The second edition of the Lumberjacks

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Hey All,

I've recently began conceptualizing the second edition of the Lumberjacks and I want to introduce this early to get feedback. They will be printed by USPCC again, but this time around they WILL be sealed with either a seal or cello... or both! Oh, and all new art too!

Here are a rough drawings.





I'll be posting on here, Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to like or follow if you want updates and progress.

C&C welcomed and encouraged!

Thanks,
-Kleetz

[Don Boyer]

Consider making a second color as a stretch goal!  I love good two-decks sets, especially fun decks good for a neighborhood poker game.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Thanks, Don!

I will have different color schemes if the campaign reaches that level.

-Kleetz

[10ofclubs]

The Lumberjacks deck is one of my favorites. Fully custom and awesome artwork. I don't know why it didn't get more attention. Looking forward to see what you have in store for version 2!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

The Lumberjacks deck is one of my favorites. Fully custom and awesome artwork. I don't know why it didn't get more attention. Looking forward to see what you have in store for version 2!

That's really awesome to hear man! Make's it all worth it.

Here's a rough drawing of a queen card (not sure which yet, but I'm leaning towards a club or spade).


Let me know what you guys think!
-Kleetz

[Don Boyer]

The Lumberjacks deck is one of my favorites. Fully custom and awesome artwork. I don't know why it didn't get more attention. Looking forward to see what you have in store for version 2!

That's really awesome to hear man! Make's it all worth it.

Here's a rough drawing of a queen card (not sure which yet, but I'm leaning towards a club or spade).

Let me know what you guys think!
-Kleetz

I like what I'm seeing so far.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I like what I'm seeing so far.

Thanks Don! I'll be posting more drawings up over the next month. Then digital versions followed by printed mock ups.

[CBJ]

Will it be Bicycle branded?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Will it be Bicycle branded?

Yes it will!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Another king! Again, not sure which suit he's gonna be yet.

[Nihilo]

Awesome!
i love your design

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Awesome!
i love your design

Thanks for the kind words!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Here's a sketch of a Jack.



-Kleetz

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Pictureless update!

So I'm nearing completion on the sketches. I need one more Jack, back and tuck design... easy right! Afterwards i'll be moving everything into Illustrator and begin refining each card one by one.

I'll be posting updates as I have things finished!

-Kleetz

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

The final Jack! I know I've only posted two so far, but I'll be revealing the rest later!



Thoughts?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

As of yesterday, I've begun illustrating the cards! It's going to be fun and hard, but I'm sure the finished result is going to be awesome. I'll post of progress photos as I have them.

-Kleetz

[Don Boyer]

As of yesterday, I've begun illustrating the cards! It's going to be fun and hard, but I'm sure the finished result is going to be awesome. I'll post of progress photos as I have them.

-Kleetz

Considering what we've seen so far, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished art.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Thanks Don, I'm working on vectoring the first King now. Tricky stuff!

I'll post more updates soon.

-Kleetz

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Some progress thus far... I've been working on it off / on so I'm not as far as I'd like to be. Wanted to share regardless.

Drawn

Vector


-Kleetz

[HandSkillz]

Oh boy, these look awesome.  Your courts are some of my favorites.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Did some more work on the King. The beard is going to need some reworking, but it's coming along.



Thoughts?

[10ofclubs]

I love how burly he looks, but I'm not sure if I like that his shirt, beard, and stocking cap are all the same color red.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I'll be playing around with colors in the upcoming weeks. Adding shading and highlights. My original idea was to have red cards primarily red and blue cards primarily... blue!

We'll see, plenty of time and room to take it another direction if need be.

Thanks!
-Kleetz

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

So I may have to go back to the drawing board on some if not all of these. Reason being is they don't scale well to the actual size (too small). Entirely my fault, so I plan on printing out the card template at 300-400% and redrawing so it better fits. It's a bitch... but the outcome will be significantly better.

More updates to come!

[Don Boyer]

So I may have to go back to the drawing board on some if not all of these. Reason being is they don't scale well to the actual size (too small). Entirely my fault, so I plan on printing out the card template at 300-400% and redrawing so it better fits. It's a bitch... but the outcome will be significantly better.

More updates to come!

Better to get it right before launch than to have to make drastic changes afterwards.  Looking forward to the updates!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

New Kings. Both at 200% so I know the will scale properly. The denomination size and pips will change once I begin to vector everything. I made them big here on purpose so I'll have extra room should I need it.

Thoughts?

[HandSkillz]

These are just above and beyond the modern designs out there for courts.  Phenomenal work.  Will there be a suicide king as well?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

These are just above and beyond the modern designs out there for courts.  Phenomenal work.  Will there be a suicide king as well?

Thank you, and yes, there will be a suicide king!

-Kleetz

[jwats01]

Looking great so far! Can't wait for these!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Hey guys!

So things got really busy at work and this project had to be put on hold and I never really got past the sketches.

Recently though, I've had some extra time and decided to breathe some life back into the project. I finished all of the sketches for the court cards and began illustrating them last week.

I'm a really big fan of block printing and that type of art form so I took this deck in that direction. It's going to require a lot of work, but now that the first card is nearing completion I've got the style of how I want things pretty much down.

Here's a sketch of the King of clubs and what it looks like after 9hrs of illustration:


He still needs a few more hours of work so I can add more detail to the face and arm. The type treatment and pips are still in the experimental stage and what you see there is really just a placeholder. I'll probably be changing them with every new card I make until I land on something I really like.

Love hear some of your thoughts!

-Kleetz

[Don Boyer]

I dunno...  The art is good, but the black background takes it away from typical wood-block prints.  Try making an antique-paper look for the background.  Not dirty/grungy, just make it look like the paper one might use for such a woodcut print.  Antique laid paper would be nice for this, as would a parchment look.  (Parchment's a bit overused with the grunge effect - maybe it will look different/better without the grunge/aged look?)

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Thanks for the comment Don, but I have to disagree with you on that. I've printed block prints on black paper before and they came out fantastic. Although I've never printed more than one color on black... that may be the only disconnect. I'm not going for an exact block print style, just an "inspired by..."

[10ofclubs]

I love the sketch but I don't know how I feel about the black background. Also, why the two clubs on the index?

[Don Boyer]

Thanks for the comment Don, but I have to disagree with you on that. I've printed block prints on black paper before and they came out fantastic. Although I've never printed more than one color on black... that may be the only disconnect. I'm not going for an exact block print style, just an "inspired by..."

I was thinking more along the lines of wood-cuts from before the printing press.  But if you're going for an "inspired by" thing, fine.

[sprouts1115]

I love the sketch but I don't know how I feel about the black background. Also, why the two clubs on the index?

I have to agree.  You don't need 3 markers to know what the suit is.  Get rid of a least one.  Hell, if it was me I would get rid of two and just have a slightly large one in the Index right under the rank index.  It leaves more room for your art.  The black background might be a hard sell, but who knows you might change my mind.  It's early. 

[Don Boyer]

I love the sketch but I don't know how I feel about the black background. Also, why the two clubs on the index?

I have to agree.  You don't need 3 markers to know what the suit is.  Get rid of a least one.  Hell, if it was me I would get rid of two and just have a slightly large one in the Index right under the rank index.  It leaves more room for your art.  The black background might be a hard sell, but who knows you might change my mind.  It's early.

I think see where he was going with that thing about the suit markers.  On a standard pack, you'll often see a large pip on a court card positioned right next to the index - or in some French decks, overlapped by the index.  Other courts may have it on the opposite side.  The third one in the corner looks more like an added decoration than a genuine suit indicator.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I think see where he was going with that thing about the suit markers.  On a standard pack, you'll often see a large pip on a court card positioned right next to the index - or in some French decks, overlapped by the index.  Other courts may have it on the opposite side.  The third one in the corner looks more like an added decoration than a genuine suit indicator.

Yep, exactly that!

[10ofclubs]

Ah, I understand your aim better now. I'm wondering if you've thought of the back design yet? Will it be black as well?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Currently, it's a strong possibility. I'll be honest and say I haven't really thought that one out yet, but with all the artwork I have as of now, there's still time to think about it as I'm working.

The tuck is kinda in the same boat, do I wanna make an all black deck? We'll see, I'll be posting up more updates as I have them.

I'm going to be saying this often, but thanks to you guys who've posted now and before, sometimes you get too close to a project and it really does take other eyes to really bring up some issues. So please, continue to ask questions, make suggestions, and poke holes in this.

It's still early and I can pivot this in many directions.

Thanks guys!

[Don Boyer]

Currently, it's a strong possibility. I'll be honest and say I haven't really thought that one out yet, but with all the artwork I have as of now, there's still time to think about it as I'm working.

The tuck is kinda in the same boat, do I wanna make an all black deck? We'll see, I'll be posting up more updates as I have them.

I'm going to be saying this often, but thanks to you guys who've posted now and before, sometimes you get too close to a project and it really does take other eyes to really bring up some issues. So please, continue to ask questions, make suggestions, and poke holes in this.

It's still early and I can pivot this in many directions.

Thanks guys!

OK, since you asked... 

The king you've showed us - the eyes look a little creepy for some reason.  Perhaps it's all that black with the stark white in the center.  Maybe a more natural-looking eye would be better, perhaps with a ring of color?

He also reminds me a bit of a certain actor...

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

OK, since you asked... 

The king you've showed us - the eyes look a little creepy for some reason.  Perhaps it's all that black with the stark white in the center.  Maybe a more natural-looking eye would be better, perhaps with a ring of color?

He also reminds me a bit of a certain actor...

Haha, that's not a bad thing in my opinion. Wasn't he like the spokesman for Marlboro for a while? I know was the voice of the Dodge RAM commercials.

Regarding the eyes, those aren't done. And yes, very creepy!

Post em as you got em!

[Don Boyer]

Since it's a black deck, what exactly do lumberjacks do...at night?

I could see the court cards looking pretty cool...  Starry night over the forest, drinking a beer by the campfire, etc.

Maybe even make it a "midnight blue" deck instead of black!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Since it's a black deck, what exactly do lumberjacks do...at night?

I could see the court cards looking pretty cool...  Starry night over the forest, drinking a beer by the campfire, etc.

Maybe even make it a "midnight blue" deck instead of black!

Man, I really like that campfire idea!

[Don Boyer]

Since it's a black deck, what exactly do lumberjacks do...at night?

I could see the court cards looking pretty cool...  Starry night over the forest, drinking a beer by the campfire, etc.

Maybe even make it a "midnight blue" deck instead of black!

Man, I really like that campfire idea!

Let's expand on it further - what about a sort of a diptych with a King and Queen of one suit, where over the two-card spread they're dancing with each other at some kind of outdoor square dance or hootenanny?  Throw in the Jack playing music and you could make a triptych.  (But don't rip off the idea that Emmanuel Jose used for his decks - he made triptychs where the two male courts could actually be swapped from one side to the other in order to make a different image.)

You'd still want to maintain a "border" of sorts to keep the cards from being visible from the edge of the deck as well as to allow for registration errors - many of the decks I own made by USPC have the faces shifted to a side or to a corner just enough to be noticed because they focus more on centering the card backs (and even there, they're not quite perfect on all decks)!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

This is very interesting! Man, that's going to require a lot of thinking and reworking. I'm going to really consider this... possibly do some sketching.

