This Incredible Artist Designed A Tarot Deck With Disney Princesses And The Art Is Amazing

The series is called "The Princess Tarot" and each design had a lot of thought and skill put into them.

Elana

• Published in Disney
• November 8, 2021

From the United States, Julian Rivera has been creating art for over a decade and almost everything we've seen from this talented but low-profile artist is visually stunning. Something particularly unique and awesome he's done is create a tarot deck inspired by and designed with some of his favorite Disney characters.

The first piece he created in the series was Snow White and he said she had been wanting to do this for awhile. His fans and followers have responded extremely well and as he explains both his character and design choices a long the way (with each and every entry) it's clear that no detail or potential detail was left unconsidered.

That sort of commitment to quality art is always something you have to appreciate and something that elevates some artists to a place you simply cannot ignore them. Even if you have no interest in tarot cards, magic, or the occult, you have to admit the attention to detail really is incredible.

Wikipedia says that tarot is "a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play games such as Italian tarocchini, French tarot and Austrian Königrufen, many of which are still played today." But also, tarot card reading is "a form of cartomancy whereby practitioners use tarot cards purportedly to gain insight into the past, present or future."

1. {The Princess Tarot} 'La Justice: Anna'

""The Justice" card represents a wrong being made right, or making sure you are accountable for your actions. Anna may seem like an odd choice for the card, but hear me out!

Anna really misses the relationship she had with her sister. She feels lopsided without the presence of her sister in her life. Her whole story is about re-instating balance in her life. Though immediately charging after her sister may seem like a decision that is too impulsive, she has a very clear vision of what she is trying to do and she uses her cleverness to help her in the situation.

Also, can't you just see Anna swinging from this rope and yelling "TIME FOR SOME COLD HARD JUSTICE" pretending to be Batman? Cause I can. I also really liked the imagery of Anna being on the rope as an analogue for the scales of justice. Enjoy!"

2. {The Princess Tarot} 'La Cheffesse: Pocahontas'

""The Hierophant" was another card that challenged me because of its traditional masculine interpretation. Also, the idea that the card was supposed to represent religion and "the one who teaches holy things", I found myself spinning in circles for a bit. Reading further, there was more information about how "The Hierophant" was the bridge between the spiritual and the physical worlds. If I took to thinking more in "spirit" terms than actual religion and seeing it as more symbolic for a leader of a people I felt that I could make a case for Pocahontas being the representative of the card.

Religion has a dogma, a set description of beliefs. Society has these ideas as well. Pocahontas lived in a society with its own rules and customs and when she meets John Smith and the English for the first time her beliefs are challenged. Her keen connection with nature and the "spirits of the earth" help her to realize that she must be the bridge between these two very different worlds and to find enough strength within herself to lead people away from conflict. Pocahontas never gave up on her convictions but she had enough spiritual insight to realize more important universal truths about justice. 

From a composition standpoint, I tried to mirror that idea of "The Hierophant" being the bridge between worlds. Pocahontas stands with her arm stretched towards the sky and her feet firmly on the ground. The hawk is representative of her connection to nature, specifically the sky (or spiritual). I wanted to make sure that the hawk and Pocahontas both called back to each other, so I made sure to use the same colors on each of them. I struggled with the wing pattern for a bit but I loved the way this geometric pattern came out and mildly recalls Native art. Lastly, "La Cheffense" (The Chieftainess) seemed a more fitting title for this princess and her card."

3. {The Princess Tarot} 'La Force: Merida'

""The Strength" card deals with discipline and control, something that Merida seems to lack. She is impulsive and brash, but she always follows her heart. For all of her skills, it's not until Merida confronts her fears and takes charge of her life that she shows her true strength.

The traditional composition of the card had a lion and a woman, symbolizing that with presence of mind anything was possible. It was also stressed that the woman look calm, and not struggling to overpower the lion. I replaced the lion with a bear (for obvious reasons haha) and Merida always seemed most at peace while she was with her bow so I drew her doing that. I wanted her hair to look at once like fire but also like knot work. I also really like how the colors in the background help her stand out."

4. {The Princess Tarot} 'L'empereur: Simba and Kiara'

"As I was planning these, I came to a pause at "The Emperor" card because the card itself is so masculine and so far my emphasis has been on the princesses. Going through the Disney catalogue, I landed on Simba and I remembered the love my sister and I shared for the movie "Lion King 2: Simba's Pride". It then hit me that Kiara is TOTALLY a Disney princess and that yes, this father and daughter pairing would be great on a card.

From a symbolic standpoint, This card is about the desire we have to "rule" or control our lives but how we must realize that there are forces outside of our control. Simba ran away from his responsibilities and tried to control his destiny but he realized (with a little help from a certain mystical sky lion) that sometimes we cannot fight fate and we must accept what we have been dealt. Similarly, he tries to exert control over Kiara but his over-protectiveness and desire to run her life is at odds with who his daughter is and he had to learn how her life was not his responsibility. 

From a creative standpoint, this card kind of kicked my butt for a little bit. At least in the set, it's the first time I've encountered non human figures and there are two of them! I tried a number of ways to render their fur, but I ended up really liking this limited approach. Also, Kiara and Simba are exactly the same color and from a composition stand point I struggled with separating the two but after layering some gradients and adjusting colors I think it works pretty well."

5. {The Princess Tarot} 'L'imperatrice: Ariel'

"This one is one of my favorites so far because it has my favorite Disney princess on it!

