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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => Design & Development => Topic started by: RandyButterfield on December 20, 2012, 04:42:34 PM
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Hey everyone,
I haven't been posting on here very much lately, but I'm always checking here and UC to see what's going on so I don't miss anything. Right now I'm switching back and forth at nights working on the next ORNATE Decks and a new deck I started on - The Fabergé Deck!
The Court Cards will have 12 different Fabergé inspired eggs I'm modeling in 3d. Each Court Card will have 2 copies of it's egg to keep it symmetrical and will have other design elements I haven't started on yet. The first finished Court egg is the Pearl Egg for the Queen of Spades. The Red Egg doesn't have the oval emblem because it will be used on the Back Design. I just started posting updates once a week to my Facebook page and I'll start doing the same in this thread.
Also, I designed a Deck that should be released next week, I believe!! It's not a Midnight Cards Deck, it's a _________ Deck. I'm sure more info will come up soon on that one.
thanks, Randy
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Hey everyone,
I haven't been posting on here very much lately, but I'm always checking here and UC to see what's going on so I don't miss anything. Right now I'm switching back and forth at nights working on the next ORNATE Decks and a new deck I started on - The Fabergé Deck!
The Court Cards will have 12 different Fabergé inspired eggs I'm modeling in 3d. Each Court Card will have 2 copies of it's egg to keep it symmetrical and will have other design elements I haven't started on yet. The first finished Court egg is the Pearl Egg for the Queen of Spades. The Red Egg doesn't have the oval emblem because it will be used on the Back Design. I just started posting updates once a week to my Facebook page and I'll start doing the same in this thread.
Also, I designed a Deck that should be released next week, I believe!! It's not a Midnight Cards Deck, it's a _________ Deck. I'm sure more info will come up soon on that one.
thanks, Randy
I apologise if this is very ignorant of me, but this deck you're making is an egg deck?
EDIT: Yep. Just googled fabergé haha - should have probably done it before posting this... Lazy, lazy, lazy, DrianAbara. :P
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Yes, DrianAbara, very lazy... :))
Randy - can you tell us more about the new Ornates? Perhaps in a new topic? Like the new one I'm about to start in the Plethora? :)) Like, as in THIS topic:
http://aethercards.com/discourse/playing-card-plethora/the-next-ornate-decks/
(I already know about next week's deck, but I'm mum on it for now...)
The Faberge concept is interesting, but I'd need to see more of it to get a better grasp of where you want to take it.
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I'm very excited to see how you incorporate fabergé into a deck of cards!
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Here's the first finished Court Card for the Fabergé Deck - the Queen of Spades!
thanks, Randy
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Here's the first finished Court Card for the Fabergé Deck - the Queen of Spades!
thanks, Randy
Is the Fabergé Deck the official name you've given it, or just a working title?
The Queen looks nice - but that's one HUUUUUUGE index!
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Is the Fabergé Deck the official name you've given it, or just a working title?
The Queen looks nice - but that's one HUUUUUUGE index!
Hey Don,
It hope that will be it's name. I plan on contacting the Faberge people to ask about using the name when I get a couple more cards finished. None of the eggs will be similar to an existing Faberge Egg so I'm hoping it won't be a problem. If I have to the name can be something more generic like "Russian Treasures" or "Imperial Eggs". I definitely don't want any legal craziness to deal with, like Himber and his Lego Deck!
For the Index, I made it large to matchup with the large PIPS. I figured it would also help with card readability since the Eggs are so different than a human court hero image. The PIPS are large to account for the missing 3rd and 4th PIPS found on most standard court cards. When printed at size, they are actually smaller than the usual large face card PIPS. The 2-10 cards will have the big PIPS on the left corners, but will have much smaller PIPS in the center - opposite of the norm.
Thanks, Randy
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Here's a look at the Number Cards and closeups of the PIPs. I was going for a shiny enamel button look for the PIPs. The versions with the diagonal etches will be used for the larger corner suits. The versions without the etches are for the smaller suits in the center.
thanks, Randy
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Here's a look at the Number Cards and closeups of the PIPs. I was going for a shiny enamel button look for the PIPs. The versions with the diagonal etches will be used for the larger corner suits. The versions without the etches are for the smaller suits in the center.
I'm liking the large indexes combined with small pips. I also like the diagonal layout of the number cards - if only there was a practical way to use that with the courts as well...
Speaking of courts, consider doing two eggs in some variant of the traditional profile. I'm not saying every deck on Earth must have that layout, but there's a reason why the double-header was created. Gamblers, in the days before the corner index, could spot players that were holding court cards when they were rotating the cards in their hand - turning the court cards right-side up. Alternately, a gambler could fool a fellow player/card sharp into thinking they held court cards simply by rotating whatever card they have instead.
But in the end, it's a design choice, and less important with the advent of the index. USPC introduced several decks with "full-page" courts which actually looked pretty cool, but I'm guessing weren't popular with the public since none of their current decks have this feature.
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Speaking of courts, consider doing two eggs in some variant of the traditional profile. I'm not saying every deck on Earth must have that layout, but there's a reason why the double-header was created. Gamblers, in the days before the corner index, could spot players that were holding court cards when they were rotating the cards in their hand - turning the court cards right-side up. Alternately, a gambler could fool a fellow player/card sharp into thinking they held court cards simply by rotating whatever card they have instead.
But in the end, it's a design choice, and less important with the advent of the index. USPC introduced several decks with "full-page" courts which actually looked pretty cool, but I'm guessing weren't popular with the public since none of their current decks have this feature.
Hey Don, I think you forgot about the Queen of Spades up above. The Courts will be double-headers. They'll each be completely symmetrical.
