Tarot: Major Arcana

For my Stephens College Communication Design capstone, I chose to screenprint the Major Arcana on black paper with gold ink to highlight the power and mystique embedded in tarot’s symbolism. The stark contrast of gold on black allowed each card to feel both ancient and contemporary. This choice emphasized themes of transformation, intuition, and identity that align with my own creative journey, making the process as intentional and reflective as the imagery itself.

Capstone Project Timeline:

Ideation Process

Began with exploring the emotional weight and symbolism of the Major Arcana, pulling out themes of transformation, choice, and self-reflection that aligned with my capstone goals. I sketched, researched, and built a visual language that felt both personal and universal, grounding the project in intentional storytelling.

Digital Creation

Each card was digitally illustrated in Photoshop, where I refined line work, balanced composition, and prepared the imagery specifically for screenprinting. This stage blended design precision with technical planning—separating layers, cleaning details, and shaping the aesthetic that would translate into bold gold-on-black prints.

Screenprint

The screenprinting phase brought the work to life physically. Pulling gold ink across black stock created a striking, tactile depth that digital tools can’t replicate. The manual process—coating screens, exposing designs, and printing each card by hand—added a ritualistic quality that echoed the tarot’s own sense of craft and intention.

Reception

I designed the reception to be immersive and interactive. Guests could explore the full printed Major Arcana, flip and color with the tarot coloring book, and engage with a “Pick Your Fortune” wall that invited them to draw a message from an envelope. The goal was to transform the space into a participatory experience—one where visitors weren’t just viewing the work, but actively connecting with it.

Mockups.

Major Arcana Gallery:

These digital files represent the finalized artwork prepared specifically for screenprinting. Each one was formatted, cleaned, and optimized to transfer clearly onto screens, serving as the precise templates that brought the gold-on-black Major Arcana prints to life.