Here There Be Monsters, The Tarot

An in progress tarot deck about worldwide magic, myths, and monsters 

[monsters-tarot]

I appear to have deleted my other post that contained all the pip cards for the swords, so here is a repost of these guys all together.

[monsters-tarot]

Three of Gems - The Fates

Is there a group of three better at teamwork and planning than THE fates?

Gems completed (7/14) Overall completed (57/78)

Halfway through the gems. This year I hope to complete the gems and start at least 1 card in the wands. This seems very doable.

[monsters-tarot]

Queen of Gems - Baku

Baku is the Japanese dream eater. She eats nightmares and leaves the good dreams; just don't let her linger too long......

Gems completed (9/14) Overall completed (59/78)

[monsters-tarot]

I just realized, EMBARRASINGLY, that I never posted two of the gems cards here???

Seven of Gems - Tikbalang

Tikbalang is a creature that is a human/horse hybrid and is usually quite cruel to humans (maybe even a demon?). But I read a story of a farmer who found one tangled up with brambles all in its mane and helped it out. The Tikbalang was so grateful it came to the farmer's field and helped him plow.

Gems completed (8/14) Overall completed (58/78)

[monsters-tarot]

Three of Gems - The Fates

Is there a group of three better at teamwork and planning than THE fates?

Gems completed (7/14) Overall completed (57/78)

Halfway through the gems. This year I hope to complete the gems and start at least 1 card in the wands. This seems very doable.

[monsters-tarot]

Three of Gems, WIP! Took awhile to get the perspective right, but I think I'm happy with the sketch.

[shakespearesdaughters]

Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness

[monsters-tarot]

Knight of Gems - Garuda

Knight of Coins/Pentacles can be hard working but also obsessive, so i picked Garuda because of their unwavering desire to eliminate the nagas from existence.

Gems completed (6/14) Overall completed (56/78)

[monsters-tarot]

Working on a card today! Hi, it's been awhile!

[monsters-tarot]

Hello, nice to greet you, hoping you are well. My name is Ro. I am writing to you from Mexico. I admire you and have been following your publications for some time.

I was wondering when your tarot will be available? Your work is very nice. I hope one day to have it.

This is a great question! I don't know the answer!

I'm working on it! =O

[eliotbaum]

You can now get a copy of the Sefirot deck, the game, pins and more until the end of February ✨

[monsters-tarot]

Tell me about my future

An incomplete deck's reading.

Tomorrow, if you are tempted with a decision that takes you off your normal path, you should take it. It might not be easy, but it could be rewarding.

Next week, you will be at conflict with someone who has lots of rules and permissions to follow and give, but you will not want to submit to that. It will be difficult to go against.

Next month, there will be a reaping for what has been sown. If you have been working toward good things, then you will have them. If you have been undermining others, you may find the ground beneath you is undermined in turn.

[monsters-tarot]

Hey, I just want you guys to know, there will be more cards.  COVID happened and sapped my card making energy, I guess.  And then last year I started making a year long xmas present, and that is ALMOST done.  But it has taken up almost every free moment of art time I’ve had.  When I am done with it, I am really looking forward to getting back into these, you don’t even know.

[monsters-tarot]

Rejected Card Designs

For fun!  Sometimes during card creation things come to my attention or I look something up and realized I’ve gotten it wrong and have to scrap what i was doing or heavily rework it.

Image 1 is an old Four of swords.  When the sun crosses the sky it might turn into a jaguar as it moves through the earth to come out the other side, but the one book I had with an explanation seemed untrustworthy or maybe just really outdated, and I couldn’t find anything with a little more meaning, or to back up what I was reading, so I moved away from it just in case it was wrong.

Image 2 was going to be 8 of swords featuring the Ahuizotl, but I just felt like it was too gruesome to show this poor dude being drowned, so I also moved away from that one.

Image 3 is the old Grootslang, and the most painful of my mess ups.  It is 100% completed, as you can see, but when I was double checking my info on where it came from, I noticed the legend SPECIFIES that its treasure is made of DIAMONDS.   DIAMONDS.  NOT GOLD.  So I spend many hours recoloring and redoing the lines of the treasure pile to make everything look like diamonds.

Image 4 was supposed to be this horse headed Indian creature, a Gandarva, but when I was almost finished, I double checked somewhere else and it said they were ONLY MEN.  I didn’t want two Indian guys in a row though, since it comes right after the 10 of cups, and I really wanted the page to be a lady, so I switched her out.

[monsters-tarot]

Two of Gems - Karasu Tengu

The tengu is a Japanese monster that haunts its mountains.  They are known for being skilled warriors and also as tricksters.  Skill and trickery take a lot of coordination, so he’s a good fit for the card of juggling tasks and adaptability

Gems completed (5/14) Overall completed (55/78)

[monsters-tarot]

Two of Gems (Coins) WIP

[monsters-tarot]

2 of gems WIP!!  I’m still working on it!!!