The Red Egg up top is meant for the back design that I'll probably start on next.
Thanks, Randy
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Speaking of courts, consider doing two eggs in some variant of the traditional profile. I'm not saying every deck on Earth must have that layout, but there's a reason why the double-header was created. Gamblers, in the days before the corner index, could spot players that were holding court cards when they were rotating the cards in their hand - turning the court cards right-side up. Alternately, a gambler could fool a fellow player/card sharp into thinking they held court cards simply by rotating whatever card they have instead.
But in the end, it's a design choice, and less important with the advent of the index. USPC introduced several decks with "full-page" courts which actually looked pretty cool, but I'm guessing weren't popular with the public since none of their current decks have this feature.
Hey Don, I think you forgot about the Queen of Spades up above. The Courts will be double-headers. They'll each be completely symmetrical.
The Red Egg up top is meant for the back design that I'll probably start on next.
Thanks, Randy
I didn't see that! Suggestion for Kings - display the eggs with the lid flipped open! The egg interiors are even more spectacular than the exteriors.
I had a buddy a while back who was a silversmith. He started working on a project to create Fabergé-style eggs in silver. Unfortunately, he passed away before being able to complete his work.
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I didn't see that! Suggestion for Kings - display the eggs with the lid flipped open! The egg interiors are even more spectacular than the exteriors.
I had a buddy a while back who was a silversmith. He started working on a project to create Fabergé-style eggs in silver. Unfortunately, he passed away before being able to complete his work.
Hey Don,
Sorry about your buddy. The Fabergé eggs really are amazing inside as well! I've thought about having open lids for one of the suits and in place of the closed lid would be a Gold "surprise" element like a crown, flowers or something else. Even if I end up not doing any open lids on the Courts I plan on using at least 1 open Egg for the Jokers, AOS, Tuck Box or Brick Box artwork.
My original plan with the Queens was to have Gold Flowers that would be the Egg's surprise element. They would have been to the left of the Egg, above the banner. I liked the look of the finished oblong shape above the banner so much that I thought adding the Gold Flowers would take away from the cleanness of the current version. I will definitely find a way to incorporate 1 or more of the detailed surprises that were contained within the Eggs, but make them Card related.
On a side note, my family and I are visiting an old college friend and his family in Detroit next weekend. It just happens that the Detroit Institute of Arts is the current home of the largest Fabergé collection in the U.S. (on loan from the VMFA). We're going next Saturday to check it out!
http://www.dia.org/calendar/exhibition.aspx?id=3158&iid
thanks, Randy
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Consider your double-headed design - you could just as easily have one "head" with a closed lid and the other with the lid either opened on its hinge or removed to reveal the treasure inside.
Have fun at the exhibit - I hope it serves as solid inspiration!
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Consider your double-headed design - you could just as easily have one "head" with a closed lid and the other with the lid either opened on its hinge or removed to reveal the treasure inside.
I like that idea! Doing it that way would make it possible to show each Egg closed and open to reveal the surprise. Wouldn't a lot of people freak out that the Courts are not completely symmetrical though? Although, I guess if they're card purists they wouldn't be happy with Eggs replacing traditional royalty figures in the first place!
Thanks, Randy
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Consider your double-headed design - you could just as easily have one "head" with a closed lid and the other with the lid either opened on its hinge or removed to reveal the treasure inside.
I like that idea! Doing it that way would make it possible to show each Egg closed and open to reveal the surprise. Wouldn't a lot of people freak out that the Courts are not completely symmetrical though? Although, I guess if they're card purists they wouldn't be happy with Eggs replacing traditional royalty figures in the first place!
Thanks, Randy
I can't imagine anyone but the most traditional card players objecting - and they'd be less likely to buy a custom deck in the first place, as you noted. It's an elegant solution and I feel it will give the courts more character and make them more attractive as well.
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Fabulous design as always Randy! For some reason I feel like I want to eat the eggs in that deck. They look like chocolate eggs that they sell here in China. YUM!
sorry i know my reply wasn't helpful at all I really just wanted to say how much it looks delicious...
xoxo
Lara
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Thanks Lara! It's good to see you back on the Forum!!
Don, I'll think about that idea more over this week. It would definitely add a whole new level of complexity for myself when building the Egg models. I might simplify it a little by having only 3 unique surprises for the open Eggs - Gold Flowers for all 3 Queens, Gold Crowns for all 3 Kings and I'm back-and-forth on a good surprise item for the Jacks. That way the colors used will help spot the Suit quickly and the surprise used will help spot the denomination quickly.
Over at U C Magikfingerz had a good suggestion on the Number Cards - changing the suits' orientation so they're facing the right direction at the Top half instead of the Bottom half. I like it! This is how the rest of the Number Cards will look in layout.
thanks, Randy
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Here's the Back Design!
thanks, Randy
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Wait. First the chocolate eggs... now I just found the HIDDEN MICKEY.
I just had to say that.
And it looks so 3D! Like the eggs are gonna pop out any moment. That is cool.
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Wait. First the chocolate eggs... now I just found the HIDDEN MICKEY.
I just had to say that.
And it looks so 3D! Like the eggs are gonna pop out any moment. That is cool.
Thanks Lara. Yeah, my wife pointed out the accidental Mickey when I showed her the design! Oh well. I like the corner elements as is, so he's gettin' comfy and enjoying the ride!
Thanks, Randy
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Just a personal opinion, I think the diamonds and the hearts are very similar in colour and the round corners make it look the same in some ways. I dont know its just what I think.
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Just a personal opinion, I think the diamonds and the hearts are very similar in colour and the round corners make it look the same in some ways. I dont know its just what I think.
