The Tower (16)

Hello friends! Welcome to another day, and another release. Can I keep up this pace? 78 Cards straight? We're gonna find out! Today is all about The Tower. Featuring Serenity and Dakota!

Tarot Cards cover a range of situations and scenarios, and not all of them are uplifting! Just as the the Devil and Death are some of the darker cards, our lovely Tower is known for upheaval, chaos, and sudden change.

Certainly another topic I can relate to, as can many of you.

In the Rider Waite version, people are leaping from the Tower. Fire erupting from the windows, while lightning strikes the sky. It's a pretty chaotic card, but it can also mean an awakening. And if you draw the card reverse, that awakening is more about your personal transformation. 

Have you been experiencing your own transformation this year?

This was Dakota and Serenity's first body painting together, and they were excited about the opportunity.

I channeled my love of stripes and thick lines for this painting.

And kept it pretty monochromatic, minus hints of red and green. A rarity for me, but interesting to observe in my art!

I also painted the little Tower, which was partially put together from components from Michaels. 

This is another card transformation! I decided that I liked the pose, but I needed to pull back on the special fx. I loved the colors, and the vibe, but it was too... Thanos Snap with the light disintegration. 

For the final card, I started completely over with the same image.

I kept the flames small and tight, added more realistic smoke, and the signature star paint (Kyle's Splatter Stars Brush add-on in Photoshop). I also got rid of the glowing eyes/blacked out eyes. Dakota and Serenity are now suddenly more expressive (and very concerned about the building being on fire)! 

What did you think of the evolution? I had a great time working with both, and Serenity designed the Scythe for the Death Card! Using a Plasma Cutter, Metal, Plywood, and a lot of cleverness. 

Full circle, right? I'm posting this in the morning because I'm working on getting ahead so I can take a tiny break! I'll schedule it for 9am though, so you don't think I'm still awake. ;-)

Love Ya!
Brandon