Illustrating Escape: the Eight of Cups
The meaning of the Eight of Cups
This card is an eight, which indicates change. The eight of cups, specifically, is about escape or walking away from a situation. Maybe we have invested a lot of emotional energy in someone or something, and that investment has not been returned. We need to cut our [emotional] losses. In other words… this card is indicated in times when we need to “cut anchor” and leave that situation behind us. It’s a bummer.
My concept for this card is an anchor under the sea, surrounded by sunken treasure (golden cups). The anchor is tied to a thick rope. A pair of golden scissors cuts the rope.
👇 Scroll to the end of this post to see my full card design!
Eight of Cups tarot card examples
This card typically includes a person escaping into the night, leaving their cups behind them.
See footnotes for artist credits.
How I made this card
To illustrate my original concept for the seven of cups tarot card, I was intentional about creating layers that would allow me to include fine details. Since my sketch shows a chemistry lab with multiple glass beakers, flasks, and test tubes, I wanted my final illustration to be crisp and clear. This is not an easy task when using watercolor, a fluid and finicky medium.
To create this illustration, I painted the water, kelp, and sand using liquid watercolor (video below). I created my linework drawing by hand using Procreate and Apple Pencil, keeping the background transparent (image 3 below).
I painted the background with liquid watercolor from Ecoline, then added the color to the kelp, anchor, and sand with Ecoline liquid watercolor brush markers.
I scanned my watercolor painting, then layered it under the digital drawing using Photoshop. I also cleaned up the edges of the watercolor elements and brightened the golden fish and cups using Photoshop.
The final illustration
What do you think? Leave me a comment below! I love to hear from you.
The Eight of Cups card illustration from my forthcoming Tarot of These Times deck, anticipated 2026.
© Registered copyright Molly Chidsey, all rights reserved.
Join my notification list
Next up: Nine of Cups (the wish card!)
Be sure to subscribe to be notified when I post each illustration this fall.
What do you think of this card?
Leave me a comment below
I read every comment, and I love to hear from you!
Footnotes
Materials and technique notes from this post
Blick Hot Press 100% cotton watercolor paper; EcoLine liquid watercolor paint and brush pens; walnut ink; Winsor & Newton masking fluid. I use an Epson Workforce Pro printer to print my drawings onto watercolor paper, using their water-resistant Durabrite ink.
Linework is drawn by hand with Apple Pencil on iPad Pro using Procreate app, and added as image layers on top of scanned painting using Photoshop.
Roman numerals, hand-drawn linework, and all calligraphy were drawn by hand using Procreate, Apple Pencil and iPad Pro.
Artists of other tarot cards featured in this post
Clockwise from top left: Rider-Waite Tarot, illustrated by Pamela Coleman Smith; Modern Witch Tarot Deck by Lisa Sterle; The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans; The Gentle Tarot by Mari in the Sky; Rainbow Heart Tarot by Rachel Rosenkoetter; and The Reclaimed Tarot, ReClaim it! PDX, collage by various local artists.
Learn about tarot
(1) Want to learn more about tarot? I highly recommend the book Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards by Michelle Tea.
A note about Ai and this project
I do not use Ai (artificial intelligence) to write the content of this blog or to create illustrations. I also do not allow Ai training. See here for my copyright notice.