See, the similarity in color is intentional - both are near red in the spectrum without being identical colors. And as far as the pips - the hearts appear much larger than the diamonds; I have no trouble telling them apart. Same goes for the "black" suits, two colors close to blue but not identical. It's a great way to create a four-color deck that won't screw you up when playing solitaire and other card games.
Hey, check it out - there's a metric ton of hidden detail in those pips. Seeing them large size on an iPad screen really made that pop out.
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Yeh there is great detail but wouldnt it be hard to tell when its shrunk down into playing card size? Might be difficult to tell the lines inside the pips when shrunk so much.
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Yeh there is great detail but wouldnt it be hard to tell when its shrunk down into playing card size? Might be difficult to tell the lines inside the pips when shrunk so much.
If the Aurum's background is visible, this should be as well. That's at least as detailed and fine. Countless decks out there have this level of detail.
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Yeh there is great detail but wouldnt it be hard to tell when its shrunk down into playing card size? Might be difficult to tell the lines inside the pips when shrunk so much.
My rule of thumb is, if the detail shows up when printed to size from my home Laserjet printer then they will definitely come through when printed on a printing press. I was worried about losing the small details on the ORNATES. The small details like the borders, indice jewels and even the lighting variations turned out sharp and crisp. I'm not worried about the USPCC's printing quality anymore!
One thing I've learned over the years of designing small 3" x 3.5" bottle neckers is to always release production files at 400-450 dpi for small items. The extra resolution really sharpens the details (or small type), as long as the printing press has a high enough line screen.
The smaller PIPs on the insides will be without the diagonal "etch" lines. The etch lines should print very well on the larger corner PIPs. The Aces will also have even larger versions of the etch PIPs that should really let the details shine. Except for the AOS. I have something special in mind for that one!
Thanks, Randy
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oh wow now thats something I learned from someone with great experience.
I always thought creating something on the computer if its too fine and detailed it will never show up on print.
I guess 400+ DPI is the way to go now! Learning so much just by getting feedback from you guys its great!
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Hey Everyone,
The Fabergé Deck is now renamed the Imperial Deck. Fabergé didn't grant the naming rights. I was ready for it, and without it, there's a lot more leeway to what I can do with the logo treatment. Here's the Ace of Spades! The Gold Kremlin is meant to depict the "surprise" found inside the Imperial Eggs. The AOS, Tuck and Brick Box will also have the Kremlin Spade and IMPERIAL Logo with the Hammer & Sickle icon to really bring out the Russian aspect of the Deck.
thanks, Randy
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i liked the way you used the ribbon for your back. in the past people have used cloth to make the transition; here is an example.
http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/le-florentin.html?=header (http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/le-florentin.html?=header)
http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/casanova.html (http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/casanova.html)
I liked don's suggestion of open lid / close lid. this deck proves you can have two elements and make it work.
texasplayingcards.com (http://texasplayingcards.com)
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i liked the way you used the ribbon for your back. in the past people have used cloth to make the transition; here is an example.
http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/le-florentin.html?=header (http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/le-florentin.html?=header)
http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/casanova.html (http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/philibert/casanova.html)
I liked don's suggestion of open lid / close lid. this deck proves you can have two elements and make it work.
texasplayingcards.com (http://texasplayingcards.com)
Whoa, there.
How about a warning before I open those pages up in public?
I like the idea of an open/closed lid too. It would also make a cool gaff card. Possibly with one of the eggs on the back opened with a reveal.
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Hey Everyone,
I should be finished with the King of Diamonds card in a few days. Here's the newest versions of the AOS and Back Design.
I changed the font for the USPCC copy on the AOS. The Back Design has gone through a minor facelift of fine-tuning type changes:
reduced corners, new "etched enamel" background, centered Eggs, added corner curtains depth...
thanks, Randy
P.S. - I'm still thinking over the idea of having open Eggs on one half for the courts. I think I'm leaning more towards a suggestion Volantangel had via PM. - have Gold "surprise" pieces like the AOS Kremlin in each of the 4 Ace PIPS. I already know what I want to model for each of the remaining 3 Aces and think that will tie in the hidden surprise elements fittingly.
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P.S. - I'm still thinking over the idea of having open Eggs on one half for the courts. I think I'm leaning more towards a suggestion Volantangel had via PM. - have Gold "surprise" pieces like the AOS Kremlin in each of the 4 Ace PIPS. I already know what I want to model for each of the remaining 3 Aces and think that will tie in the hidden surprise elements fittingly.
You know my thoughts - I'm the one who suggested using one court "face" to have a reveal. I'm sure it will be fine either way, but I'd prefer getting to see what's in the court eggs as well as the eggs themselves.
And along those lines, a possible gaff card - a double-backer with one back showing the eggs flipped open and revealing the contents!
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You know my thoughts - I'm the one who suggested using one court "face" to have a reveal. I'm sure it will be fine either way, but I'd prefer getting to see what's in the court eggs as well as the eggs themselves.
Yeah, the King of Diamonds really made me realize how limiting having an open and closed Egg for each court card would be. To keep things consistent I'm trying to have each Egg at a similar size and the oval Broaches close to the same locations. If I had an open Egg for each court the openings would need to be at the same heights and the surprise elements would need to be close in proportions for it to work. If a surprise element was too vertical it would extend out past the card edge, unless I lowered the entire Egg towards the center but that would get rid of the consistency. For the King of Diamonds I have the opening at the top of the Egg. That would leave about a 1/4" to play around with for the surprise piece. I want to be able to place the Egg openings where they fit organically, not have to force them all to the same spot.
