Illustrating and Designing a Custom Deck of Playing Cards with Adobe Illustrator
A course by Billy Baumann , Graphic designer and illustrator
Discover the creative process behind custom card design. Learn to sketch, design, and illustrate in Adobe Illustrator for a consistent style.
Dive into the world of custom playing card design with a project inspired by Greek gods, aptly named "The Pantheon." Learn to transform initial sketches into polished vector artwork using Adobe Illustrator. You'll explore the creative process from conceptual planning to final execution, drawing inspiration from various sources to develop a cohesive look and style. This hands-on experience will guide you through designing face cards, suits, numbers, card backs, and even the packaging box, offering a comprehensive understanding of card design.
Perfect for beginner and intermediate designers, this course provides a practical foundation for turning ideas into tangible products. Gain insight into building a style guide, ensuring consistency across your card deck while embracing your unique artistic flair. By the end, you will have created a custom deck of cards ready for your portfolio or production, equipping you with valuable skills for future creative projects.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 16 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (2)
- 280 students
- 17 lessons (3h 11m)
- 16 additional resources (4 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, German, Spanish, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe IllustratorWhat is this course's project?
Students will design a unique deck of cards inspired by their chosen theme, transitioning from initial sketches to finished vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator. They'll develop a cohesive style across all card elements, including face cards, numbers, backs, and packaging.
Who is this online course for?
Aspiring designers eager to enhance skills, transform ideas into finished artwork, and create a unique deck of playing cards will find this course valuable. Ideal for creatives seeking a comprehensive understanding of Adobe Illustrator and illustration techniques in design projects.
Requirements and materials
You'll need basic Adobe Illustrator skills, a drawing tablet or paper, and a pencil. No extensive prior knowledge is required, just a creative spirit and enthusiasm for design. Access to digital resources and a computer for completing projects is essential.
Reviews
Billy Baumann
A course by Billy Baumann
Billy Baumann is a graphic designer, illustrator, and co-founder of the Chicago-based studio Delicious Design League. With over two decades of experience in branding, packaging, and screen-printed posters, he has built a career blending commercial design with bold, personal expression. His work draws from a deep love for vintage aesthetics, comics, and experimental typography, and has earned him recognition across music, design, and art communities.
Billy’s creative process centers on storytelling through structure and style. He guides students from raw sketches to finished vector illustrations, emphasizing design fundamentals, stylistic cohesion, and practical execution in Adobe Illustrator. Whether designing a custom deck of cards or leading client projects, he champions creative independence and encourages playful exploration rooted in strong conceptual thinking. His teaching offers practical tools and inspiration for turning ideas into polished, portfolio-ready work.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Learning the Basics
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Introduction to Designing Playing Cards
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A Roadmap for Your Cards
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Research and Inspiration 1
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Research and Inspiration 2
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How to Use Templates and Sketching
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U3
From the Sketch to the Final Art
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The First Face Card 1
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The First Face Card 2
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The First Face Card 3
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The Suite Design 1
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The Suite Design 2
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The Suite Design 3
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The Back of the Cards
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U4
From the Design to the Physical Cards
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Designing the Box
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Finding a Printer
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Making Mock-ups
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FP
Final project
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Product Design: Themed Deck of Playing Cards in Adobe Illustrator
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
Original Courses: Complete classes that combine videos, texts, and educational materials to complete a specific project from start to finish.
Basics Courses: Specialized training where you master specific software tools step by step.
Specialization Courses: Learning paths with various expert teachers on the same topic, perfect for becoming a specialist by learning from different approaches.
Guided Courses: Practical experiences ideal for directly acquiring specific skills.
Intensive Courses (Deep Dives): New creative processes based on artificial intelligence tools in an accessible format for in-depth and dynamic understanding.
When do the courses start and when do they finish?
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
What do Domestika's courses include?
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
Have you been given a course?
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Adobe Illustrator
Great course
um otimo curdo