[Don Boyer]

This is very interesting! Man, that's going to require a lot of thinking and reworking. I'm going to really consider this... possibly do some sketching.

"Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well." - Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
"Anything worth doing, is worth doing right." - Hunter S. Thompson

It's the kind of thing that can make a deck stand out head-and-shoulders above the competition.  These days, it only gets harder to get noticed in a field that gets more crowded by the day, so pull out all the stops!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

"Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well." - Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
"Anything worth doing, is worth doing right." - Hunter S. Thompson

It's the kind of thing that can make a deck stand out head-and-shoulders above the competition.  These days, it only gets harder to get noticed in a field that gets more crowded by the day, so pull out all the stops!

Agreed!

[Don Boyer]

"Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well." - Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
"Anything worth doing, is worth doing right." - Hunter S. Thompson

It's the kind of thing that can make a deck stand out head-and-shoulders above the competition.  These days, it only gets harder to get noticed in a field that gets more crowded by the day, so pull out all the stops!

Agreed!

Last time I saw a deck with a really deep blue back, it was the Bicycle Limited Edition #2.  Check it out and you tell me what you think of it.

http://www.shopbicyclecards.com/Bicycle-Limited-Edition-No-2-P86C42.aspx

Imagine something DEEPER than that, with stars in the night sky and such, for the FACES.  Sweet, hunh?

[JDoc]

I love the back design on the first!
Will you add seals and maybe consider cello-wrap it this time?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I love the back design on the first!
Will you add seals and maybe consider cello-wrap it this time?

Oh yeah! That was a huge mistake on the first deck. This next one will have at least one if not both of the things you've mentioned.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Worked on the Queen of Clubs for a little bit. She's far from done but I wanted to post progress. I also added new details to the King and I'm introducing a new wood grain pattern that I plan to use everywhere.



Thoughts?

[Fess]

Entertaining to my eye. Have you considered using the wood grain to work in some of the standard symbols we see on courts? Those would be little nuggets of fun imho. 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Which do you mean?

[Fess]

Take for example the standard bicycle king of spades cuff, or the center of the queen of clubs blouse. Any of the little things we see all the time and just take for granted, in your artistic style. Might be cool and it might not. Just a thought, since wood grain can do so much.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Yeah, it definitely could. I need something to fill the middle of that King so some sort of pattern would be nice there. I will try somethings!

[DJKroemer]

I think they look clean and are definitely original. I like how that King connects but I think the Queen could connect a little better in the middle. The hair doesn't seem to flow into each other very fluidly. Hope that makes sense!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Thanks DJ,

She will connect better. I just wanted to see how she flips. I will be adding  to the middle, it won't be just hair.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Added more detail. More progress pictures / new cards to come!

[Fess]

I like the large log on the Queen. I was wondering if it would be thinner or thicker. This really makes them stand out from one another.

[sprouts1115]

Usually, on the transition you want the element to be thin.  It leaves more room for the art; In this case more room for boobs.    All your trying to do is make the illusion of flowing from one side of the card to the other. 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Usually, on the transition you want the element to be thin.  It leaves more room for the art; In this case more room for boobs.    All your trying to do is make the illusion of flowing from one side of the card to the other. 

You never go wrong with more boob!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Spent some time of the Jack of Clubs. Here's a progress shot:

Face isn't done, no body or hair detail yet either.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

All three cards thus far. More detail added to Queens log and the Kings ax.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Jack 99% complete! I say 99% because I may go back at anytime to tweak.

[Don Boyer]

The mustache looks like one of those joke-store fakes - size it down a little closer to human proportions!  It almost makes the Jack look like a woman trying to pass as a man!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Working backwards for the hearts this time around. So here's the Jack of Hearts!



Thoughts?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

The mustache looks like one of those joke-store fakes - size it down a little closer to human proportions!  It almost makes the Jack look like a woman trying to pass as a man!

Made some changes Don. Better?

[Fess]

I like the mustachio jacks. They have a great look to them that fits the other courts imho. So far, I'm really enjoying the direction you've taken.

[Don Boyer]

The mustache looks like one of those joke-store fakes - size it down a little closer to human proportions!  It almost makes the Jack look like a woman trying to pass as a man!

Made some changes Don. Better?

That size is good, as is the decision to include the character's mouth underneath it.  It looks more realistic.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I like the mustachio jacks. They have a great look to them that fits the other courts imho. So far, I'm really enjoying the direction you've taken.

Thanks Fes, glad to hear that!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Got a little busy at work recently so I had to put progress on hold over the past few days. Got some free time now so here's the King of Hearts:

[Don Boyer]

One of the trickiest things about redesigning court faces is getting that whole two-headed figure thing down right.  It never looks exactly like reality, but you want to get it as close to reality as possible.  You seem to be hitting the mark on this one, even making some of the characters a bit playful in terms of one "head" interacting with the other, as with the hand of one head grabbing the axe handle of the other.

This is looking really good.

Make as many of the cards as you can without resorting to a center "barrier" dividing the halves and I think the overall look will be more attractive and uniform.

And don't forget to make at least some of the queens as real, working lumberjacks, carrying around the tools of the trade.  They're not common, but they're out there.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I got one of those Queens coming! Currently, I'm in the process of doing another version of the King of Hearts to play up more on the "suicide king" history of the card.

I'll have a side-by-side done today. Thanks for the kind words!

[Fess]

I got one of those Queens coming! Currently, I'm in the process of doing another version of the King of Hearts to play up more on the "suicide king" history of the card.

I'll have a side-by-side done today. Thanks for the kind words!

Looking forward to that. Suicide kings and bedpost queens are something I always enjoy in custom decks.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Looking forward to that. Suicide kings and bedpost queens are something I always enjoy in custom decks.

I have a bedpost Queen too! Could be a stretch but we'll see.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

So here's the other version of the King of Hearts (left) and the previous King for reference (right). Let me know what you guys think!

[Fess]

The arms look a little wonky but hahaha, I love it. I so didn't see that coming. It's fantastic. 

[Will W.]

I prefer the original.  The torso is kinda small and the arms just dont look right to me.  JMO

[Don Boyer]

The original was fine.  This new one looks like he's cutting his hands off at the wrists.

[sprouts1115]

Notice the axe cuts deep into the wrist.  I don't think that was an accident...

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

The original was fine.  This new one looks like he's cutting his hands off at the wrists.

It does look that way. I could edit it to show that he's slicing, not chopping. I'll post a version up.

[Don Boyer]

The original was fine.  This new one looks like he's cutting his hands off at the wrists.

It does look that way. I could edit it to show that he's slicing, not chopping. I'll post a version up.

I suggest the torso from the second with the hands/arms/axe from the first.  It's a better torso but the rest is off.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Worked on the Queen of Hearts today. Here she is:



C&C welcomed!

[Fess]

Worked on the Queen of Hearts today. Here she is:
C&C welcomed!

She's cute and I like her but she looks like she's making a pecan roll or something in that pose. Or the log doesn't quite sell it being at that angle. Something is a bit off with the pose/log situation to me. Can't quite put my finger on it, maybe it's the shoulders, idk.

lol, sorry for the least helpful post ever.

[Don Boyer]

What if, instead of that log, there was a counter-top there and she was presenting a plate of flapjacks stacked high?  Or perhaps eggs, bacon sausage and toast?

The lumberjacks (and lumberkings!) have a great reason for being posed with logs, wood, axes, saws, etc., but not so much for the women on the queens, unless you plan to make at least one woman into a lumberqueen.  A camp cook for at least one of them would work - can you think of other useful jobs you can present them with?  The queen you have presented here could just as easily have walked out of a New York nightclub or a Las Vegas casino as she could the Great White North in summer.

Did you know that today about a third of all forestry jobs are held by women?
http://modernfarmer.com/2014/08/life-lady-lumberjack/

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I've definitely considered a lot of options as far as what the women would be doing. Upon some quick google research, it seems that they literally carried wood! If you can think of something else that she can hold other than wood, an ax or saw, I'd love to hear it!

My current lumberjack queens:
Queen of Hearts - Carrying wood
Queen of Spades - Tree hugger (anti-tree removal / nature activist) I may change this one to the Queen of Hearts
Queen of Clubs - Carrying wood (implied)
Queen of Diamonds - Logger (the only queen that will be holding an ax)

Here are some old school examples of women lumberjacks:
1. http://dirtinyourskirt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Women-lumberjacks-carrying-logs.jpg
2. http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480x270/legacy/clip/p00yyrd9.jpg?nodefault=true
3. http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me9ppd4o2L1qzjiplo1_500.jpg

Some of them are pretty good looking too!

[Fess]

Those are very cool ideas. I would love to see a suit being tree huggers. Absolutely brilliant.

[Don Boyer]

I've definitely considered a lot of options as far as what the women would be doing. Upon some quick google research, it seems that they literally carried wood! If you can think of something else that she can hold other than wood, an ax or saw, I'd love to hear it!

My current lumberjack queens:
Queen of Hearts - Carrying wood
Queen of Spades - Tree hugger (anti-tree removal / nature activist) I may change make this one the Queen of Hearts
Queen of Clubs - Carrying wood (implied)
Queen of Diamonds - Logger (the only queen that will be holding an ax)

Here are some old school examples of women lumberjacks:
1. http://dirtinyourskirt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Women-lumberjacks-carrying-logs.jpg
2. http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480x270/legacy/clip/p00yyrd9.jpg?nodefault=true
3. http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me9ppd4o2L1qzjiplo1_500.jpg

Some of them are pretty good looking too!

Almost too good looking - I suspect these photos might have been taken around World War II, when a lot of men were drafted or volunteered to fight, leaving women to at least temporarily fill their roles in the workplace.  In this case, they're the lumberjack equivalent to Rosie the Riveter.  The hairstyles would seem to indicate this as well.  Earlier, and they would all be dressed more modestly (many are wearing shorts, something most lumberjacks wouldn't do if they liked their legs at all) - later, and the hairstyles would be closer to modern.  The second picture is practically posed to look more attractive for a recruiting poster or newspaper article to get women working in war-essential businesses - lumber supplies were used in LARGE supply throughout the war.

I like the tree-hugger and agree it would make a better Queen of Hearts - they "love" nature after all, so a heart would be a better suit for them.

I still think you could make one as a camp cook - and perhaps one of the Kings or Jacks as well, since not all lumberjack camp workers swung axes and pulled on saws.  Someone had to make their legendary lumberjack breakfasts, right?  The "divider" between halves could be a cast-iron wood-burning stove.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I still think you could make one as a camp cook - and perhaps one of the Kings or Jacks as well, since not all lumberjack camp workers swung axes and pulled on saws.  Someone had to make their legendary lumberjack breakfasts, right?  The "divider" between halves could be a cast-iron wood-burning stove.

I'll put something together (exploring leads to good things).

I reworked the King of Hearts again! I'm torn between the "slicing" and the latest one. Here are all 4 versions for comparison:


What do you guys think?

[Fess]

I think tree hugger him. When activist types are up against the wall they're probably often given to bouts of serious anger and depression. It gives him a reason to suicide in a story kind of way. May be shnazzy. Of the four shown though, I like the new modified version best.

