major arcana #16: The Tower

[egypturnash]

Almost completely different from my original rough. It's worth noting that both this and my first rough are influenced by the imagery of 9/11; this, I think, is more lyrical. It's also adding my own layering: are these three people falling the ones we saw before as the Lovers? Is the black figure Justice? Are the paired towers one tower split in two, is this another card with a subtle false dualism message?

My life has taught me that tragedy strikes out of a clear sky, not out of the black night of the traditional image for this card.

also, I seem to be switching away from posting these with no commentary.

Comments

[neogeen.livejournal.com]

I sorta sat here and looked and thought about it too long and teared up.

Gah, just, you outdo yourself. <3

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

The image of people flailing as they fell from the burning skyscrapers just... stays. I only saw it briefly; I didn't watch the repeated coverage that kept playing stuff like that. But some images just don't ever go. I don't dwell on it but I knew the card had to reference it.

The day before my mother and I fled the approach of Katrina was just gorgeous.

[coyoteseven.livejournal.com]

"Earthquake Weather"

[zeeth_kyrah]

When tragedy strikes during a clouded dark time, it can often be mistaken for just more of the darkness already there, rather than a new thing of itself. And sometimes it is anyway, even when skies are bright and life is shining.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

True.

I think part of my vision for this card is the unpredictability of it all. You don't know when it'll happen; you could be casually walking to work on a beautiful day when suddenly a car goes careening off of the interstate overpass and gets you.

Some tragedies reveal new possibilities. I wouldn't be living a happy life with my boyfriends if not for Katrina smashing into New Orleans and destroying most of my possessions. But that's all in how I recovered from that event.

[murrypurryfurry.livejournal.com]

And moreover, where is Spiderman?

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Are you sitting down? You're a big boy now, and I think it's time you were told.

There is no Spiderman.

Those webbed-up gifts you find on Spidermas morning are from your parents.

[circuit-four.livejournal.com]

Don't let Peggy scare you with her stories! Spiderman is real.

You get ONE. Everybody gets ONE.

[murrypurryfurry.livejournal.com]

Yaay I knew it!

I wonder.

[warlockd.livejournal.com]

Are you saving high quality copy's of these? You know, no compression, at 100 LPI?

Be interested in seeing a real deck out of this, enough for a commission:)

Re: I wonder.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, going to press is definitely in the future. I work in Illustrator so it's dead easy to just splurt 'em out to a 600 dpi TIFF if need be. Once I find a printer. Or a publisher.