I'll be posting the finished King tonight, after I do some fine-tuning. Just have to watch the Niners kick some buttt before that though!
Thanks, Randy
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@Randy,
IMPERIAL (especially in connection with Fabergé eggs) and this
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Hammer_sickle_clean.png/120px-Hammer_sickle_clean.png)
are like Tom & Jerry - very funny but absolutely incompatible ;)
p.s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_and_sickle
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@Randy,
IMPERIAL (especially in connection with Fabergé eggs) and this
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Hammer_sickle_clean.png/120px-Hammer_sickle_clean.png)
are like Tom & Jerry - very funny but absolutely incompatible ;)
p.s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_and_sickle
I'm looking at it this way: the Hammer and Sickle emblem was started during the Russian Revolution. The same revolution that stopped production of the Imperial Eggs dead in their tracks. Without the Russian Revolution of the early 1900's who knows if the Imperial Eggs would have the allure they have today. Another connection is the fact that Stalin sold a lot of Imperial Eggs, that were stored at the Kremlin, to help fund the government.
I'm not trying to make a political deck, at all, but I think the Hammer and Sickle is a large part of the country's history and should be used in a deck like this.
Thanks, Randy
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Here's the finished King of Diamonds!
I call this one the "Dragon Egg". It's inspired heavily by one of my favorite book / tv series - Game of Thrones.
thanks, Randy
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Here's the finished King of Diamonds!
I call this one the "Dragon Egg". It's inspired heavily by one of my favorite book / tv series - Game of Thrones.
thanks, Randy
I love the look, but Randy - It reminds me of an artichoke!
Aren't reptilian/aquatic scales more rounded at the edge? Yours come to a point.
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I love the look, but Randy - It reminds me of an artichoke!
Aren't reptilian/aquatic scales more rounded at the edge? Yours come to a point.
Don, I hate artichokes so that would've never crossed my mind.
The tips do have slightly rounded corners. They definitely don't come to a sharp point.
Here's a photo of the Dragon Eggs I used as reference.
Thanks, Randy
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I love the look, but Randy - It reminds me of an artichoke!
Aren't reptilian/aquatic scales more rounded at the edge? Yours come to a point.
Don, I hate artichokes so that would've never crossed my mind.
The tips do have slightly rounded corners. They definitely don't come to a sharp point.
Here's a photo of the Dragon Eggs I used as reference.
Thanks, Randy
I think I see what's reinforcing that image in my head - the "flip-top" of the egg is so tiny. Not that I'm an expert (I'm most certainly not), but the few images I remember seeing of Faberge eggs had larger caps, to conceal and reveal a miniature creation that was almost half as long as the egg itself.
[pause:checkWikipedia][/pause]
OK, so now I know that there's a huge variety of Faberge eggs. Interesting note: there were 65 eggs in total, but exactly 52 were "Imperial Eggs", sold to the Tsar of Russia to give as a gift to either his wife (in the case of Alexander III) or his mother (in the case of Alexander's son, Nicholas II) - the recipient in both cases being Tsarina/Empress/Dowager Empress Maria Federovna. And they come in a freakish variety of types! Some were clocks, some held jewelry, some had miniature portraits - there was even one with a silver mechanical elephant-and-rider toy that was wound with a gold key! The remaining 13 eggs were sold to wealthy industrialists. 52 Imperial Eggs, 52 cards... :))
So I guess an egg like this one wouldn't exactly be out of the ordinary for a Faberge egg.
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Yeah, the wide range of variety with the Imperial Eggs and other pieces from the House of Fabergé is what drew me to this theme in the first place. It dawned on me that the possibilities for new Eggs could be almost endless.
At the Fabergé exhibit we saw, I think, 6 Imperial Eggs in person. There were also a couple hundred smaller pieces as well - lots of picture frames, animals, miniature Egg pendants and even a couple full Chess sets. The 4 Eggs I liked the most were the 4 in the image below. The Red Cross Eggs had a really cool shimmer to them that gave the white enamel a cyan tint that was mesmerizing! The Copper / Bronze Egg was so much more impressive in person. The lighting on it really brought out the shine are reflectiveness.
I came across a cool brand over the weekend while browsing around - Imperial Collection Vodka and Imperial Gold Vodka. I'll definitely have to find some bottles of these to add to my bar. It's like a perfect blend with what I work on during the day (liquor ads and displays) and at night (Imperial Deck)! The Egg-shaped pieces that contain the Decaunter and Shot Glasses are way too pricey though.
http://luxatic.com/ladoga-imperial-collection-vodka-in-faberge-style-eggs/
thanks, Randy
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Here's the next finished court card - the Queen of Clubs! This one will probably be the simplest of all the court eggs.
thanks, Randy
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Here's the next finished court card - the Queen of Clubs! This one will probably be the simplest of all the court eggs.
thanks, Randy
Something's been throwing me off when I look at the courts and I think I've finally figured it out - why do the indices and the eggs employ somewhat different-looking typefaces? Would it be possible to match them?
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Something's been throwing me off when I look at the courts and I think I've finally figured it out - why do the indices and the eggs employ somewhat different-looking typefaces? Would it be possible to match them?
Yeah, at the beginning I went through a lot of my loaded fonts and even looked through the giant typeface book I have. There wasn't any font that I thought looked good in both instances. The font I ended up with on the Eggs looks great with the Gold effect and inside the narrow oval frames, but looked out-of-place in the corners. Vice versa for the corner font as well. The corner font didn't look good inside the oval frames at all. It's much too horizontal and decreasing the font's horizontal percentage just made it look like something someone threw into Powerpoint and stretched all willy nilly.
