Tarot Deck Creation: 10 Steps to Making Your Own Tarot Deck
Tarot deck creation was never one of my goals when I set up Practical Magic.
What I really wanted to do was create a shop (online first, brick and mortar later) that sold independently created tarot and oracle decks—like the kinds I collected. I would buy these indie decks from places like Two Sides Tarot and Little Red Tarot, and thought that just maybe I could come up with my own little selection to sell to people in Manila (and maybe Asia).
But things took an unexpected turn when I decided to play around one night with some collage imagery online, and then the Practical Magic Starter Deck was born. Two years later, I employed the same collage style to create the Pinoy Practical Magic Tarot Deck.
Now I know some of you who frequent this blog do have tarot deck creation goals of your own… so I thought I’d put together a guide that can *fingers crossed* walk you through the creation process the way I did it.
Disclaimer: I get a lot of questions about suppliers, printers, and the like… if that’s what you think you’re going to find in this post, I’m going to tell you right away that it isn’t. I invite you to do your own research when it comes to execution. If I was able to put together my decks by doing my own research, so can you. Google is your best friend.
So let this serve as a guide, but don’t expect any spoon-feeding. Open yourselves up to the experience of learning through process, discovering through research, and creating a tarot deck all your own.
1.
Set an intention. Back in architecture school, before we could even do any sketches or talk aesthetics, we needed to start with a design problem. You have to know your why. Why are you creating a deck in the first place? Is your deck attempting to solve a problem or is it an avenue for you to express yourself? Are you creating a deck because you want to make sales, cater to a certain advocacy, or learn the tarot a little bit better yourself?
Knowing your why will set the tone for your entire creation process. Give this fundamental step time.
I personally created the PM Starter Deck because I felt like I needed a creative exercise for myself. I created the Pinoy Practical Magic Deck because I wanted to highlight Pinoy pop culture. Your reasons for creating a deck don’t have to be deep (although they can be). The most important thing is that you know what they are and that you can sum up these reasons in short, succinct, simple sentences. When you use too many words to talk about your intentions, you probably haven’t gotten to the root of the matter just yet.
2.
Start with a concept. Independently created decks these days are theme-based. Saying “I want to make a tarot deck” is too broad. Qualify your creation. Do you want it to be an animal deck? Why? Do you want it to be based on “Stranger Things?” 80s soap operas? Political figures?
My concept for the PM Starter Deck was something for beginners, and something fresh and new. For Pinoy Practical Magic, it was vintage Filipino—not just because the celebrities from the 70s and 80s had a certain nostalgic look about them, but because sticking to this period of time would also help me with any issues that might crop up around usage of imagery.
3.
Pick an art style. I chose collage because that’s the medium I’m comfortable with, but if you’re into impressionism, Op-art, post-modernism, then go ahead and do whatever you feel at home with, unless you’re creating a deck to expand your style or portfolio.
It’s important to set your parameters so that you come up with a deck that’s visually cohesive (unless the concept you’re working with is a variety of art styles, then it would make sense to mix things up).
This is where you need to come to terms with your own artistic capabilities. If you’re working within a set amount of time, think about what you can realistically achieve. If you want to finish a deck in a month, then maybe doing frescoes, photographing them, and then treating each photograph may not be your best bet. If you’re comfortable with oil on canvas for example, think about whether you can really go through 78 canvases (and probably more since you’ll most likely need extras for do-overs and such).
Set your parameters so that you have a framework to reference throughout the deck creation process.
4.
Before you even begin, make sure you know what you’re getting into. I know that a lot of artists who know nothing about tarot delve into deck creation. I feel, however, that their decks feel different to actual tarot readers. They’re not as usable as decks made by people who really know their archetypes, are able to work with spreads, and can read for themselves or for others. When you know how to use the tarot, you pick up on subtle elements that artists—no matter how great they are at their craft—just don’t see.
Make a tarot deck if you know tarot. Make an oracle deck if you know how to use it. Do your homework.
5.
Get to work. The part that most eager beavers are looking forward to, you’re going to just have to do the work. A tarot deck is not going to “magician” its way into existence. Whip out your iPad, learn Procreate, get your scissors out, get your thinners and paints ready.
Be ready to take many stops, starts, and be kind to yourself during this stage of the process. Show people you’re work whenever you’re ready—it would probably benefit you to get an opinion from both a non-tarot reader and someone who’s adept at the cards, just to see if what you’re doing works with both audiences.
6.
Remind yourself to look at the big picture. While we do read tarot cards individually sometimes, we use cards in tandem and in large spreads for the most part. You have to be able to step back from your work and see how the cards look together. In spreads of three, five, ten, and twelve. Lay them all out to see if there are any stragglers, if any visual or thematic patterns emerge (very important in a deck!), and if overall, you like the look of them when laid out in formation.
Think Beyoncé staging Bey-chella. She needed to get everyone on that stage looking perfect together, as a unit.
7.
Do a test run. Whether you want to produce your deck commercially or just want to have a copy for yourself, know that the work isn’t done once you’ve finished the art. You want to see if everything works in tarot card form. Look for a printer who can do a cheap one-off production on regular card stock, or if you want to run your inkjet printer to the ground, then DIY it at home. This is to see if your artwork works in whichever size you choose it to be. This will also help you see if you have any border issues, uneven cropping, etc.
Uneven cropping was my waterloo with both the PM Starter Deck and the Pinoy Practical Magic Deck so I advise you to be very careful when it comes to this. You don’t want to spend your savings on a huge print run only to find out that you made a cropping error.
8.
Once you have your test deck, use it. Tote it around (believe me, that tester won’t leave your hands the minute you get it!) and do readings for yourself, for potential clients, and for friends. See how it performs in the wild.
Again, edit as needed.
9.
Revise, revise, revise. My most dreaded step of any project, but one that is absolutely essential if you’re going to get things right. Now that you’ve held your sample in your hands, have used it for 10, 20, 50 readings, you’ll know what needs shifting and what needs adjusting.
I immediately spotted things I wanted to change with my first run of the PM Starter Deck. Thank goodness I only had 11 copies printed, so I was able to remedy any glitches I saw without spending a fortune.
10.
Study the market. If you’re super confident about your deck, then you can have it professionally done now! You can make a few copies just for you, or if you want to bite the bullet and go for a big print run, then go ahead and make that job order. Rest assured with the knowledge that you tested your deck, tweaked it as much as you needed to, and took into consideration everyone’s feedback as well.
See if people take interest with this newfangled indie deck you’re using. If people seem genuinely interested, then consider taking things commercial. Study your numbers and see if they’re good enough to make you feel like you’re taking a calculated risk.
If you decide to do a big print order, then do a Hail Mary and wish yourself luck. Who knows, your creation might be the next thing to hit the indie shelves of Two Sides Tarot and Little Red Tarot, right?
If you want to take deck creation to the next level, I invite you to join Papercon PH. This online event comprises of several webinars, roundtables, and discussions all devoted to helping you spark, boost, and finally set up the creative biz you’ve always wanted to build.
Plus, every early bird VIP ticket gets you a free PaperconPH book. (Guess what, Practical Magic has more collages there for you!) :)
Purchase your tickets here: www.paperconph.com