[Don Boyer]

The new version - newest version - is my current favorite.

[sprouts1115]

Why not the QoS holds the axe.  In the traditional courts the QoS is the only queen to hold the specter.  Just a thought....

[Don Boyer]

Why not the QoS holds the axe.  In the traditional courts the QoS is the only queen to hold the specter.  Just a thought....

1) It's a scepter, not a specter.

2) It's not a traditional design - he can do what he pleases.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Okay, worked on the new Queen of Hearts (tree hugger)!

There's probably some tweaks that she needs here and there but I wanted to post up progress.

[Don Boyer]

Okay, worked on the new Queen of Hearts (tree hugger)!

There's probably some tweaks that she needs here and there but I wanted to post up progress.

I like this, but consider this: use the hair as the "divider" between top and bottom, without obscuring the arm under it.  And while it might be counter to the present color scheme - make her t-shirt green instead of red!  Maybe even put an eco symbol of some kind on the shoulder.  Then she'll really look like a tree hugger in the "we've seen this in the newspaper" kind of way.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I like this, but consider this: use the hair as the "divider" between top and bottom, without obscuring the arm under it.  And while it might be counter to the present color scheme - make her t-shirt green instead of red!  Maybe even put an eco symbol of some kind on the shoulder.  Then she'll really look like a tree hugger in the "we've seen this in the newspaper" kind of way.

Hmm, I'll do some research and make some tweaks. The color may be too much and a new elements that other card won't have. I'll give it a shot. Maybe have a recycle symbol somewhere or an arm band. I'll post up updates.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Plot twist! I reworked the QoH. Gave her a neck and some cleavage! Definitely think those helped her out.

@Don, I tried making her shirt green, but it just didn't seem right. No other card would have this color so I scrapped the idea. I think being the Queen of Hearts and the portrayal of hugging the tree is enough without having to add extra elements.



Lend me your thoughts.

[Don Boyer]

Plot twist! I reworked the QoH. Gave her a neck and some cleavage! Definitely think those helped her out.

@Don, I tried making her shirt green, but it just didn't seem right. No other card would have this color so I scrapped the idea. I think being the Queen of Hearts and the portrayal of hugging the tree is enough without having to add extra elements.



Lend me your thoughts.

Looks good - but give her a belly, please!  A trim, svelte belly, sure, but without anything it looks creepy.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Looks good - but give her a belly, please!  A trim, svelte belly, sure, but without anything it looks creepy.

Haha, floating torso! I had some parts of a belly but it made it look weird. I'll post it up along with the Jack of Diamonds I'm working on!

[Don Boyer]

Looks good - but give her a belly, please!  A trim, svelte belly, sure, but without anything it looks creepy.

Haha, floating torso! I had some parts of a belly but it made it look weird. I'll post it up along with the Jack of Diamonds I'm working on!

A field of red - the "continuation" of her shirt - is all that's needed.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

So here's a field of red added. I honestly think it looks weird. Thoughts?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Here's the Jack of Diamonds:


The original idea was to have a rope go around him, similar to what you see now minus the knot. But I was told it was too plain. It was recommended to me to add a knot, so I added a fisherman's knot connecting the two ropes together.

Thoughts?

[sprouts1115]

Kleetz - Nope.  As a minimalist approach the 2 red triangles make her look like she is hugging a dead tree.  Your card is done.  I guess... Leaves might mess things up.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Kleetz - Nope.  As a minimalist approach the 2 red triangles make her look like she is hugging a dead tree.  Your card is done.  I guess... Leaves might mess things up.

So you're saying the tiles are good or bad? Regardless, I modified them and added some detail to em. Now it looks like she's leaning into the tree while hugging it, which I think is good.

Here's the latest:


As far as the "dead tree"... hmm maybe i'll make it look like the limbs haven't been cut yet? That could help it.

Thanks for the suggestions it's really making this deck better.

[Don Boyer]

Jack of Diamonds - like the art, but jazz up the negative space a little; it feels like there's too much emptiness.  Perhaps a pile of logs in the background, or a log cabin, maybe even a large camp tent?  As far as the fisherman's knot goes, some kind of knot is a good idea, but I have no idea what knots a lumberjack would use - you could research it or just leave it as is, depending on the level of effort you want to put into the design.

I like the Queen of Diamonds much better with a waist than without - she looks a lot less disembodied!  Yes, a live tree to hug instead of a log would be better.  You could also accent the look with a chain, perhaps with a padlock - many logging protesters chain themselves to a tree, refusing to be moved when loggers come to cut it down.  Some kind of ecology logo on the shirt sleeve, or at least a peace logo, would be enough to really hammer it home that this woman is a "tree hugger" and not some kind of camp wench or something equally silly.

That queen has really evolved a lot - you're getting better with each go-around.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Jack of Diamonds - like the art, but jazz up the negative space a little; it feels like there's too much emptiness.  Perhaps a pile of logs in the background, or a log cabin, maybe even a large camp tent?  As far as the fisherman's knot goes, some kind of knot is a good idea, but I have no idea what knots a lumberjack would use - you could research it or just leave it as is, depending on the level of effort you want to put into the design.

There is a particular knot that I suppose Lumberjacks would use. It's called the timber hitch knot. But it's a little tricky to show in such a small space. Maybe I'll make it just a regular knot and see how it looks. I'll post up some progress.

I'll also see if I can work in a peace symbol onto the QoH and see if having the limbs uncut helps portray a live tree.

Thanks All!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I did some modifying to the Jack of Diamonds. Flipped him to face the other way and to use up some white space I changed the knot from the fisherman's knot to an alpine butterfly knot. Butterfly knots are used by climbers. Earlier lumberjacks (maybe even current lumberjacks) use to climb trees to top them.

Here's the new version:

[Don Boyer]

I did some modifying to the Jack of Diamonds. Flipped him to face the other way and to use up some white space I changed the knot from the fisherman's knot to an alpine butterfly knot. Butterfly knots are used by climbers. Earlier lumberjacks (maybe even current lumberjacks) use to climb trees to top them.

From what little I know of lumberjacks, that is still an important skill - even if they don't use it on the job, they do use it in their competitions!  (But I'm pretty sure they still do.)

This looks MUCH better.  Your deck is shaping up very nicely.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Here's the King of Diamonds:

[Fess]

I think his mustache is just a touch low. Looks a little strange to me. Also the beard and his hair could use a little separating, kinda has the mane thing going on as his hair blends in so well with his beard.

[Don Boyer]

I think his mustache is just a touch low. Looks a little strange to me. Also the beard and his hair could use a little separating, kinda has the mane thing going on as his hair blends in so well with his beard.

I agree on the low mustache, but the hair blending into the beard thing - yup, there are people who look like that, and not just in the timber forests!  I see them every time I'm in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side of Manhattan!

That type of beard and hair grooming has become an odd hipster trend, possibly sprung out of the fascination with steampunk - it's not a steampunk style per se, but it is a style that was common during the same era upon which steampunk is based, roughly from the end of the US Civil War in 1865 to the end of the Victorian Era in 1900.  Which, coincidentally enough, is the same era in which mass-produced playing cards became popular as well!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I think his mustache is just a touch low. Looks a little strange to me. Also the beard and his hair could use a little separating, kinda has the mane thing going on as his hair blends in so well with his beard.

Thanks Fes and Don, I'll make the adjustment. Funny when you're working on something for 8-9 hours you think it looks right, but when fresh eyes look at it they can catch little things like that.

-Kleetz

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Worked on the Queen of Spades these past two days. She still needs a few modifications (I think that left hand is too big) but overall, she's about done.



Haha, it may be too much (the tank top) and not lumberjack accurate, but for now, that's what she's going to wear. I may mess around and put her into a long sleeve. Also... Boobs

[Don Boyer]

Worked on the Queen of Spades these past two days. She still needs a few modifications (I think that left hand is too big) but overall, she's about done.

Haha, it may be too much (the tank top) and not lumberjack accurate, but for now, that's what she's going to wear. I may mess around and put her into a long sleeve. Also... Boobs

Indeed - boobs.  A plaid shirt with rolled-up sleeves would look nice and closer to actual lumberjack clothing.  Maybe give her a pair of work gloves.

Blue lipstick looks kinda odd!  Leave it, but yeah, it stands out a bit!  She might look better in Goth/emo clothes!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Indeed - boobs.  A plaid shirt with rolled-up sleeves would look nice and closer to actual lumberjack clothing.  Maybe give her a pair of work gloves.

Blue lipstick looks kinda odd!  Leave it, but yeah, it stands out a bit!  She might look better in Goth/emo clothes!

Haha, it does make her look a little emo. I'm definitely going to try the long sleeve and glove idea.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Okay, so I gave her some gloves and a long sleeve shirt that's been rolled up. I think this helped her out a bunch.


Here are all the queens together with the corners cut to better illustrate what the cards will really look like. AND if you have some cards laying around, you can put one up to your screen and see that these are about 100% of the size.


Also take note to some of the other changes:

Queen of Clubs: added a branch with a leaf
Queen of Hearts: increased overall size, changes cut branches to live branches with leaves (to imply that the tree hasn't yet been cut down)

[Don Boyer]

These have all come a long way.

Queen of Spades - try a button down front with a collar, or perhaps a "henley" style neck - higher neckline, but having a placket with three or four buttons, with a few buttons open to produce cleavage.  Plain henleys are very popular as shirts or as thermal undershirts.

Queens of Diamonds and Clubs - if you're trying to imply "live tree", those cut-off ends ruin the illusion!  Just have them terminate at the border as if the rest of the tree is out of frame.

Queen of Diamonds - Her boobs really do look like she lifted them up and rested them on the log!  If her torso was turned just a bit (much like your Queen of Spades), that effect should vanish with it.  Draw a complete torso and just place the log/branch over it and I think it will look more natural.  Alternately, raising the breasts, collar and cleavage might do it as well, and with less work.

Queen of Clubs - that big void in front of the Queen can be filled with more branches/leaves - I think it would look better without that negative space.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

These have all come a long way.

Queen of Spades - try a button down front with a collar, or perhaps a "henley" style neck - higher neckline, but having a placket with three or four buttons, with a few buttons open to produce cleavage.  Plain henleys are very popular as shirts or as thermal undershirts.

Queens of Diamonds and Clubs - if you're trying to imply "live tree", those cut-off ends ruin the illusion!  Just have them terminate at the border as if the rest of the tree is out of frame.

Queen of Diamonds - Her boobs really do look like she lifted them up and rested them on the log!  If her torso was turned just a bit (much like your Queen of Spades), that effect should vanish with it.  Draw a complete torso and just place the log/branch over it and I think it will look more natural.  Alternately, raising the breasts, collar and cleavage might do it as well, and with less work.

Queen of Clubs - that big void in front of the Queen can be filled with more branches/leaves - I think it would look better without that negative space.

Thanks, it's definitely a journey... and it's not even close to over yet.

QoS: I'll give the "henley" style a try, see how she looks.

QoH: It's tough, i've tried a lot of things. There's no way to show the top of the tree in that little space, showing the roots clutters the card too much. Open to suggestions on this one.

QoD: Kinda looks like the log is pushing her chest upwards. This will be the last card I'll change as there are larger concerns and I'd like to finish the rest of the courts and then revisit for changes again. (that way everything gets done)

QoC: Yeah, that may be nice. And it's very easy.

