lines to his “blue chest”. Good luck. Quite interesting start.