Thanks, Randy
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Something's been throwing me off when I look at the courts and I think I've finally figured it out - why do the indices and the eggs employ somewhat different-looking typefaces? Would it be possible to match them?
Yeah, at the beginning I went through a lot of my loaded fonts and even looked through the giant typeface book I have. There wasn't any font that I thought looked good in both instances. The font I ended up with on the Eggs looks great with the Gold effect and inside the narrow oval frames, but looked out-of-place in the corners. Vice versa for the corner font as well. The corner font didn't look good inside the oval frames at all. It's much too horizontal and decreasing the font's horizontal percentage just made it look like something someone threw into Powerpoint and stretched all willy nilly.
Thanks, Randy
Then how about a different tack: instead of initializing the court eggs, why not use their icons - the crowns/headgear they wear? A king's crown is different from a queen's, and the jack's headgear looks more like head protection than a crown. Make stylized versions of them - you could even tweak them a bit so that each crown is slightly different from the others of the same rank. If the crowns look too much like each other, you can "rank" them by the metals used to make them: bronze for jacks, silver for queens, gold for kings (or something similar). If you wanted to really go nuts, you could even toss in the traditional flowers and weapons these courts carry in a traditional deck.
I think the use of icons would lend your deck a bit more familiarity and style than simply placing a monogram letter on the eggs.
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Don, using crowns, flowers or shields as icons in the oval frames is an idea I thought about at the beginning. I figured the Eggs were so far away from the usual court characters that I needed to go with the blunt Gold letters over the more subtle icons. The letters are added over the Renders in Photoshop, so I could easily swap them out with something different if I felt it was right. I'll mull it over and make a decision as I continue to work on the Eggs.
On that note - here's the Jack of Diamonds! The Jacks will be the Warrior/Soldier Eggs for each Suit.
thanks, Randy
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Don, using crowns, flowers or shields as icons in the oval frames is an idea I thought about at the beginning. I figured the Eggs were so far away from the usual court characters that I needed to go with the blunt Gold letters over the more subtle icons. The letters are added over the Renders in Photoshop, so I could easily swap them out with something different if I felt it was right. I'll mull it over and make a decision as I continue to work on the Eggs.
On that note - here's the Jack of Diamonds! The Jacks will be the Warrior/Soldier Eggs for each Suit.
thanks, Randy
Nice card.
I just went over a deck with USPC standard faces 'cause I had a hunch. Sure enough, every single rank has a nearly identical crown to it! One design for kings, one for queens (similar to kings but angled differently) and one for jacks (similar to kings but in a different color/pattern).
Even so, some might find that a little too obscure. If I were doing this and wanted to use icons, I'd use the "flat Staunton" king and queen chess icons for those suits, and the flat-topped crown that looks almost like protective headgear for the jacks. Either that, or perhaps a knight icon, since at one point that's what the jack was. But whatever icons you chose would matter less since you already have a clearly identifiable index for each card. You could practically use Monopoly token icons and it would still work! I just thought seeing it letter-labeled twice in two different typefaces gave me the feeling that something's not quite right with the design.
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Here's the finished Queen of Diamonds, and a look at the first set of Court Cards - the Diamonds!
thanks, Randy
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Here's the finished Queen of Diamonds, and a look at the first set of Court Cards - the Diamonds!
thanks, Randy
I really like how you tied the diamond courts (and presumably the other suits as well) together with matching "ribbons" (for lack of a better term for whatever that stuff is surrounding the eggs)!
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I really like how you tied the diamond courts (and presumably the other suits as well) together with matching "ribbons" (for lack of a better term for whatever that stuff is surrounding the eggs)!
Thanks Don!
Yep, each family of Court Cards will have their matching banners. The 3 Eggs for each suit will also share similar colors as well - Blues and Silvers for Clubs, Blacks and Golds for Spades, Reds and Golds for Hearts.
I've had a few people ask about the 2-Headed Eagle. The Russian 2-Headed Eagle will be prominent in the Ace of Hearts, similar to the Ace of Spade's Kremlin. All four Aces will have a unique Gold 'surprise' item within the large PIP.
Thanks, Randy
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wow these look great!!
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Thanks nbrock!
Here's the newest finished card - the Ace of Diamonds.
I've also finished the Number Cards, which means a good look at all of the Diamonds Suit!
thanks, Randy
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These cards look amazing, really stunning artwork, I like the chain mail armor on the jack and the scale mail armor on the king. Really cool.
Plus the king looks like a dragons egg. Kudos.
And the faint diamond at the center of the ace jewel is a really nice touch
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Here's the next finished court card - the Queen of Clubs! This one will probably be the simplest of all the court eggs.
thanks, Randy
Something's been throwing me off when I look at the courts and I think I've finally figured it out - why do the indices and the eggs employ somewhat different-looking typefaces? Would it be possible to match them?
Ah, Thanks Don for posting this, I also felt that there was something not quite right with the courts. And, now, when I know it, I can't stop thinking about it! It's like that Falcon Crest thing. Remember Falcon Crest? Remember Maggie? Remember her constant sighing? You will now.
Anyway, I have an idea I would like you to try. Try changing the typeface in the eggs to a script font or an initial, maybe like one of these. http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=404 . Something that differs totally from the index typeface.
My teacher told me when I studied to be a book binder: Use as few typefaces as possible, and if you have to use more than one, make sure that they are very different.
Actually, I think that you really don't need that extra letter in the egg. it's not like the index letter is hard to see. Different crowns would work, or you could expand upon the cross in the ace idea. Use that same cross for the courts, or make them more and more ornate. And the other suits can use the other aces images.