Thanks for all the feedback!

[Don Boyer]

QoH: It's tough, i've tried a lot of things. There's no way to show the top of the tree in that little space, showing the roots clutters the card too much. Open to suggestions on this one.

I gave you one!  Just end the tree at the edge of the frame around the card.  Imagine a picture frame with a photo of me in it, and I'm carrying a ladder.  The top and bottom of the ladder aren't in the frame, just the middle - that doesn't necessarily mean that I cut off the top and bottom of the ladder, right?  Ending the tree at the border without being able to see the internal rings implies that there's more tree but it's out of the frame.  It's really a minor tweak to what you already have - you'd be concealing the sawn-off end under the border instead of displaying it over the border.  Shown horizontally like this, one could think that it's just a really thick branch of a living tree rather than a log made from the trunk.

If you want a quick fix for the QoD: more leaves.  Conceal the bottoms of the boobs altogether and it's no longer even visible - she's leaning on a living tree branch.  Perhaps even present extra leaves as part of a vine wrapping the branch.  No need to redraw the Queen at all.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Pictureless update: Got a little busy with some other work stuff so updates will be posted in a few days. Don, I will make the adjustments to both Queens.

Thanks!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Whew, sorry I haven't been as active as I like to be on here, but work got a little busy. Good news is, I have been working on the Lumberjacks again! I have a new Jack of Spades coming (doing final tweaks and details) I'll post him up soon.

As I've been working on that I've also been looking at the Suicide King and He just doesn't portray the suicide aspect as much as I want him to. So, I re-worked him a bit. Here's the latest:



Lend me your thoughts!

[Don Boyer]

Did you know that before the King of Hearts was known as the "Suicide King", that particular king used to carry an axe instead of a sword? 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I did not know that, good to know!

[Fess]

Hahaha, great job. lol, poor KoH has definitely been going on a journey down the black spiral hasn't he?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Haha, he surely has. But I think it was for the better.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

As promised, the Jack of Spades. I choose not to give him an ax or saw or rope. Just a smug look!



Here are all the Jacks together. **Take this loosely** if you have cards laying around next to you, hold on up and you'll see that these are about 100% or the size.

[Fess]

Why are they all blonde?

[Will W.]

Why are they all blonde?

Maybe they are all Swedish Lumberjacks...   

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Why are they all blonde?

I wanted to portray the Jacks younger than the Kings. So, they became all blonde. I could've made some have darker hair or even gingers, but I didn't want to add another color into the equation.

[Fess]

Why are they all blonde?

I wanted to portray the Jacks younger than the Kings. So, they became all blonde. I could've made some have darker hair or even gingers, but I didn't want to add another color into the equation.

You do have the wood brown to work with that won't add another color into the mix. It's cool if they're all blondes, should be big with the anime crowd. They dig the blonde fellas. One should definitely have the hair cut of a donkey though. That would be great haha.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

You do have the wood brown to work with that won't add another color into the mix. It's cool if they're all blondes, should be big with the anime crowd. They dig the blonde fellas. One should definitely have the hair cut of a donkey though. That would be great haha.

You're right, I do. I could also make the club and spade Jacks have red hair. I'll see what it looks like.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Finished up the King of Spades last night. He'll be the only king holding a saw. The tooth pattern on the saw is called "The Great American".



Here's a shot of all the Kings:

[Collector]

Beards and moustaches are the main problem of this deck (The Jack of Spades, The Jack of Hearts, The Jack of Clubs and The King of Diamonds). Even this one looks better:


Everything else is interesting. It can be even better than the first edition. Good luck.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Collector, can you elaborate on that a little more?

[Don Boyer]

Collector, can you elaborate on that a little more?

It sounds like he's commenting on the realism (or lack thereof) of the beards and mustaches on the cards he mentioned.

[Justin O.]

Check with the printer on that KoH, Olde Bones had to change their KoH design because of USPCC rules against violent imagery.

"The good news is that 99% of our deck is approved and ready to go. We have hit one little snag, however, with our King of Hearts. Unfortunately, the USPC will not print it in its current form. Because the red string around his neck continues upwards, they state it is too explicitly suggestive of a noose, and as such violates their rules against offensive material. We have tried to appeal this decision but they are adamant on their position."

Collector, can you elaborate on that a little more?

I think he just means the design of the facial hair on the courts. They look kindof like tentacles and less like hair. Facial hair doesn't clump and flow like the hair on the top of your head so I don't know if your beard style is the best representation for your design.

But that said, your cards look great and I have loved watching the evolution of this deck!!

[Don Boyer]

Check with the printer on that KoH, Olde Bones had to change their KoH design because of USPCC rules against violent imagery.

"The good news is that 99% of our deck is approved and ready to go. We have hit one little snag, however, with our King of Hearts. Unfortunately, the USPC will not print it in its current form. Because the red string around his neck continues upwards, they state it is too explicitly suggestive of a noose, and as such violates their rules against offensive material. We have tried to appeal this decision but they are adamant on their position."

Should that be the case, you can simply draw him holding the noose rather than wearing it.

Additionally, the "suicide King" doesn't actually commit suicide on his card - the sword is held over his shoulder and partially behind him, as if in a position to swing.  You could draw him with an axe over his shoulder and part of the axe head concealed by his own head.  As I mentioned earlier, a few centuries ago the KoH was the original "man with the axe" before the King of Diamonds took the name.

[Justin O.]

Should that be the case, you can simply draw him holding the noose rather than wearing it.

My concern is that Olde Bones had to change their king because the image was merely just suggestive of a noose, and this deck it is a noose by design with intent, regardless of how it is included in the design. I am curious if other printers would have similar reservations.

[Don Boyer]

Should that be the case, you can simply draw him holding the noose rather than wearing it.

My concern is that Olde Bones had to change their king because the image was merely just suggestive of a noose, and this deck it is a noose by design with intent, regardless of how it is included in the design. I am curious if other printers would have similar reservations.

They probably wouldn't.  They don't sell decks to 90% or better of the entire United States and Canada.  I remember the crap they gave Big Blind Media about their Inferno deck.

[sprouts1115]

Remember the Grudge look?  Well, now it's this:  http://elitedaily.com/envision/hipster-men-are-lumbersexuals-photos/849694/

[Don Boyer]

Remember the Grudge look?  Well, now it's this:  http://elitedaily.com/envision/hipster-men-are-lumbersexuals-photos/849694/

You mean grunge look, right?

Nah, I've seen guys like this.  It ain't grunge.  It's what hipsters evolved into when their girlfriends decided they wanted a guy with a manlier appearance.

It's as different as comparing the grunge look...



...to the Grudge look!

[Collector]

Collector, can you elaborate on that a little more?

Don and Justin O. helped me in this. Thanks, colleagues.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Thanks for all the comments guys! Okay, lets take this one at a time.

Check with the printer on that KoH, Olde Bones had to change their KoH design because of USPCC rules against violent imagery.

But that said, your cards look great and I have loved watching the evolution of this deck!!

I will be sure to do that. It would be a bummer if they say it's "too violent" but I have a feeling that this will happen. Good thing I have like 5 other versions to choose from!

I'm glad you're enjoying the evolution, it's definitely a journey!

Should that be the case, you can simply draw him holding the noose rather than wearing it.

Additionally, the "suicide King" doesn't actually commit suicide on his card - the sword is held over his shoulder and partially behind him, as if in a position to swing.  You could draw him with an axe over his shoulder and part of the axe head concealed by his own head.  As I mentioned earlier, a few centuries ago the KoH was the original "man with the axe" before the King of Diamonds took the name.

We'll see, when the time comes, I will submit as is (already knowing it'll be rejected) at which point I will submit the one with the axe over the shoulder. I think even if "a noose" is shown it may be rejected. Should be interesting.

Remember the Grudge look?  Well, now it's this:  http://elitedaily.com/envision/hipster-men-are-lumbersexuals-photos/849694/

Yeah, there's no doubt in my mind that the "lumberjack" look is trending right now. Even when I was designing the first deck. Oh well, it's not a bad thing to follow trends, not saying that I was. I'm just fascinated with hand tools, working with hands and wood / outdoor related things.

Damn you hipsters, damn you!

Don and Justin O. helped me in this. Thanks, colleagues.

Cool, I will see if I can do something to add a little more realism to them.

Thanks for all the comments guys!

[piratebear81]

I love the first Lumberjack deck.  I can't wait to see the final product of the 2nd Edition.

[Squiddle Ink]

Hi there, sorry was in complete wrong thread. I can't describe how many windows I have open.

Its great to see some real sketches from the birth of your concepts. It looks like you have put lots of effort into this deck. I particularly like the design of the "dungarees" (spelling?)  the thread work looks really nice. Im a big fan of negative space so having the background the same as the line work so all the colours used are suspended in space.

Nice work.

[Fess]

My name is Stacey Jay Kelly and I have recently designed a deck of Illustrated Fresh Water Fishing Playing cards.

They are currently featured on Kickstarter.

I was hoping you would be interested in sharing this project or directly interested in pledges to receive a personal deck or bulk pack of decks.
best wishes and thank you so much.

Stacey

This comment had nothing to do with the second edition lumberjacks deck.

Call me crazy, I'm certainly no forum police, but I think it's pretty universally considered bad form to spam an add into someone elses design and development thread. Pretty rude in my opinion.

[Will W.]

My name is Stacey Jay Kelly and I have recently designed a deck of Illustrated Fresh Water Fishing Playing cards.

They are currently featured on Kickstarter.

I was hoping you would be interested in sharing this project or directly interested in pledges to receive a personal deck or bulk pack of decks.
best wishes and thank you so much.

Stacey

This comment had nothing to do with the second edition lumberjacks deck.

Call me crazy, I'm certainly no forum police, but I think it's pretty universally considered bad form to spam an add into someone elses design and development thread. Pretty rude in my opinion.

I was thinking it might have been posted here by mistake because this exact post is in its proper place on the forum and nowhere else.  If it were intentional spamming I would think it would be in multiple places.

[Don Boyer]

Hi there, sorry was in complete wrong thread. I can't describe how many windows I have open.

Its great to see some real sketches from the birth of your concepts. It looks like you have put lots of effort into this deck. I particularly like the design of the "dungarees" (spelling?)  the thread work looks really nice. Im a big fan of negative space so having the background the same as the line work so all the colours used are suspended in space.

Nice work.

"Dungarees" is an alternate word for "blue jeans", "denim jeans" or just "jeans".  You might be referring to the overalls, as dungarees are pants and none of his court cards shows their legs.  Overalls are like pants but have a bib in the front, usually with pockets for holding tools and such, and shoulder straps similar to braces or suspenders.  They're worn without a belt and are commonly found in work environments or pop bands from the early 1980s... 

My name is Stacey Jay Kelly and I have recently designed a deck of Illustrated Fresh Water Fishing Playing cards.

They are currently featured on Kickstarter.

I was hoping you would be interested in sharing this project or directly interested in pledges to receive a personal deck or bulk pack of decks.
best wishes and thank you so much.

Stacey

This comment had nothing to do with the second edition lumberjacks deck.

