So, if I referred you here, or a tarot enthusiast did, you might know me as the creator of The Stolen Child Tarot -- a 24 card major arcana tarot deck inspired by the Yeat's poem of the same name.
It began life in 2012 on Kickstarter allowing for creation of an artist-made edition run of 500. This was totally a hands-on labor of love! Each chapbook deck was signed, numbered and packaged by me in hand cut and folded art papers resembling wood grain or green leaf material, tied with hemp cord.
The positive response to the deck in theme and content was HUGE -- requests for me to complete it with the Minor Arcana have been coming in ever since!
And I would LOVE to! But I need the resources to devote myself to the large volume of work to produce the remaining illustrations. While Kickstarter is a great option if you've completed the artwork and are looking for help with printing, I don't feel it's the best option for the long term task of helping me get the artwork done.
It's a big job! There are about 50 images needed, plus, if I'm doing this, I want to do it right with a detailed guidebook to go with it. I want the final 78 card deck to be just as fantastic and special as the limited Major Arcana deck.
Enter Patreon! You support the project by making a pledge per card I complete. It can be as little as a dollar per card and it is only collected if and when each card is completed and posted. Also, you can set a cap per month so it's never more than you budget for. And if your world changes, you can stop being a pledge supporter at any time.
As a Patreon supporter, you'll be privy to my process blog with work-in-progress snaps, first looks at pencils and color tests and any other fun behind the scenes stuff I come up with! If you supported the Major Arcana creation, it'll be a lot like the updates I posted on Kickstarter! When you become a Patreon patron, two magical tabs will appear on this page: 'Creations', where images of the completed new cards will go and 'Activity' where pencils, work in progress and bits and bobs will go (hopefully no cat videos, but I make no promises.)
What is Patreon?
Patreon lets you be a Patron of the Arts and support creators you want to see work from - to help the artist eat, sleep and live, while the work is being done. In exchange, patrons get a look behind the scenes, images of work in progress and communication with the artist in process, as well as exclusive access to the final content. Most Patreon pledgers give as little as $1-2 a month to keep a project going.
What about printed decks?
There are two BIG steps to finishing The Stolen Child Tarot:
1) Completing the artwork
2) Funding a printed deck and book
My Patreon campaign is devoted to getting that first step, completing the artwork out of the way. It does not cover printing or shipping decks. But without completing the art, there won't be a printed deck!
When the full deck and book are finished I will run a Kickstarter for production funds to print physical copies, but that is a separate project. With that campaign, there will be a reward level to thank Patreon supporters. Possibly it could include a deck at cost, or a special edition deck or art print - it's too soon to say. My focus right now is 100% on completing the art.
If all this is new to you, you may be wondering just who am I anyway... I'm an illustrator that loves symbols, folklore and literature.
I have a portfolio site here:
www.monicalknighton.com
And I sell some work here.
I've also done a lot of creative things with Kickstarter and I feel it's vital to my reputation as an artist to create responsibly researched and budgeted projects where I can deliver on my promises in a timely manner.
Check out my projects and track record here!
And below are all the cool pledge levels! Which one to choose? Remember, you are pledging per card I complete. Some months I've done none, and some months I've done as many as FOUR. Also keep in mind you are welcome to cap your pledge so what you give per month is never more than you expect! :)