Illustrating the Wheel of Fortune
The theme of the Wheel of Fortune card is change, and the fact that change is constant. If you have ever repeated the phrase “All is impermanent,” to yourself during a tough moment, the Wheel of Fortune was at play in your life.
If change is the one thing we can count on, why do we resist it?
Examples from other tarot artists
Traditionally, the Wheel of Fortune card is illustrated as a floating roulette wheel with magical creatures flying around it. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down.
Wheel of Fortune cards from my collection of tarot decks, 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 Melissa Evans.
Change is constant
The Wheel of Fortune card represents a different sort of change than The Tower card, which represents sudden and dramatic change. The change in the Wheel of Fortune is more like the changing seasons. Predictable, reliable, and constant.
I grew up in the Midwest where the seasons were pronounced and the transitions between them dramatic. I illustrated the Wheel of Fortune as one tree and the four seasons it experiences. Through it all, the tree stands tall.
My original sketch for the Wheel of Fortune card, which I apparently sketched on a snow day here in Portland.
Colored pencil, ink pens.
I like to paint three cards at one time. That way, while one layer of paint is drying, I can work on another illustration. These are the actual size of my paintings, on watercolor paper mounted onto foamcore.
The final illustration
Below is my final illustration for the Wheel of Fortune card. Notice the Delta symbol, the symbol for change, is carved into the trunk.
Next up: Justice ⚖️
The next card in the Major Arcana I am illustrating is Justice. A heady topic these days. So many options to illustrate this one! I can’t wait to show it to you. HINT: It’s political, progressive, and VERY colorful.
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; Winsor & Newton walnut ink (tree). I used masking fluid on the snowy areas before painting to preserve the white of the paper (there is no white paint in watercolor!)
I use an Epson Workforce Pro printer to print my drawings onto watercolor paper, using their water-resistant Durabrite ink.
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.