Call me crazy, I'm certainly no forum police, but I think it's pretty universally considered bad form to spam an add into someone elses design and development thread. Pretty rude in my opinion.

You're absolutely right in that it's considered bad form and rude.  But do bear two things in mind.

1) She changed the post when she realized her faux-pas, explaining it as a posting error and
2) She's a newbie - we were all newbies once, so we can cut her a little slack, right?  I would rather welcome her and offer her a gentle correction than castigate her and watch her leave, never to return.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Spent the day yesterday designing the Ace of Spades. There were (and still are) so many directions that this card can go in (this is one), but I started thinking "why is the Ace of Spades different from all the other Aces?" I didn't know. So, I did some digging around. For those of you who may not know it's actually kinda cool.

In the olden days, you couldn't sell a deck of playing cards without showing a tax stamp that indicated that you paid a tax to sell it. So, card makers put the tax stamp on the Ace of Spades. Later, this law was removed, but because card makers and people were so used to using / seeing the stamp, it stuck.

Anyway, history lesson aside, here it is:


My plan is to have four custom Aces. The Ace of Spades as you see it here, the Ace of Clubs receiving the same type of design treatment (making the pip into a tree) and the Ace of Hearts and Diamonds represented with forward facing logs from cut down trees.

[Fess]

I really like that AoS. It's not over done at all, or off in the north forty. I think it flows well with the deck and stands out in a unique fashion.

[piratebear81]

Love the A o S.  I think it suits the theme perfectly.

[Don Boyer]

It is a good Ace of Spades.  And that story about the tax stamp?  It's largely for decks made and sold in Great Britain.  Decks in Europe came in a few different styles, but the Rouen style is the one that eventually became the International Standard design - the French, considering it a lesser design to their Parisian deck, made the design primarily for export to the UK, where UK printers started copying it, then some got shipped to the United States, where American printers also started copying it, making for a design that's got some similarities but some differences to the original Rouen models!  The florid Aces of Spades required by revenuers in Britain carried over to the US, which for many years didn't tax playing cards at all.  It was simply out of tradition (and probably also in no small part to make their product stand out from the others available) that US printers continued making decorative Aces of Spades, minus the taxation terminology.

The law was different in the US, where the stamp usually appeared as a "postage-like" stamp created by the Internal Revenue Service (and some card manufacturers, in the early years) which remained in use for nine out of about ten decades between 1862 and 1965.  When the US Federal Government repealed the tax, consumers were so accustomed to seeing it that manufacturers made their own "company stamps", used in conjunction with cellophane simply to show that the deck is unopened from the factory.  Another tradition for playing card design that comes courtesy of government intervention!

I believe that Alabama might be the only state in the country remaining that charges a state tax on playing cards, complete with their own version of a tax stamp deck seal.  The other states seem content with using garden-variety sales taxes to cover playing cards and other various goods.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Finished up the Ace of Clubs yesterday and the Ace of Hearts today.

Here's the Ace of Clubs:

[Don Boyer]

Finished up the Ace of Clubs yesterday and the Ace of Hearts today.

Here's the Ace of Clubs:

Now that's nice!  I like that - it came out well.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Thanks Don! There's more to come!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Okay, here we go! All of the Aces are done. All of the Court cards are done. All of the number cards are done! The back design is done. What's next?

I still need a tuck design (next on the list), 2 jokers and a gaff card. After which, I will begin the whole process with Bicycle. Assuming that there won't be any roadblocks (unlikely) I'd say there's a month before these hit Kickstarter. In that time, I will need to print and cut mockups, photograph scenes, make a video, build the kickstarter page, and edit the current lumberjack site. And I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

So there's still a little work to be done... a little

Here are the Ace of Hearts, Diamonds, and all four together:




Notice I modified the bottom of the spade (tucked upwards to really bring out the form of the spade)


Back design will be up tomorrow followed by the tuck.

[Don Boyer]

I would ask one thing - do you really need a gaff card?

A lot of deck designers make gaffs for their decks, but is it a real necessity?  A deck like yours isn't the kind of deck that a magician would be reaching for first when choosing from his bag of tricks, if for no other reason than that isn't a common design that audiences will recognize or identify with.

An alternate idea - Uusi has created seven different decks, if you count Blueblood Redux as a separate deck.  Not one gaff card.  Some nice ad cards/diptychs, though.

You could also go the humorous route - if you're old enough to remember the British TV show "Monty Python's Flying Circus", you could always make one card an "identification" card for spotting "the larch...the...larch..."    If you could get the rights issues worked out, you could even put the entire "Lumberjack Song" on one of the cards!

I have no objections to gaff cards, of course, being a magician myself; I only wanted to remind you of the fact that there are alternatives.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

That's it, I've had enough!!

From the beginning, the general consensus was that the hair on the courts was weird. Looked like bananas, intestines, snakes, etc. I wouldn't disagree with any of those. It's true.

Your comments didn't fall on deaf ears. I looked around online at how hair is done, went back and made some changes. Here's a new direction, I hope you guys like it.





I'll be modifying all of them in the next few days.

[Fess]

hahaha, those look great. I liked the banana hair. It had a certain cool to it. These look great too. Either way I'm happy. I do think his goatee/stache have a scruffier look now, he can definitely save some flavor for later haha. Good stuff!

[Justin O.]

I live in Portland, OR and they would eat this Lumbersexual deck up like vegan meatballs. Everyother guy here has a beard and flannel to match his skinny jeans and Toms as he cruises by on his fixed gear bicycle.

Still better than the Grunge movement...


For what it's worth I like the most recent change to the hair and think it looks great.

[Collector]

It is a good Ace of Spades.  And that story about the tax stamp?  It's largely for decks made and sold in Great Britain... 

Agree. Almost all aces were used for that purpose in different countries.

That's it, I've had enough!!

From the beginning, the general consensus was that the hair on the courts was weird. Looked like bananas, intestines, snakes, etc. I wouldn't disagree with any of those. It's true.

Your comments didn't fall on deaf ears. I looked around online at how hair is done, went back and made some changes. Here's a new direction, I hope you guys like it.





I'll be modifying all of them in the next few days.

Ah, in the end of the day I have to specify myself due to these cards. This is only my thoughts. I didn't mention all cards in my post regarding beards and moustaches. And I didn't say anything about hair. I think that style was nice (even better for these cards). I only think that those specific cards needed improvements in appropriate details. Those beards and moustaches looked like something artificially sticked to faces. All other courts have better designed "bananas" (if you like to call it so).

Aces are nice.

Blue lips of the girl kill me. I hope this is a joke.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I wasn't offended or mad about the hair / mustache comments by anyone. It was mainly due to the fact that everyone i've shown them too commented on the hair / beard style. So much so that it kinda became comical. The suggestions you made will go into the cards you mentioned when I get to them. It should help!

Just out of curiosity, you mentioned the Jack of Spades needed work. Did the new hair help?

Blue lips were actually not a joke. Since the spades and clubs are blue I felt like red lips on those cards would pose an issue with the red suits. I'll give a nice toned down pink a try.

[Justin O.]

I like the blue lips. And I love blue lipstick in real life. I would love to see this on the end result

[Don Boyer]

I wasn't offended or mad about the hair / mustache comments by anyone. It was mainly due to the fact that everyone i've shown them too commented on the hair / beard style. So much so that it kinda became comical. The suggestions you made will go into the cards you mentioned when I get to them. It should help!

Just out of curiosity, you mentioned the Jack of Spades needed work. Did the new hair help?

Blue lips were actually not a joke. Since the spades and clubs are blue I felt like red lips on those cards would pose an issue with the red suits. I'll give a nice toned down pink a try.

I figured the old hair was a style choice.  The new hair, however, looks cool.

Blue lips are good - but you also have a lovely orange shade you're using on the work gloves that might look nice as lipstick.

Collector: it's true, but it wasn't always the Ace of Spades.  I've seen Spanish and Argentinian decks where it was one of the fours that received the tax stamp.  My Fournier decks still have a maker's marque on one of the fours (for the life of me I can't remember which suit).

[Collector]

Just out of curiosity, you mentioned the Jack of Spades needed work. Did the new hair help?

Sorry for this vandalism. I tried to show my hints regarding face. Also I tried to explain why I think previous “banana” style was nice as a general approach. I am not a designer, so choose wise caliber of stones before...

I like the blue lips. And I love blue lipstick in real life. I would love to see this on the end result

You are a "gourmet", sir.

...
Collector: it's true, but it wasn't always the Ace of Spades.  I've seen Spanish and Argentinian decks where it was one of the fours that received the tax stamp.  My Fournier decks still have a maker's marque on one of the fours (for the life of me I can't remember which suit).

You are right. We spoke about aces, so I said about them. People stamp them on cards that had a lot of free space for that purpose. In case of more or less standard arrangement of pips, 2s, 4s, and aces were the best choise.

[John B.]

That's it, I've had enough!!

From the beginning, the general consensus was that the hair on the courts was weird. Looked like bananas, intestines, snakes, etc. I wouldn't disagree with any of those. It's true.

Your comments didn't fall on deaf ears. I looked around online at how hair is done, went back and made some changes. Here's a new direction, I hope you guys like it.





I'll be modifying all of them in the next few days.

She needs bigger tits, and he needs bigger muscles. lol jk

In all seriousness - I think the lipstick should be blue. Matches the shade for the suit I like it.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

^ haha, thanks for the comment.

Sorry for the picture less update and that I've been absent recently, there's another project at work that required some of my attention. But I have been working on the Lumberjacks in the spare time. I'm in the process of updating all of the hair and I will have the rest of the cards (before / afters) soon.

Just giving you guys a heads up.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Back to the top!

I've finished all the new hair updates and I made edits to the "wood grain" so they match on each card. Here are all the new cards:

Spades:


Hearts:

Clubs (toned the queens hair a lot, it was a bit big):


Diamonds (note the queens completely new hair):


More below!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Here's the back design:


Kinda paying homage to the previous design with the tree and leaves, but with a twist. As you can see the ax is growing out of the tree and the caption on top reads "From the forrest itself comes the handle for the ax." Basically saying that the tree provides the tool that it used to kill it.

Love to hear what you guys think! I've also finished both Jokers and I'll be posting those up shortly. I think you'll like them.

Thanks!

[Don Boyer]

Back to the top!

I've finished all the new hair updates and I made edits to the "wood grain" so they match on each card. Here are all the new cards:

For the Queen of Diamonds, I'd suggest a minor tweak.  The hair on the left looks cut short while the hair on the right is long and braided.  Unless she's now training as a Jedi padawan, I'd suggest having the hair on the right side curve back and go behind her head.  Imagine a woman's long hair pulled back and away from the face - that's the look that side should have, lending the appearance that it becomes part of the braid.

The back looks good and I love the expression you included.

[Will W.]

Back to the top!

I've finished all the new hair updates and I made edits to the "wood grain" so they match on each card. Here are all the new cards:

For the Queen of Diamonds, I'd suggest a minor tweak.  The hair on the left looks cut short while the hair on the right is long and braided.  Unless she's now training as a Jedi padawan, I'd suggest having the hair on the right side curve back and go behind her head.  Imagine a woman's long hair pulled back and away from the face - that's the look that side should have, lending the appearance that it becomes part of the braid.

