Illustrating The Devil
(Note: I am postponing my reveal about the Temperance card because it’s a really complex illustration and I’m not done with it yet. Stay tuned!!)
First things first: I do not believe in the Devil. Or Hell, for that matter.
Now that’s out of the way, I want to share why I think this card has a powerful message. I interpret The Devil card as all the traps we can get sucked into during our lives. Traps that seem inescapable. Situations that we can rationalize all day long, but which may cause more harm than good.
I illustrated this card after a recent trip to Nashville on a warm spring weekend. The bright lights and neon signs almost convinced me that my life would only be complete if I bought a pair of cowboy boots. I was under the trance of The Devil, so to speak. Thankfully, I did not buy the boots, but the experience gave me an idea for this card.
Examples from other tarot artists
Traditionally, this card is illustrated with a nefarious character who has control over some poor souls. There is usually some imagery of bondage, chains, or shackles. Yuck. Again, the tarot has a reputation for being scary and this card is one of the reasons it makes people get the uh-oh feeling (in my opinion).
The Devil cards from my collection of tarot decks; see footnotes for artist credits.
What the hell?
I wanted to illustrate this card to represent the ways that I get drawn in to things I think I need but actually do not. Ice cream, beauty products, sales, etc. were all on my mind when I drew this.
Here is the scene I drew in my sketchbook:
My original sketch for The Devil card.
Colored pencils, acrylic paint pens.
What did I get myself into??
Having an idea for a card illustration is one thing. Actually getting it down on paper is another thing entirely.
Some of the illustrations in my deck are complex and busy… by design. That said, they are much more difficult to bring into reality.
The line drawing itself took many hours to complete, using a whopping 57 layers in Procreate to create. See video below for a 30-second summary.
Time-lapse video of me drawing all 57 layers of this illustration in Procreate.
Painting teeny-tiny elements
OMG, what was I thinking!!?? Lots of masking fluid and cursing later, I got the bright colors I wanted.
Watercolor progress painting photo. Not pictured: the 3 espressos I drank while making it.
Last step: Photoshop edits
For the .005% of you who are familiar with Photoshop, you may appreciate the 16 additional layers I added over the scanned painting to get my final, final illustration.
Sidenote: Learning Photoshop took me about two years, but I am glad I did it. I use it all the time to digitize my watercolors and to transform original artwork into printable surface designs for clients.
… Plus 16 additional layers in Photoshop to edit the painting
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The final illustration
It came together in the end, and I think all the effort was worth it. Below is my final illustration for The Devil card.
Ok, I am signing off now to go eat some ice cream. ;)
The Devil card illustration from my forthcoming Tarot of These Times deck, anticipated 2026.
© Registered copyright Molly Chidsey, all rights reserved.
Next up: The Tower 🌪️
The next card in the Major Arcana I am illustrating is The Tower. Buckle up, it’s a doozie.
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 notes from this post
Blick Hot Press 100% cotton watercolor paper; EcoLine liquid watercolor paint and brush pens; Winsor & Newton masking fluid. I use an Epson Workforce Pro printer to print my drawings onto watercolor paper, using their water-resistant Durabrite ink.
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 artists.
Learn about tarot
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 any of the content for this blog, my other blog Behind the Scenes, or this website.
