Deck Development: The Spades of Hidden Leaves by Mahdi Gilbert

On our new series, Deck Development, we follow the progression of a deck of playing cards starting with the design inspiration to the final product you will hold in your hands. The designer will explain development decisions and may show the development process as well as the result itself.

This is the second part of our look at the design development of Hidden Leaves Playing Cards, the upcoming deck by Mahdi Gilbert (@mahdigilbert). Hidden Leaves blend Japanese and French aesthetics to create the style of this gorgeous deck, a spiritual homage to Le Samouraï, the 1967 French masterpiece by Jean-Pierre Melville.

Mahdi made a conscious decision to restrict himself to only using red and black for the faces of the deck. According to Mahdi,

This allows me, I believe to create more visual impact by creating strong contrasts and empty spaces. Notice how they are not symmetrical or perfect. Notice the wholesomeness of the faces, it reminds me of a time in entertainment long gone when families and multiple generations would gather around and enjoy the same entertainment together in a group, something that very rarely happens today.

The images previewed here shows the Spades Court cards. Stay tuned as we continue with deck development and reveal more of the Hidden Leaves Playing Cards. Let us know what you think in our comment section below.