Project Brief: The goal of this assignment was to create an original deck of playing cards, complete with 52 cards including four suits, joker, and packaging.
Tools: Illustrator, Procreate
Concept: The theme of this set of cards represent ghoulish figures commonly associated with late autumn and halloween. These figures include jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, bats, and black cats. The goal for the feel of the cards was not to be scary, but rather a playful and comforting representation of this gloomy yet wonderful time of the year.
The suits: The first part of the cards I came up with were the suits. I wanted each suit to be something recognizable for halloween, and that would be appealing to both children and halloween-lovers alike. I decided that pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and black cats were the best options for this. They were also good because they have a variety of shapes and sizes to work with, and plenty of potential to add character. For the number cards, I wanted each illustration per number to be different, and for them to all fit together almost like a puzzle as the numbers on the card increased.
I wanted my cards to celebrate the playful side of halloween, rather than be scary. So, I wanted to add lots of character to the figures in my illustrations. I especially had a lot of fun with the cats. I played around with a lot of fun shapes, so that there would be variety in the numbered cards.
The face cards: I wanted the face cards to be more close-up, detailed versions of the figures in the numbered cards. I gave each character more detailed expressions, and I took the face cards as an opportunity to add more intricate details to the illustrations, specifically in the crowns. I also kept certain assets of the designs specific throughout, such as the vines.
My earliest sketches were for the face cards. I decided that because the illustrations of the faces were so complex, I should keep the rest of the card composition fairly simple.
For the back of the card, I used the vines and leaves seen in the crowns to create a more complicated, intricate design in contrast to the simpler designs on the other side. I felt that a full moon tied the theme together.
In 2020, there was a popular TikTok trend involving people dressing up as ghosts and sunglasses over the sheet. I drew inspiration on this fun trend for my joker illustration.
The Joker and the back of the card
I wanted to illustrate a scene that brought all the characters together for the packaging, so I drew the bat, cat, and ghost strolling through the pumpkin patch under the full moon. For the title, I chose a typeface that had an autumn-y, slightly spooky tone to it.
Packaging