One thing I was thinking about. To me the enamel button pips looks like they are concave rather than convex, if that makes any sense. I think it has to do with the light. Usually it comes from the top left, leaving the lower right fairly dark. With these buttons it seems to be coming from low right? Or at least there seem to be a fair amount of light coming from low right? and since people generally are used to have the light from top left when they see buttons, the effect is that it looks hollowed out or indented. Obviously, working with 3D stuff you already know this, so I assume that it is intentional. I like to know what the thoughts behind that decision is?
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your back design is nice, but people bitch about thin boarders. you have to much white around your last boarder which is the cut boarder. i like your ornate design on diagonal corners; keep it. but may i suggest. the extra white in the middle and top and bottom be a 3d plateau starting grey to black. basically making a card within a card. why don't we kill the white cut boarder to begin with. white to grey maybe.
texasplayingcards.com
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your back design is nice, but people bitch about thin boarders. you have to much white around your last boarder which is the cut boarder. i like your ornate design on diagonal corners; keep it. but may i suggest. the extra white in the middle and top and bottom be a 3d plateau starting grey to black. basically making a card within a card. why don't we kill the white cut boarder to begin with. white to grey maybe.
texasplayingcards.com
Huh?
I can't personally see anything wrong with the back design. And what do you mean by "extra white"? It really doesn't need to be futzed with. As for people bitching about thin borders, I hear more bitching about decks NOT having thin borders. They're perfect for cardistry.
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I think the edge sprout is referring to is the non-corner area of the back border. I assure you rip that even those areas are closer to the trim edge than most back designs. The corners on the border are just extremely close to the trim edge!
Leif, I'm a little offended by your comments. It's been 18 years since I earned a BFA in Graphic Design and I've been working with great clients regularly since. If I didn't know how to effectively use and manipulate typography I would no longer be in the field, I would be one of the plethera of Craigslist "Designers" who can't find work. Of course I tried using Script fonts or decorative Initial fonts inside the plaques. Script fonts look horrible inside the oval shape and the Initial fonts look great but are very unreadable at first glance. With such an unconventional court character like an Egg, I need the font to be easily readable. The font I use is very readable and at first glance passes off as similar in nature to the corner fonts.
Since Don was so persistent about replacing the Gold letter with a symbol I went back in and tried a few alternative crowns and flowers with a similar look and silhouette to what I would draw.The Gold letters were the strongest looks, by far! One of my goals with the courts is to force the eye to the top right Egg. The Gold letters do this very well. With a Gold crown, flower or even Pip inside the plaque it tends to blend in with the rest of the Egg's design. The eye doesn't have a spot to focus in on and wanders, thus making it hard to tell whether it's a King, Queen or Jack.
As far as the Pips, they were actually modeled, lit and rendered in 3d in a similar scene as the Eggs. The models are convex and the light source is in the top left. The bottom areas are lighter because of a reflection map, similar to what would happen with a shiny chrome surface.
Slacker - thanks! Yep, I'm a big Game of Thrones fan so I had to do one Egg that looked like a Dragon Egg. I haven't started with any of the Red Eggs yet but they will be lightly inspired by the Lannister's armour and have the Russian two-headed Eagle as there crest.
Thanks, Randy
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First of all I commend you for subjecting your self to the community's scrutiny during your development process. Especially as harsh as we can be at times with our own personal views. With that aside, I love your work. Very different but easy to fall in love with. I think this deck is far better than your last and I just love the back design.
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Thanks Robert,
Yes. Posting designs as in progress definitely has its share of Pros and Cons! The biggest Pro is it builds up hype for the deck as it's being created. The biggest Con is the guise of the Internet allows people to become disrespectful or demanding with their feedback.
After the Imperial Deck I may rethink posting in-progress designs to the forums. I like how Lance teased everyone with his sweet new Fairies/Absinthe Back Design.
On that note, here's another finished court - the "Warrior Egg" Jack of Clubs. Or as I was calling him last week, "Jack the Riveter"!
Thanks, Randy
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Looking good! Nice choice of colours :)
The diamond of the ace jewel is a great addition. Really great artwork overall.
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Leif, I'm a little offended by your comments. It's been 18 years since I earned a BFA in Graphic Design and I've been working with great clients regularly since. If I didn't know how to effectively use and manipulate typography I would no longer be in the field, I would be one of the plethera of Craigslist "Designers" who can't find work. Of course I tried using Script fonts or decorative Initial fonts inside the plaques. Script fonts look horrible inside the oval shape and the Initial fonts look great but are very unreadable at first glance. With such an unconventional court character like an Egg, I need the font to be easily readable. The font I use is very readable and at first glance passes off as similar in nature to the corner fonts.
Since Don was so persistent about replacing the Gold letter with a symbol I went back in and tried a few alternative crowns and flowers with a similar look and silhouette to what I would draw.The Gold letters were the strongest looks, by far! One of my goals with the courts is to force the eye to the top right Egg. The Gold letters do this very well. With a Gold crown, flower or even Pip inside the plaque it tends to blend in with the rest of the Egg's design. The eye doesn't have a spot to focus in on and wanders, thus making it hard to tell whether it's a King, Queen or Jack.
As far as the Pips, they were actually modeled, lit and rendered in 3d in a similar scene as the Eggs. The models are convex and the light source is in the top left. The bottom areas are lighter because of a reflection map, similar to what would happen with a shiny chrome surface.
Randy, I'm sorry that I offended you with my comments, I was only trying to help you. It was not my intention to offend you at all, far from it. Maybe it sounded offending to you because I'm not native English speaking. Sometimes the meaning of words in a foreign language doesn't mean exactly what one think they mean. I will carefully reread my comments next time to make sure that I don't offend you or anyone else again.
