Design Narrative

The Wilderness Playing Card deck is an elegant set of cards that combine aristocratic inspired attire with some of nature’s most majestic creatures. The color scheme of dark greens and accents gold lends a sense of sophistication and luxury to the design, while the illustrations of deer, wolves, owls, and hares evoke a sense of wildness and freedom.

The card backs feature a layered forest scene, with tall trees and dense foliage in shades of green and a borders of gold. Each suite features a different animal. The face Kings, Queens, and Jacks/Jills cards consist of deer, wolves, owls, and hares while the Jokers have fox tails. The traditional Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds are replaced with the corresponding footprint of each animal suit. Hooves belong to the deer, Claws to the wolves, Talons to the owls, and Paws to the hares. 

The court cards are designed with great attention to detail, with each animal appearing in a traditional side portrait position facing forward. Each animal is given the appearance of importance and leadership hierarchy as the main rulers of the forest. The wolf king, for example, stands proud and fierce, dressed like a military nobleman. The owl queen, on the other hand, appears very elegantly in her ruffles which mimic her feathers. The Jack and Jill cards are the “prince and princesses” of the King and Queen cards.

The Wilderness Playing Card deck is a perfect balance of elegance and wildness, capturing the essence of nature’s beauty and majesty. Its dark greens and gold tones lend a sense of sophistication to the design, while the illustrations of deer, wolves, owls, and hares capture the “tamed” forest.