The back looks good and I love the expression you included.

I actually liked the "before" Queen of Diamonds.  The back Looks great!  This is a must have for me and I can't wait! 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

For the Queen of Diamonds, I'd suggest a minor tweak.  The hair on the left looks cut short while the hair on the right is long and braided.  Unless she's now training as a Jedi padawan, I'd suggest having the hair on the right side curve back and go behind her head.  Imagine a woman's long hair pulled back and away from the face - that's the look that side should have, lending the appearance that it becomes part of the braid.

The back looks good and I love the expression you included.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm going to finish the pony tail. It does in fact look cut off / incomplete.

I actually liked the "before" Queen of Diamonds.  The back Looks great!  This is a must have for me and I can't wait! 

Thanks for the kind words, hearing that makes all this work worth it!

[10ofclubs]

I like both the before and after images. They just look like different styles to me. But that back design is killer! Do you know how you're going to release this?

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

As promised, here are the Jokers.

I went with a diptych approach for these cards. So when placed together, they will create a scene of two lumberjacks sawing a log. Let me know what you guys think!



Smaller with the cards together forming the scene:


And maybe I'll offer a small print with one of the rewards, so this one will have "The Lumberjacks" on top instead of the Joker text.


Love to hear what you guys think!

[Will W.]

I think the jokers are the cherry on top!  You can sense the movement with the way they are positioned and the sawdust on the end of the stroke.  Nicely done! 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I think the jokers are the cherry on top!  You can sense the movement with the way they are positioned and the sawdust on the end of the stroke.  Nicely done!

thank you very much!

Tuck design is next! (it's done, I'm just making some final tweaks / additions). I also got in touch with my Rep at USPCC and I'm getting the ball rolling on approvals tomorrow. I hope to have everything sent to them by the end of the week!

Thanks guys!

[piratebear81]

I think these look great.  I loved the first edition too, btw! I can't wait to pledge on these.  Great work!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Okay, here we go, the tuck box! I'm lucky enough to have a pretty beast printer at work that prints really high-quality stuff. So I ran off a few "prototypes" to see what the real thing may look like and if anything gets lost or looks weird.

Freshly cut


Glued up! I added the original deck to show how the new one pay homage to it.


Backs.


What's this, a seal?! Yep, these things will come sealed this time! I'll opt in for custom numbered seals too.


Real pixels


Lastly, I wanted to mention and point out somethings.

As you can see, both tucks have similarities which I thought was important as this is the second edition. I decided to show the Ace of Spades on the front to follow in the foot steps of the "Standard Bicycle" deck and many other decks that feature the AoS on the front. The first edition also featured a tree on the front but that tree wasn't found anywhere else in the deck. The font changed from "Bebas" to "High On Fire" which I think matches the feel of lumberjacks / woods better than before.

The back design, which y'all have already seen also pays homage to the original. Both have trees, axes, leaves in the corners, and a caption. Although this time the leaves have been revamped, the rope has been removed and replaced with a woodgrain border (which is a theme throughout the deck) and the axes are incorporated into the tree.

The top and sides... The axes have been removed from the top of the tuck and replaced with a two-man saw (that is also featured on the Jack of Hearts and both the Jokers). On the sides, the old rope has been removed and replaced with the woodgrain mentioned earlier and a small text change was made from "Air-Cushioned Finished - Made in the U.S.A." to "Quality Playing Cards - Made in the U.S.A." huge change, I know! (this is still in the air).

And of course, the biggest addition (not really) is the seal. It was non existent on the first deck (which was a huge mistake). It features the name and number of the deck again paying homage to the original. I left a decent amount of space in the middle so when you guys open it, you can leave it and it'll still have meaning.

I need a gaff card and then done and off it goes to USPCC for approval. Tell me what you guys think.

[Will W.]

Looks great!  One question for you though. Are you going to offer the original Lumberjacks on your kickstarter as well?  Maybe as an add on or in a tier where you get one of each. The only reason I ask is because I missed out on the original and have yet to acquire it but would like to. 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Looks great!  One question for you though. Are you going to offer the original Lumberjacks on your kickstarter as well?  Maybe as an add on or in a tier where you get one of each. The only reason I ask is because I missed out on the original and have yet to acquire it but would like to. 

I don't see why not!

[Will W.]

Looks great!  One question for you though. Are you going to offer the original Lumberjacks on your kickstarter as well?  Maybe as an add on or in a tier where you get one of each. The only reason I ask is because I missed out on the original and have yet to acquire it but would like to. 

I don't see why not!

Thats awesome!   

[10ofclubs]

The jokers are sweet! But, to me, it looks like the sawdust is on the wrong side. The red guy looks like he is pulling and the blue guy is pushing so the saw would be moving to the left. And that would make the dust travel left? Right?

[Will W.]

The jokers are sweet! But, to me, it looks like the sawdust is on the wrong side. The red guy looks like he is pulling and the blue guy is pushing so the saw would be moving to the left. And that would make the dust travel left? Right?

The sawdust is at the end of the stroke, right before the return stroke. Its on the proper side.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

The jokers are sweet! But, to me, it looks like the sawdust is on the wrong side. The red guy looks like he is pulling and the blue guy is pushing so the saw would be moving to the left. And that would make the dust travel left? Right?

The sawdust is at the end of the stroke, right before the return stroke. Its on the proper side.

Yep, exactly! Thanks Will!

Good news, I've submitted all the artwork to USPCC for approval! Hope everything goes smoothly. I read over their guidelines and had to change my King of Hearts (because it would've gone against their policy).

I'll keep you guys posted on updates, more artwork (custom brick boxes) and other things as they come up!

Feel free to comment / ask questions!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

WOOOHOOO! Legal approved the deck!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I wish you all an awesome New Year!

Kleetz

[Fess]

WOOOHOOO! Legal approved the deck!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I wish you all an awesome New Year!

Kleetz

Great News! Happy New Year to you as well.

[Don Boyer]

WOOOHOOO! Legal approved the deck!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I wish you all an awesome New Year!

Kleetz

Awesomesauce, dipped in a side of fantastic!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Hey guys,

It's sorta been a bit and I wanted to post an update. It's a pretty good one too!

I've been working on creating a very straight forward website for people to go to and subscribe to get notified when the 2nd edition Lumberjacks are on Kickstarter.

www.lumberjackplayingcards.com/2ndedition/

Check it out, and if you're interested in knowing when the campaign is live, subscribe! I will NOT email you any non-sense. You will only get an email when it's live!

Again, very straight forward, but once the campaign is finished (and if successful) I will be redoing both sites and combining both decks into one, better store.

Thanks!

[Collector]

IMHO:

I prefer darker blue on previous variant of “black” suits.
 
The Ace of Clubs – I believe both fronds can’t be at such a right angle to main trunk. Try some more natural form of a tree.

The King of Spades – try to make his hair “thicker”. His hair happened to be sleeked too much.

The Queen of Hearts – Changed hair created some disproportion of her overall head. Try to add more hair to her left temple.

The Jack of Clubs – I don’t know what to say – the worst face from the deck. Something is wrong with it. I can only propose to redesign it (face and hair) form the scratch. Also I believe you can pull down a little a shirt-sleeve of his shirt (right hand).

The King of Diamonds – right hand?

The Queen of Diamonds – her arms of a dystrophic are awful (that log should broke them, actually) – stub-fingers. Try to add hair to the crown of her head and make two plaits.

The Seal is really uninteresting. Can you add an acorn (or some stump?) on it? Place the name of the deck on such acorn.

Can you try to hide “the” on the front of the tuck case in roots of the tree? It will be the deck with a small hidden element on its tuck cases

This is really a nice deck, even better than the first edition. Good luck.

[Don Boyer]

IMHO:

I prefer darker blue on previous variant of “black” suits.
 
The Ace of Clubs – I believe both fronds can’t be at such a right angle to main trunk. Try some more natural form of a tree.

The King of Spades – try to make his hair “thicker”. His hair happened to be sleeked too much.

The Queen of Hearts – Changed hair created some disproportion of her overall head. Try to add more hair to her left temple.

The Jack of Clubs – I don’t know what to say – the worst face from the deck. Something is wrong with it. I can only propose to redesign it (face and hair) form the scratch. Also I believe you can pull down a little a shirt-sleeve of his shirt (right hand).

The King of Diamonds – right hand?

The Queen of Diamonds – her arms of a dystrophic are awful (that log should broke them, actually) – stub-fingers. Try to add hair to the crown of her head and make two plaits.

The Seal is really uninteresting. Can you add an acorn (or some stump?) on it? Place the name of the deck on such acorn.

Can you try to hide “the” on the front of the tuck case in roots of the tree? It will be the deck with a small hidden element on its tuck cases

This is really a nice deck, even better than the first edition. Good luck.

The suggestions are nice, but not terribly timely.  He's been posting about this deck for THIRTEEN months!  Where were you when he was hammering all this stuff out, taking people's advice and tweaking the design to improve it?  He's practically ready to go to press and we already gave him enough recommendations to cause migraines!

[Magasaki]

I wasn't so sure at the start but this has come together as a really nice project. Will be happy if you offer the original lumberjacks as an add on too, I'll definatly be in for a few. Good Luck!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

The suggestions are nice, but not terribly timely.  He's been posting about this deck for THIRTEEN months!  Where were you when he was hammering all this stuff out, taking people's advice and tweaking the design to improve it?  He's practically ready to go to press and we already gave him enough recommendations to cause migraines!

This is relatively true haha, but there is still some time left! I've been putting together all the necessary things for Kickstarter, as well as building that subscribe site. Still got to take photos and video so I'll be looking over what Collector said and seeing if I can make some of those changes / see what things will look like. Although I think a JoC redesign is not in the cards (haha get it, get it).

I wasn't so sure at the start but this has come together as a really nice project. Will be happy if you offer the original lumberjacks as an add on too, I'll definatly be in for a few. Good Luck!

Yes sir, I will have the originals as an addition in the campaign. Glad to hear you like it! It's definitely been a journey... and it's not even close to over!

Thanks for the comments guys!

[Collector]

IMHO:

I prefer darker blue on previous variant of “black” suits.
 
The Ace of Clubs – I believe both fronds can’t be at such a right angle to main trunk. Try some more natural form of a tree.

The King of Spades – try to make his hair “thicker”. His hair happened to be sleeked too much.

The Queen of Hearts – Changed hair created some disproportion of her overall head. Try to add more hair to her left temple.

The Jack of Clubs – I don’t know what to say – the worst face from the deck. Something is wrong with it. I can only propose to redesign it (face and hair) form the scratch. Also I believe you can pull down a little a shirt-sleeve of his shirt (right hand).

The King of Diamonds – right hand?

The Queen of Diamonds – her arms of a dystrophic are awful (that log should broke them, actually) – stub-fingers. Try to add hair to the crown of her head and make two plaits.

The Seal is really uninteresting. Can you add an acorn (or some stump?) on it? Place the name of the deck on such acorn.

Can you try to hide “the” on the front of the tuck case in roots of the tree? It will be the deck with a small hidden element on its tuck cases

This is really a nice deck, even better than the first edition. Good luck.