Again, I am sorry I offended you.
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i like your theme randy. jacks having armor. queen having flowers. the kings "well, being Royal" I really like the queen of diamonds. can i suggest the queen of spades having a black lotus with maybe a touch of blue to go with the clubs.
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For a follow-up deck, you could always do Ukranian pysanky.
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For a follow-up deck, you could always do Ukranian pysanky.
First, Soliloquy, welcome to the Discourse. When you have a chance, you should create a topic in the "Introduce Yourself" board!
Second, please educate us about Ukranian pysanky. I can simply ask my wife - she was born there - but I doubt most of the rest of the gang here has that option... :))
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For a follow-up deck, you could always do Ukranian pysanky.
First, Soliloquy, welcome to the Discourse. When you have a chance, you should create a topic in the "Introduce Yourself" board!
Second, please educate us about Ukranian pysanky. I can simply ask my wife - she was born there - but I doubt most of the rest of the gang here has that option... :))
I had not heard of it either. Google images has all kinds of of sweet looking examples! If I ever did a follow up that would be a cool way to go. I think I would need to do a few more normal decks I between though. These things take a ton of work!
I've put about 3 hours of modeling time into the next egg, King of Clubs, and it's still a while before it's ready to do my different Renders needed for compositing.
@Leif - sorry about my rant! It was a very long day when I posted it and I was catching comments from the Imperial and UC Decks simaltaneously. I wrongly ended up taking it out on you.
Thanks, Randy
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Will do, Don. Pysanky are elaborate traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated using melted beeswax in a resist technique. You apply the wax to areas of color you want to preserve, then dye the egg in progressively darker shades.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Pysanky2011.JPG/640px-Pysanky2011.JPG)
More information on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanka).
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Will do, Don. Pysanky are elaborate traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated using melted beeswax in a resist technique. You apply the wax to areas of color you want to preserve, then dye the egg in progressively darker shades.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Pysanky2011.JPG/640px-Pysanky2011.JPG)
More information on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanka).
Besides looking very cool, the interesting thing about the Pysanky Eggs are that the details all come from the graphics. With the Imperial Eggs all of the details are created physically in the 3d Model. With the Pysanky Eggs the egg models would all be the same smooth shape. The details would all come from the Photoshop texture maps I would create. I'll definitely study up on these more in a few months!
Thanks, Randy
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Randy, I look forward to seeing the results. I imagine the tuck box of a pysanky deck will be particularly attractive. If you bring it to the point where it's produced I'm going to ask for a free deck ;)
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Randy, I look forward to seeing the results. I imagine the tuck box of a pysanky deck will be particularly attractive. If you bring it to the point where it's produced I'm going to ask for a free deck ;)
Soliloquy, if a Pysanky Deck ever comes to fruition I will surely be sending some freebie Decks your way! It probably wouldn't be until next year, at least, though. I have new design in line after the Imperial Deck, that will probably be my summer project.
The King of Clubs will be finished up in a few days.
Thanks, Randy
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Alright, here's the finished Mosaic King of Clubs.
I've attached a closeup this time as well.
thanks, Randy
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In the midst of yesterday's flame wars, here's a quick image I put together for today's holiday. I figured it would be a fun thing since the Imperial Eggs were always given to the Tsars on Easter.
Thanks, Randy
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In the midst of yesterday's flame wars, here's a quick image I put together for today's holiday. I figured it would be a fun thing since the Imperial Eggs were always given to the Tsars on Easter.
Thanks, Randy
Awww, how purty! :)) Happy Easter!
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Just finished up the Ace of Clubs!
Tomorrow I'll setup and post a layout of all the Clubs together.
thanks, Randy
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Just finished up the Ace of Clubs!
Tomorrow I'll setup and post a layout of all the Clubs together.
thanks, Randy
I like that one - if it was a real-life "prize" in a Faberge-style egg, it would be exceptionally delicate.
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Thanks Don!
Here's a look at all of the Clubs.
thanks, Randy
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Here's the finished Ace of Hearts and an image of all 4 Aces together.
thanks, Randy
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Here's some more updates on the Imperial Deck. Finished up the Jack of Hearts and the last Queen - the Queen of Hearts.
Just 3 more Court Cards to go!
thanks, Randy
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Finished up the King of Hearts.
No comments in a while. Did I scare everyone away with the back-and-forth with Lief?
thanks, Randy
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Finished up the King of Hearts.
No comments in a while. Did I scare everyone away with the back-and-forth with Lief?
thanks, Randy
I doubt that. It's just been a little busy in the deck world lately.
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I was never 100% satisfied with the original Egg for the Back Card.
It was the first one, and I changed up a lot of the way I built them when I created the Queen of Spades (Egg #2).
Here's a look at the Back Card with a brand new Red Egg.
thanks, Randy
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I was never 100% satisfied with the original Egg for the Back Card.
It was the first one, and I changed up a lot of the way I built them when I created the Queen of Spades (Egg #2).
Here's a look at the Back Card with a brand new Red Egg.
thanks, Randy
A modification of the Jack of Hearts - looks good!
Are you planning to create a differently-colored back for a second deck? It practically begs to be done... :))
Interesting thought - you could conceal a marking system in those "strands" emanating from the center...
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A modification of the Jack of Hearts - looks good!
Are you planning to create a differently-colored back for a second deck? It practically begs to be done... :))
Interesting thought - you could conceal a marking system in those "strands" emanating from the center...
Thanks Don!
Yep, I wanted the Back Egg to tie in with the Hearts. I went with a sort of mix of the Jack and King of Hearts' Eggs.