'The Empress' card has associations with Venus (both the goddess and the planet) and I wanted to get an indirect feel to iconic 'Birth of Venus' paintings but still have this look like a picture of Ariel. I got the body pose from the 'Birth of Venus' painting by Fritz Zuber-Buhler and I wanted Ariel's train to fan out in the shape of a scallop shell like the Boticelli painting. I also had to add a dingglehopper because reasons. 'The Empress' card also deals with 'The Mother', and since Ariel is our first princess to have a princess of her own she felt perfect for this."

6. {The Princess Tarot} 'La Sorcierer: Eilonwy'

"I wanted to make sure that I represented many of the Disney heroines that resembled traits in the cards, and not just the standard princesses. Eilonwy was chosen because she was the first princess I could remember that used magic in her own right, making her a perfect stand in for the traditional "Magician" card of the Tarot.

I also want to make sure that I incorporate elements from the original card into the pieces. The infinity symbol is important to the traditional "Magician" card. Instead of the Magician's wand I gave Eilonwy her magic ball because that was how she practiced her magic. Across the deck, I'm hoping to keep a similar grouping of colors and a unified palette so hopefully it works. "

7. {The Princess Tarot} 'L'amoureux: Belle and Beast'

""The Lovers" card was originally going to be a representation of all the princesses and their princes, but when I sat down to sketch it it seemed like it would not fit the feeling of the cards so far. I brainstormed with a couple of friends who would best represent "The Lovers". When I asked the manfriend, who is not a big fan of Disney by any means, who he thought would be the best representation without hesitation he said, "Beauty and the Beast. Their movie has both of them in the title and it is more about their relationship than any of the other movies are." Usually I don't listen but in this case he was right on. 

"The Lovers" is pretty self explanatory. It's about human attraction, relationships, bonding. In some traditions, the card itself brings out questions of choice and doubt in a relationship. I wanted the scene in the card to reflect the moment Belle and the Beast had in the movie where they both realized they had feelings for each other but they realized that there were other things in their lives that required their attention. 

Overall I'm really happy with the colors and the lighting in this. I also really love how the drop pleats in Belle's dress came out (I love me some big poofy skirts). Also, in tribute to the traditional depiction of the cards, I added the Enchantress to the card as the table to take place of the Angel. I feel like she's sort of watching over the whole process seeing that they both end up with their Happily Ever After. "

8. {The Princess Tarot} 'La Chercheur: Snow White'

"The Fool", which I've read symbolizes the beginning of a journey and also the trait of openness. I feel that Snow White has a very definite journey narrative for the heroine. Also, her trusting nature may get her into some trouble but she still approaches the world with an open heart and spirit. I don't consider her a fool, so that is why I've changed the name to "La Chercheur" or "The Seeker". "

9. {The Princess Tarot} 'Le Reclus: Elsa'

""The Hermit" card signifies the power of finding the strength in yourself. Sometimes, we need to withdraw from the world to do that. In seclusion, we can find that we are more capable and wonderful than we realize.

Elsa for me is perfect for this position in the Princess Tarot. Only when she is on the mountain by herself and coming to terms with her powers can she see how truly special and marvelous she is. She also represents the extremes that these choices can bring. In the film she literally builds walls around herself and shuts out those who are trying to help her. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be alone but it is important to not shut out those who care about you.

I wanted a very quiet feeling for the card, like the viewer was standing on the mountain with her. I also liked the idea that Elsa was continuing to build and adjust her surroundings. Her hair was probably the most challenging part because of how light it is but I also needed color and contrast to make her face stand out. I hope I found a good balance."

10. {The Princess Tarot} 'La Fortune: Cinderella'

""The Wheel of Fortune" card's interpretation can be as hard to pin down as fate itself. For the deck, I wanted to focus on the idea of how Fate can just whiplash through your life unexpectedly. One moment you're a princess, the next you're in rags.

I've always been a huge fan of Cinderella. It always struck me how she faced everything that was thrown at her head on and still retained her remarkable ability for kindness. "The Wheel of Fortune" also reminded me of clocks and time and how important they are in her story. My favorite part of this card was that there was the opportunity to create a separate composition for when the card is drawn in the reverse position (that scene where her pink dress was WRECKED in the movie struck too many of my emotions as a child...I have never really recovered). "

11. {The Princess Tarot} 'La Pretresse: Kidagakash'

"I went back and forth a bit as to who could represent the High Priestess in this deck but after reflecting that the card dealt with "otherworldliness" and "mystical vision", Kida seemed like a no brainer. Also, her connections to Atlantis and the history of her people make her an ideal candidate for this.

I think this was the first card that the restricted color palette started to get a little difficult since it is so dark but I am glad with the way it turned out. I just keep getting more excited as I churn more and more of these out!"

12. {The Princess Tarot} 'Le Chariot: Mulan'

""The Chariot" card can be interpreted as a battle outside of ourselves that we must find the willpower to overcome. I think Mulan fits this rather well since her battle was primarily against a society that only viewed her value in her marriage prospects instead of her traits and talents. The card also implies a victory, and the greater victory for Mulan was proving herself not just as a capable soldier but as a very daring and brave person. 

Composition wise, I did want to get that sense of victory in there so I looked a lot at portraits of people on horse back. When sketching, I initially thought of her in her armor but I thought it was important to portray her as Mulan and not "Ping", so I put her in her ending dress. Since Kahn is such a dark figure, I tried to find a color in the palette that would help him vibrate a little and I think the strong pink in the background helps him do that."

Honestly, you may or may not know much about tarot but you can certainly agree that Julian's art is amazing and the added insight he provided with each design really gives you a lot to think about as you ponder over the details. If you want to see more of Julian's art work, you can find him on DeviantArt.

Which tarot card design did you like the most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Elana