As part of a free project initiative, I decided to create a tarot poster. I chose the subject of Tarot as I have always found the images seen on the cards to be so visually interesting and fun. 

I also wanted to use this free project as a way to challenge myself. Throughout my experience as a graphic designer, I have always gravitated towards Illustrator and found it to be the software I had the most ease with. Instead, I wanted to push myself and use Photoshop.

When reading about Tarot, I was greatly inspired by rocks and crystals, specifically geodes. Just like the many layers found within a geode, so do the readings in Tarot have multiple layers and levels of meaning. I thought using geode imagery would be an interesting way of presenting the cards. I specifically chose to create the Moon card as the crystals found at the center of the geode reminded me of the night sky. 

I created the outside layers and moon using Illustrator and played around with texture. With Photoshop, I attempted to create the center so that it would resemble a night sky. I made a galaxy-like image but decided to go a different route and make the center resemble more of a crystal.

Still using Photoshop, I finally came up with an image that looked more realistic, using colours that still capture the essence of the night sky filled with stars. I custom brushes, different effects and, surprise surprise... a lot of layers! 

I still found the moon looked really flat against this textured sky and I wanted to incorporate it more.

So my final product... I made the moon using the same techniques I did for the crystal-like center and I added more texture to the outside layers.