The suggestions are nice, but not terribly timely.  He's been posting about this deck for THIRTEEN months!  Where were you when he was hammering all this stuff out, taking people's advice and tweaking the design to improve it?  He's practically ready to go to press and we already gave him enough recommendations to cause migraines!

I was here when I could and stipulated my endless IMHOs. Check this thread. I said what I said when I could do that. More explanations are in "Oscar" thread.

I am sure there are still enough days for improvements of this deck

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Hey guys,

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. So here's a progress update!

I've been working on promotional photography for the Lumberjacks, getting prototype cards printed and looking for a cardist near my area for the video. That last one was a real challenge.

The good news is all three things are done!

Here's a preview of the photos (please keep in mind that these are mocks that I made using my in house printer):
Tuck


Aces:


The prototype cards (even though they were printed by a 3rd party printer) look really cool. I'll post some photos of them as well. I'm currently storyboarding the video and building the KS campaign as much as I can.

If you haven't done so yet, please subscribe!

Thanks!
-Kleetz

[Will W.]

Hey guys,

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. So here's a progress update!

I've been working on promotional photography for the Lumberjacks, getting prototype cards printed and looking for a cardist near my area for the video. That last one was a real challenge.

The good news is all three things are done!

Here's a preview of the photos (please keep in mind that these are mocks that I made using my in house printer):
Tuck

Must be one hell of an in house printer.  All of it looks really good to me. 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Must be one hell of an in house printer.  All of it looks really good to me. 

Yeah, it's not bad. Cheap too! Thanks!

[EvanEssence]

Pre-preorder? 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Tuck box

[Will W.]

Tuck box

The flannel interior is a nice touch.  Anxiously awaiting the kickstarter launch.... 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

The flannel interior is a nice touch.  Anxiously awaiting the kickstarter launch....

Thanks Wil! It's coming man, it's coming!

[Collector]

Tuck box

The flannel interior is a nice touch.  Anxiously awaiting the kickstarter launch....

Agree. So, let's start this hype
http://playingcardcollector.net/2015/01/27/2015-week-4-upcoming-decks/

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Thanks Collector! I saw that you had a "?" for the printer. The cards will be printed by USPCC!

Thanks again!

[Don Boyer]

Thanks Collector! I saw that you had a "?" for the printer. The cards will be printed by USPCC!

Thanks again!

They pretty much have to be, with the Bicycle branding on them!    Good luck on the impending launch.

[naggarwal]

You can just take my money right now, because I know that this project will be funded and in fact it will hit the sealing. It is an amazing looking deck and it is so nice to go through the development through the thread. I hope I will be able to do something this Summer break. Good work! I will wait to see the kickstarter for this.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

You can just take my money right now, because I know that this project will be funded and in fact it will hit the sealing. It is an amazing looking deck and it is so nice to go through the development through the thread. I hope I will be able to do something this Summer break. Good work! I will wait to see the kickstarter for this.

Haha, thanks naggarwal, really means a lot!

[naggarwal]

You can just take my money right now, because I know that this project will be funded and in fact it will hit the sealing. It is an amazing looking deck and it is so nice to go through the development through the thread. I hope I will be able to do something this Summer break. Good work! I will wait to see the kickstarter for this.

Haha, thanks naggarwal, really means a lot!

Hello, it is Nitin. I did sign up for the notification thing. I am looking forward to the KS launch of this deck. Count me in for backing this project. It was a nice idea and final product is looking amazing. Good luck!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Hello, it is Nitin. I did sign up for the notification thing. I am looking forward to the KS launch of this deck. Count me in for backing this project. It was a nice idea and final product is looking amazing. Good luck!

Thanks! I wanted to launch this week but the weather had something to say about that. So we had to postpone the video until next week. My hope is to launch next mid-end of next week. I'll post updates as I have them!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Great news!

We've shot and edited the video. So mark your calendars, the Lumberjacks go live on Kickstarter March 9th!


Check out the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-grZ2GDqp8

Also, subscribe and I'll let you know as soon as it goes live on the 9th: http://lumberjackplayingcards.com/2ndedition/

Best,
Kleetz

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Here's a preview of the upcoming KS campaign: http://tinyurl.com/pas3758

Let me know what you guys think (prices, layout, rewards)! I'm purposefully (for now) not offering t-shirts, posters, clips, chips, etc. because all those things drive cost up and could potentially delay delivery.

[Fess]

$40 per uncut is pretty steep in my opinion.

Does the $15 for one include international shipping or just US? While I don't target single decks usually, a lot of people do the one or two. If it's just US how much more will international shipping be?

These will be USPCC shipped, there isn't any ocean travel cost on the 2,500. Shipping seems high. The EB's will be popular though.

I don't mind a campaign for playing cards that is just playing cards myself. I've never gone in for chips on a campaign. Card clips are cool but if you have one or two, you're pretty well set. Card guards and dealer buttons are always fun though.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

$40 per uncut is pretty steep in my opinion.

Does the $15 for one include international shipping or just US? While I don't target single decks usually, a lot of people do the one or two. If it's just US how much more will international shipping be?

Really? Okay, I'll have another look at uncut sheet pricing.

Currently, $15 cover US shipping. additional $4 for Canada and $8 everywhere else. It costs about $6-8 to ship to Canada I believe and $10-12 everywhere else.

[Don Boyer]

Here's a preview of the upcoming KS campaign: http://tinyurl.com/pas3758

Let me know what you guys think (prices, layout, rewards)! I'm purposefully (for now) not offering t-shirts, posters, clips, chips, etc. because all those things drive cost up and could potentially delay delivery.

There is a growing trend in this direction - I see it as a good thing.  I have enough collectibles cluttering up my home as it is! 

$40 per uncut is pretty steep in my opinion.

Does the $15 for one include international shipping or just US? While I don't target single decks usually, a lot of people do the one or two. If it's just US how much more will international shipping be?

Really? Okay, I'll have another look at uncut sheet pricing.

Currently, $15 cover US shipping. additional $4 for Canada and $8 everywhere else. It costs about $6-8 to ship to Canada I believe and $10-12 everywhere else.

The pricing isn't awful on the uncuts.  Typically, I've seen $25 on the low end for custom deck uncuts and as high as $150 or so, but there's usually a reason justifying the higher prices.  In your case, where the edition is limited to a grand total of only 20 to be sold (and only half sold without having to buy a brick as well), you might justify the higher price based on rarity.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

There is a growing trend in this direction - I see it as a good thing.  I have enough collectibles cluttering up my home as it is! 

One only has enough wall space!

I'm also interested to hear peoples thoughts on the price tiers.

[Don Boyer]

The smaller tiers look rather costly, but if the prices included US shipping, I'd say they're justified.  Otherwise, no - too high, especially when you factor in the much-lower price of the 1st Edition decks - in every single tier, the 2nd Edition is at least $3 more than the 1st Edition, while the 1st Edition normally would be harder to obtain.

On the plus side, your larger tiers are more affordable, with prices dropping off steeply.

I'd suggest that you bring down the price of the 2nd Edition decks, and slightly raise the price of the 1st Editions, perhaps in the range of $8 or $9.  As it stands now, that first tier (not counting early bird pricing) is more than double the cost of the 1st Edition decks - narrow that gap a bit.  You can afford to raise the 1st Ed. price a bit - right now, your site is charging $10 for them, Art of Play is charging $12...  Bringing the price up a bit but still below retail will be an added draw to backers AND you can use the extra cash to either take more profit or lower the price of the 2nd Ed. to sweeten that appeal.

[Fess]

I'm also interested to hear peoples thoughts on the price tiers.

They're your numbers, you're the one who's going to know them best. What you feel the public will pay and what you want per deck has to even out at some point. That's not something anyone can tell you though. How you value your work is entirely up to you. Whether the public wants to pay whatever its, that's up to them.

I think given the recent shipping changes we've seen on KS you may be hurting yourself charging $9 shipping one deck to Canada and only more pain on the international scale but, that's going off a $10 deck. Maybe the deck is $13 and you're given them a break? No idea though, they're your numbers.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I made some updates to the reward tiers, removed some rewards and added the uncut sheet as an add-on. It's still in the works so keep the suggestions coming!

Here's a bigger version of the uncut:

I'm holding out on the last gaff card for now, I'll make an update in the upcoming weeks.

Best,
Kleetz

[Collector]

I am not sure that it's a good idea to reveal all court cards at once.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I am not sure that it's a good idea to reveal all court cards at once.

Actually, it's not a bad idea. I can post updates revealing more cards.

Thanks collector!
-Kleetz

[Collector]

I am not sure that it's a good idea to reveal all court cards at once.

Actually, it's not a bad idea. I can post updates revealing more cards.

Thanks collector!
-Kleetz

I think you didn't understand me. From what I understand on the basis of your test Kickstarter page - you are going to reveal all faces at the start of your campaign. So, you won't be able to reveal something due to that. That's why I said what I said. And I think that it is important to reveal faces step by step on Kickstarter because it helps to keep crowd's interest in your project on a higher level. Just thoughts

[Don Boyer]

I think you didn't understand me. From what I understand on the basis of your test Kickstarter page - you are going to reveal all faces at the start of your campaign. So, you won't be able to reveal something due to that. That's why I said what I said. And I think that it is important to reveal faces step by step on Kickstarter because it helps to keep crowd's interest in your project on a higher level. Just thoughts

That's a matter of opinion, Collector.  Personally, before I back a project, I like to SEE what it is I'm backing!    I don't need to be strung along with silly, unnecessary teasers - I'm a big boy now.

[Collector]

I think you didn't understand me. From what I understand on the basis of your test Kickstarter page - you are going to reveal all faces at the start of your campaign. So, you won't be able to reveal something due to that. That's why I said what I said. And I think that it is important to reveal faces step by step on Kickstarter because it helps to keep crowd's interest in your project on a higher level. Just thoughts

That's a matter of opinion, Collector.  Personally, before I back a project, I like to SEE what it is I'm backing!    I don't need to be strung along with silly, unnecessary teasers - I'm a big boy now.

Are you going personally to secure the funding of this project?

It's a matter of opinion. But as a big boy you could see a lot of strange or even illogical things these days. Don't you know that 60% of on-line materials are written not for people but for Google and Bing Re-read all those "amazing" instructions "How to attract 10000000... on-line users to your product", etc. Entertaining reading... till the moment you understand that it really works for modern users :O

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I think you didn't understand me. From what I understand on the basis of your test Kickstarter page - you are going to reveal all faces at the start of your campaign. So, you won't be able to reveal something due to that. That's why I said what I said. And I think that it is important to reveal faces step by step on Kickstarter because it helps to keep crowd's interest in your project on a higher level. Just thoughts

That's a matter of opinion, Collector.  Personally, before I back a project, I like to SEE what it is I'm backing!    I don't need to be strung along with silly, unnecessary teasers - I'm a big boy now.

I have to agree with Don on this. I considered what you said, implemented it, and showed it to my co-workers. Both said that they are there (on Kickstarter) to potentially back something. They want to see as much of the product as possible.

Which makes sense, would buy something where you're not sure what you're getting?

