Skautské karty / Scout’s cards.
Client: Skaut CZ Year: 2021/22
Art direction: Jan Dočekal
Concept & fact checking: Anastasia Čepelova
Illustration: Sasha Chagina
Photos: Jonathan Curry
Context
Junák - český skaut is a Czech branch of Scout organisation. They have their own publishing house that produces merch & educational publications for the organisation.
The deck of playing cards is featuring scout role models, values and traditions. Apart from being a board game it also fulfils educational purpose.
Task:
Develop illustration style for the project.
Illustrate a deck of playing cards (32+1)
Close work with references from outfits to portraits of real existing people and accuracy in portraying of scout symbols and traditions
Each suit represents a different season
Each suit also represents different age group of scouts which should be apparent in illustrations
Spring
In original German version of these playing cards there are 4 suits: bells, hearts, leaves, acorns.
Bells were replaced with leaf buds as every suit of this deck is associated with a different season. Buds are for spring.
This suit also portrays the youngest of scouts, children 8-10 years old.
Sketch to Final
Summer
The “hearts” suit portrays children 12-15 years old & summer season.
Sketch to Final
Autumn
The “leaves” suit portrays 15-21 years olds & autumn season.
Sketch to Final
Winter
The “acorns” suit portrays adults in scout organisation & winter season.
Sketch to Final
Aces
The “king” cards portray influential people in Scout organisation history.
Particular attention was paid to equal representation of male and female characters all the way through the deck hence female kings.
Besides the "kings" cards reference/portray another 11 real living people - who have been a part of the Czech Scouts organisation at the present or in the past.
Olave Baden-Powell
Originally Scout organisation was accepting boys only. Olave helped girls in by organising Girl Guides - branch of the Scout organisation for girls.
Photo source: Wikipedia
Robert Baden-Powell
The founder of the Scout organisation in UK and a husband to Olave Baden-Powell.
Photo source: Wikipedia
Vlasta Koseová
The founder of Czech Girl Scouting.
Photo source: Wikipedia
Antonín Benjamin Svojsík
The founder of the Czechoslovak (at a time) Scouting organisation Junák.
Photo source: Wikipedia
“Besides the “kings” cards reference/portray another 11 real living people - who have been a part of the Czech Scouts organisation at the present or in the past.”