Playing-Card Designers & Illustrators

About Karl Alexander Gerich, 23rd April 1956 — 4th January 2016

Walter Elias Disney was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur.

Peter Wood is a UK-based artist and designer known for his creative playing card designs, including the 'Hidden Mickeys' series and 'Teddy Bear' cards.

James Hodges (1928–2019) was an illustrator born in England who grew up and worked primarily in France. From the 1960s onward he produced a substantial body of artwork for French advertising, institutional, and promotional playing cards, alongside extensive work for magic publications, theatre, and commercial illustration. His playing card designs, commissioned by insurers, publishers, retailers and regional authorities, reflect a distinctly post-war French graphic sensibility applied to the traditional card format.

Jackson Robinson is an American illustrator and playing-card designer, and the founder of Kings Wild Project. In 2012, while working as a professional illustrator and animator in Los Angeles, Robinson created a gas-mask-wearing king of hearts for a client project; this image later became the visual foundation of Kings Wild.

After early crowdfunding success with illustrated apparel on Kickstarter, Robinson turned to playing cards in 2013 with Federal 52, his first deck design. The project exceeded its funding goal and led Robinson to commit full-time to Kings Wild Project. Since then, he has designed several hundred decks, many released through Kickstarter, alongside subscription-based and direct-to-consumer publishing models. His work spans standard editions, limited runs, and experimental designs, with much of his design process publicly documented through livestreams and video.

Owen Jones (1809-1874) was a Welsh architect and designer whose ornamental work helped define De La Rue's playing-card backs.

In 1788, Etteilla published the first tarot deck specifically for divination, distinct from the traditional Tarot de Marseille, evolving through three versions up to 1867, alongside monographs detailing his cartomantic techniques and interpretations based on the Egyptian Book of Thoth.

Willy Mayrl (1915–1997) was an Austrian illustrator and playing-card designer associated with Ferd. Piatnik & Söhne (Piatnik) in Vienna. His playing-card work spans family game packs such as Tops and Tails and Schwarzer Peter / Black Peter, as well as themed standard packs including Baby Dolls (1957) and France Royale Bridge (c.1970s), with his designs also reappearing in later editions.

Racey Helps was an English children's author and illustrator. He is best known for illustrating postcards, greeting cards, jigsaw puzzles, playing cards and wrapping paper. His playing cards featured woodland creatures and birds, with illustrations by the author.

Violeta Monreal website ►

What matters most to me about my work is childhood and those who watch over it. I want to be a small light that can illuminate you a little in your daily work.

Georgina Harvey is a British artist and designer who collaborated closely with Karl Gerich on various playing card projects, contributing to the rich tradition of small-scale artistic editions.

Jean Picart le Doux (1902–1982) was a French painter and tapestry artist, best known for his work in Aubusson tapestry. His card designs carry the same bold colour and angular forms as his tapestry work.

Giorgio Tavaglione was an Italian illustrator and graphic artist notable for merging various systems of correspondences: Hebrew letters, Sanskrit characters, zodiacal emblems, Tree of Life paths, angelic hierarchies, numerology, and occult alphabets all coexist in his densely layered compositions, suggesting a symbolic ascent toward higher consciousness.

The Rider Waite Tarot was created at the beginning of the 20th century by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith.

Caroline Kent is a Norfolk-based designer and educator who creates handmade playing cards, such as the 'Grace Cards' series, often utilizing desktop publishing and inkjet printing techniques.

Frank Mulligan is a San Diego-based photographer and designer who combined his love for spicy foods with his professional skills to create the 'Hot Sauce Playing Cards' collector's series.

Karen Curran is an Australian artist and designer, creator of the 'Enchanted Journey' playing cards, which feature realistic paintings and photography of nature and wildlife.

Born in 1908, Raymond Peynet was a humorous cartoonist, book illustrator and theatre set designer from 1936. He published his first drawings in Le Journal, Le Rire, and The Boulevardier. As the creator of charming ‘lovers’ who moved people around the world, the fact that he was also a collector of automata adds further mystery to this philosopher, whose characters are tenderly disenchanted.

Professor Kuno Hock (1884-1955), Austria.

Shelley Fowles is a South African-born artist and illustrator based in the UK. Her work often features vibrant, folk-art inspired illustrations applied to playing cards and children's books.

A. Belliard was a Montmartre artist, possibly Adolphe Belliard, whose life spanned most of the 20th century.

German printmaker, etcher and mezzotinter; worked and died in Mannheim (1773-1847).

A Viennese painter and printmaker associated with Fantastic Realism.

Will Meddis is a British illustrator and designer who works under the name Billiam Babble. Through Inked Adventures, he creates hand-drawn accessories for tabletop role-playing games, including maps, encounters and playing-card packs.

Indonesian illustrator and graphic designer for merchandise and apparel items at Good Pals.

Emily Arkin is an artist and designer from Somerville, Massachusetts. She is known for her creative and whimsical playing card designs.

John Matthews is an English author, historian and folklorist specialising in Arthurian tradition, Celtic mythology, Grail studies and tarot. He has written more than 90 books and has devised or co-devised numerous tarot and oracle decks, including The Wildwood Tarot with Mark Ryan. He also works as a film and television adviser and teaches on mythic and spiritual traditions.

John Newman is a UK-based designer known for his 'Colour Cards' series, which explores vibrant and experimental uses of color within the traditional playing card format.

Laurence Cherniak is a photographer and artist whose playing card designs reflect his travels and 'mystical adventures,' particularly focusing on the wildlife and landscapes of Costa Rica.