-Kleetz

[Don Boyer]

I think you didn't understand me. From what I understand on the basis of your test Kickstarter page - you are going to reveal all faces at the start of your campaign. So, you won't be able to reveal something due to that. That's why I said what I said. And I think that it is important to reveal faces step by step on Kickstarter because it helps to keep crowd's interest in your project on a higher level. Just thoughts

That's a matter of opinion, Collector.  Personally, before I back a project, I like to SEE what it is I'm backing!    I don't need to be strung along with silly, unnecessary teasers - I'm a big boy now.

Are you going personally to secure the funding of this project?

It's a matter of opinion. But as a big boy you could see a lot of strange or even illogical things these days. Don't you know that 60% of on-line materials are written not for people but for Google and Bing Re-read all those "amazing" instructions "How to attract 10000000... on-line users to your product", etc. Entertaining reading... till the moment you understand that it really works for modern users :O

Collector, drop it.  It's an opinion.  Agree to disagree and leave it be.  We've hijacked this thread enough.

[Magasaki]

It's the 9th here - looking forward to this launching!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

It's the 9th here - looking forward to this launching!

Glad to hear it! It'll be launched 1pm today! Gotta be honest, I'm like 80% excited, 20% nervous!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Woohoo! The campaign is now live!

Here's the link:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/674054954/bicycle-the-lumberjacks-2nd-edition-playing-cards

Thanks for everyone's support throughout this, we're almost there!
-Kleetz

[Will W.]

Got a two deck early bird plus an original deck!  I never get early birds... I'm super stoked! 

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Got a two deck early bird plus an original deck!  I never get early birds... I'm super stoked!

Thank you Will!

[Collector]

I think you didn't understand me. From what I understand on the basis of your test Kickstarter page - you are going to reveal all faces at the start of your campaign. So, you won't be able to reveal something due to that. That's why I said what I said. And I think that it is important to reveal faces step by step on Kickstarter because it helps to keep crowd's interest in your project on a higher level. Just thoughts

That's a matter of opinion, Collector.  Personally, before I back a project, I like to SEE what it is I'm backing!    I don't need to be strung along with silly, unnecessary teasers - I'm a big boy now.

Are you going personally to secure the funding of this project?

It's a matter of opinion. But as a big boy you could see a lot of strange or even illogical things these days. Don't you know that 60% of on-line materials are written not for people but for Google and Bing Re-read all those "amazing" instructions "How to attract 10000000... on-line users to your product", etc. Entertaining reading... till the moment you understand that it really works for modern users :O

Collector, drop it.  It's an opinion.  Agree to disagree and leave it be.  We've hijacked this thread enough.

I don't see how I have hijacked this thread. And I always thought that the forum is for mutual exchange of opinions. I can try to find time and logically prove why the approach described by me is more useful for the campaign. And I also can easily find illogical things in answers on my above mentioned thoughts.

Other thing is that I also don't like the approach described by me. But, unfortunately, there are things that we like and find more logical, fair, and there are things that just work. Kleetz have chances to lose up to 30% of potential funding without regular updates and reveals of new designs of playing cards. IMHO, of course.

But it isn't my campaign, so I am calm about the chosen approach for it. It has started, so the approach isn't already important. Now the design and enough quantity of its fans are more important. The design is nice.

Good luck, Kleetz.

[Don Boyer]

I don't see how I have hijacked this thread. And I always thought that the forum is for mutual exchange of opinions. I can try to find time and logically prove why the approach described by me is more useful for the campaign. And I also can easily find illogical things in answers on my above mentioned thoughts.

Other thing is that I also don't like the approach described by me. But, unfortunately, there are things that we like and find more logical, fair, and there are things that just work. Kleetz have chances to lose up to 30% of potential funding without regular updates and reveals of new designs of playing cards. IMHO, of course.

But it isn't my campaign, so I am calm about the chosen approach for it. It has started, so the approach isn't already important. Now the design and enough quantity of its fans are more important. The design is nice.

Good luck, Kleetz.

You're calling it your opinion, as in "In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)," yet you're quoting hard statistics from an unnamed source.  When you do that, you're actually presenting what you believe to be facts.  How, precisely, can he lose up to 30% of his funding by not using a tease campaign, and what's your information source?

Or are you trying to be contrary for the sake of being contrary?

It's very simple.  There likely are some people out there who love being teased through a deck campaign, be it Kickstarter or an ad campaign from a privately-funded deck producer.  I'm not one of them, and I know many others who are not - they've said as much in these boards.  Those of us who feel this way consider this to be our opinion and personal preference.  Do I have hard numbers?  No.  But as I'm not offering statistical facts, I don't really need hard numbers.  There's no point in refuting an opinion - it's just an opinion.

You're free to offer your opinions here; even anecdotal observations are cool.  But if you want to offer facts, back them up somehow.  Otherwise, they're still just your opinion.

Now please - let's drop this or take it to PMs.  Stay on-topic.

[Collector]

I don't see how I have hijacked this thread. And I always thought that the forum is for mutual exchange of opinions. I can try to find time and logically prove why the approach described by me is more useful for the campaign. And I also can easily find illogical things in answers on my above mentioned thoughts.

Other thing is that I also don't like the approach described by me. But, unfortunately, there are things that we like and find more logical, fair, and there are things that just work. Kleetz have chances to lose up to 30% of potential funding without regular updates and reveals of new designs of playing cards. IMHO, of course.

But it isn't my campaign, so I am calm about the chosen approach for it. It has started, so the approach isn't already important. Now the design and enough quantity of its fans are more important. The design is nice.

Good luck, Kleetz.

You're calling it your opinion, as in "In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)," yet you're quoting hard statistics from an unnamed source.  When you do that, you're actually presenting what you believe to be facts.  How, precisely, can he lose up to 30% of his funding by not using a tease campaign, and what's your information source?

Or are you trying to be contrary for the sake of being contrary?

It's very simple.  There likely are some people out there who love being teased through a deck campaign, be it Kickstarter or an ad campaign from a privately-funded deck producer.  I'm not one of them, and I know many others who are not - they've said as much in these boards.  Those of us who feel this way consider this to be our opinion and personal preference.  Do I have hard numbers?  No.  But as I'm not offering statistical facts, I don't really need hard numbers.  There's no point in refuting an opinion - it's just an opinion.

You're free to offer your opinions here; even anecdotal observations are cool.  But if you want to offer facts, back them up somehow.  Otherwise, they're still just your opinion.

Now please - let's drop this or take it to PMs.  Stay on-topic.

First of all, I’d like to find out how the second part of this

...You're free to offer your opinions here; even anecdotal observations are cool…

refers to this discussion? I have to think that this is your traditional quick switch to personal and attempt to offend any person having alternative opinion. You started from hijacking, then “anecdotal observations” and “stay on-topic”.

So, I am on-topic. This is an active Kickstarter project now and any discussion of its positioning, development or promotion is an integral part of the theme. When you post thousands of words (sometimes quite abstract) in every thread dedicated to different Kickstarter project it is a norm. When someone has an alternative opinion – it is off-topic.

...Or are you trying to be contrary for the sake of being contrary?

I don’t. But, unfortunately, you do. And this time you surpassed yourself. You invented non-existent fact in my message and then accused me of its groundlessness (factually of its absence). Have you ever heard any person ending to prove the Pythagorean theorem by words, “IMHO, of course”?

Let me discover a new world for you. “…Kleetz have chances to lose up to 30% of potential funding…” is just a value judgement – the same as your “…I know many others who are not - they've said as much in these boards…” (in this particular thread, only you and Kleetz among 10.000 registered users).

I understand that such things as “IMHO”, “I assume…”, “I suspect…”, “I suppose…” are a big problem for you. You don’t think within such categories. But try sometimes to read what people write before to comment that. Don’t interfere in communications of other members giving your assessments of other’s messages which you don’t understand and which aren’t directed to you (this is already about some other threads).

Any patience has its limits. There is a small embryo of BM Pokerworld in you. And it is growing. I say this as a person who has been writing on this forum several years and remember your first posts here. Try to understand that this Earth doesn’t revolve around your “I”. Otherwise, you will turn this forum into the place for your monologs.

P.S.
Please, save your time and don’t post here hundreds of rude jokes/hints and strict offences. I won’t read them anyway. I really hope you will change something in your world outlook and will find your harmony with surrounding world.

[Don Boyer]

I thought I asked you to take this to PMs.  We've done enough here, thanks.  It's rude to continue like this, and I won't be a part of it.

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Hey guys,

After the campaign ended (unsuccessfully) I posted on Facebook in The Card Club asking for opinions from members of why they though it didn't succeed. I got a bunch of replies and suggestions. One regarding the royalty having a little more brawn. Since the Jack of Spades was really the only one lacking something, I've decided to fully embrace his laziness!

Here's an updated version of the JoS:


Let me know what you guys think, I've also brought back the subscribe site. So if you you want to know when I relaunch the campaign, please subscribe and I'll let you know!

More updates to come!

Best,
Vadim

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

I took some time and updated the subscribe site! Check it out and if you haven't yet, subscribe and I'll notify you when I relaunch the campaign!

Thanks,
Vadim

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Woohoo!

I've got a date, a re-launch date that is! I will be re-launching the Lumberjacks 2nd edition on May 27th, so mark you calendars!

I shot a series of 12s clips to promote the date, here's one of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29AskD1HB0Y

More to come!

[Don Boyer]

Marked my calendar - and the next issue of CARD CULTURE Magazine, coming out Friday!  I think you'll like the article on your deck and its forthcoming release, courtesy of staff writer Tom Majski (Magasaki)!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Marked my calendar - and the next issue of CARD CULTURE Magazine, coming out Friday!  I think you'll like the article on your deck and its forthcoming release, courtesy of staff writer Tom Majski (Magasaki)!

Yeah, very exciting! Tom has been awesome, cannot thank him enough!

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

Oh yeeaaaah!

7 more days until the relaunch! Here's another quick video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIB-Xbd7sxM

Check it out, hope you guys like!

Vadim

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING POST!

My goal with the 2nd edition Lumberjack deck is not only to bring you a cool looking deck, but to ship it to you guys for the best possible price. I will be using BackerKit for shipping.

From what I see, international backers are pretty much screwed with shipping. So I've worked really hard to get the best possible international shipping pricing.

Because I've included domestic shipping, I think it's only fair to carry that amount ($5) over to international backers.

Which means:

Canadian Backers:
1 deck = $2 additional for shipping
2 decks = $2 additional for shipping (the better choice)
3 decks = $3 additional for shipping
6 decks = $9 additional for shipping
12 decks = $15 additional for shipping

UK Backers:
1 deck = $6 additional for shipping
2 decks = $8 additional for shipping
3 decks = $8 additional for shipping (the better choice)
6 decks = $15 additional for shipping
12 decks = $23 additional for shipping

Most of my backers come from these areas. The rest of the world isn't too far off from the UK pricing.

Campaign goes live May 27th!

-Vadim

[Vadim Smolenskiy]

 

So relatively good news! I'm (hopefully) going to be relaunching the campaign tomorrow at Noon. I say hopefully because due to the project failing the first time, I was not aware that KS has to approve it if you decide to relaunch. So the project is submitted and hopefully it will be good to go for tomorrow. If it's not, then it will have to launch the following day.

I'll keep you guys in the loop. Furthermore, Gamblers Warehouse will be handling the fulfillment. I want to get this deck in your hands quickly and I've heard they do an excellent job.

Vadim