Just one Back color for this one. I don't want to be known as a designer who always does color variations and sets! Plus, it gets expensive with the custom Boxes. I really like Soliloquy's idea of doing a sequel Deck of Psyanky Eggs. That would be a great pairing with the Imperial Deck! I wouldn't start on it until sometime in 2014 though.
I don't have much experience with Marked Decks. I realized the possibility when I was fine-tuning the Gold notches in the borders. I'm not sure if I'll actually go through with it or not.
Thanks, Randy
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A modification of the Jack of Hearts - looks good!
Are you planning to create a differently-colored back for a second deck? It practically begs to be done... :))
Interesting thought - you could conceal a marking system in those "strands" emanating from the center...
Thanks Don!
Yep, I wanted the Back Egg to tie in with the Hearts. I went with a sort of mix of the Jack and King of Hearts' Eggs.
Just one Back color for this one. I don't want to be known as a designer who always does color variations and sets! Plus, it gets expensive with the custom Boxes. I really like Soliloquy's idea of doing a sequel Deck of Psyanky Eggs. That would be a great pairing with the Imperial Deck! I wouldn't start on it until sometime in 2014 though.
I don't have much experience with Marked Decks. I realized the possibility when I was fine-tuning the Gold notches in the borders. I'm not sure if I'll actually go through with it or not.
Thanks, Randy
The pysanky deck is a great idea.
If you want help with devising a good marking system, let me know. Even if you don't go for fully marked, you should at least consider a subtle one-way mark - I mean REALLY subtle, like many of the early E decks had. Practically every deck they've made has a one-way mark on it!
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Got any first concept of the Jokers? Your close to getting done. I think earlier y"all (texas) mentioned the Joker would be open at the top.
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Yep, I have a plan for the Jokers. They'll be Green / Purple, one will be closed and one will be open. I'll tackle them once I get the last two courts finished up - the Jack and King of Spades.
No work will be done this coming week though. My wife and I arrived in New York yesterday afternoon for vacation. Today we went to the Met and saw 3 Imperial Eggs and a few other Faberge pieces! After spending the day at the museum and seeing the sights we had to take a little time off though - and catch Iron Man 3 in Times Square. Loved it!
Thanks, Randy
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Yep, I have a plan for the Jokers. They'll be Green / Purple, one will be closed and one will be open. I'll tackle them once I get the last two courts finished up - the Jack and King of Spades.
No work will be done this coming week though. My wife and I arrived in New York yesterday afternoon for vacation. Today we went to the Met and saw 3 Imperial Eggs and a few other Faberge pieces! After spending the day at the museum and seeing the sights we had to take a little time off though - and catch Iron Man 3 in Times Square. Loved it!
Thanks, Randy
How long are you here for? I'm on vacation until Friday at 11pm.
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Randy - Sound good with the Joker being different on each reversible side. I think that is the current trend.
Pretty cool your actually checking out imperial eggs for research.
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Had a great time in New York. We definitely did more Playing Card related activities than anticipated. Ended up having lunch and visiting Tannen's Magic Store with Don Boyer and his very nice wife. Plus, we also got to visit the Conjuring Arts Research Center and have lunch with Bill Kalush (thanks to Don!). It was a great trip!!
Now that we're back I want to go full steam ahead to get the Imperial Deck ready for print. Here's a Flat and Render of the finished Imperial Tuck Box! Gold Foil on the Inside - much like an Imperial Egg's interior.
thanks, Randy
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Had a great time in New York. We definitely did more Playing Card related activities than anticipated. Ended up having lunch and visiting Tannen's Magic Store with Don Boyer and his very nice wife. Plus, we also got to visit the Conjuring Arts Research Center and have lunch with Bill Kalush (thanks to Don!). It was a great trip!!
I'm just glad that worked out - I can only imagine the conversation you had with Bill! Good times... Sorry I couldn't be there, but I did promise Anna to be somewhere else at the time. I'm pleased that you and your wife enjoyed the trip - feel free to look me up next time you're in the area.
The Imperial deck is REALLY coming together. Is that a release date I smell? It's getting stronger... :))
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Thanks Don! So far the cards are turning out even better than I envisioned at the beginning. I'm very happy with how they're coming along!
Here's the finished card for the Jack of Spades. Some of you may notice a little nod to the ORNATES in this one.
Just 1 more Court, the Jokers and Gaffs and this puppy will be ready to go!
thanks, Randy
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Just finished up the last of the Court Cards! All that's left are the Jokers and Gaffs.
Here's a look at the final Spades and a closeup of the King of Spades Egg.
I also did some revisions to the Jack of Spades since last posting here.
thanks, Randy
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Hey Everyone,
Scott Carey from Tuck Case posted an interview with myself if anyone's interested. It goes into why I got started with card design, my background and a little about my family.
http://tuckcase.com/2013/06/05/exclusive-interview-with-randy-butterfield-of-midnight-card-company/
thanks, Randy
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Great interview, Randy.
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Thanks Don!
Here's the finished Gaff Card and Midnight Ad Card.
The Gaff Card is a nod to the very first Imperial Egg, the Hen Egg. The idea for the Ad Card was to make it appear to be an extra court card.
thanks, Randy
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The back of this deck (and the rest as far as that goes) has just got great style to it. This deck will be one of the few non Bicycle branded decks in my collection.
Not much more I can say other than Great Job.
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Thanks Don!
Here's the finished Gaff Card and Midnight Ad Card.
The Gaff Card is a nod to the very first Imperial Egg, the Hen Egg. The idea for the Ad Card was to make it appear to be an extra court card.
thanks, Randy
If you give the ad card the same backing as the rest of the deck, it could be used as a fine substitute card in the event one is lost or damaged.