The pyramids, hieroglyphics, mummies, thousands of ancient gods and goddesses, and of course, Cleopatra… ancient Egypt has a lot of cool things going on. I’ve always loved the history and allure of the ancient culture. The Great Pyramid of Giza is known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The ancient civilization built tombs to commemorate and bury their pharaohs. I even took a course in college called ‘Dreams of Cleopatra.’ So, when an Egyptian-themed artist trading card swap popped up on ATCs for All, I knew I had to join in.
Immediately, I zeroed in on depicting ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses (and royalty).
The following are the artist trading cards that I submitted to the swap:
The Cards I Made…
Hathor
A major Egyptian goddess that held many different roles, Hathor was primarily seen as a sky deity connected to sky god Horus and sun god Ra. The headdress she is depicted as wearing is of a sun disk flanked by cow horns. Amongst other things, she represented beauty, love, motherhood, dance and music. Hathor was also believed to play a part in assisting the deceased in the afterlife.
Materials Used: watercolor pencils, gold metallic pen, white Gellyroll pen, finepoint black Sharpie pen
Nefertiti
I based my depiction of Nefertiti on a well-known bust that has become one of the most copied works related to ancient Egypt. This real-life Egyptian queen was the ‘Great Royal Wife’ of Pharaoh Akhenaten. The two together led a religious movement that resulted in Egyptians worshipping only one god, Aten. Her reign is marked by one of the richest periods in ancient Egyptian history.
Materials Used: watercolor pencils, white Gellyroll pen, finepoint black Sharpie pen
Cleopatra
She’s one of the most well-known ancient figures in history. With a legendary reputation, the image of Cleopatra has morphed into a vision similar to how Elizabeth Taylor appeared in her movie role (as seen in an art card I did for a different swap). In reality, modern historians have assessed that the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt was not as breathtakingly beautiful as many have been led to believe. Ancient depictions of Cleopatra show her with a pronounced, hooked nose.
Materials Used for Cleopatra: colored pencils, watercolor pencils, glitter gel pen, white Gellyroll pen, finepoint black Sharpie pen
Materials Used for Elizabeth Taylor as ‘Cleopatra’: watercolor pencils, finepoint black Sharpie pen, white Gellyroll pen
Anubis
Because of his canine head, Anubis is probably one of the most recognizable of ancient Egyptian gods. Associated with mummification and the afterlife, he is seen as a protector of tombs. Other roles he held included embalmer and guide of souls. In the ‘Book of the Dead,’ it is Anubis who is responsible for ‘weighing of the heart’ to deem if a person was worthy of entry into the realm of the dead.
Materials Used: watercolor pencils, glitter gel pen, white Gellyroll pen, finepoint black Sharpie pen
The Cards I Got Back…
The cards I received back from the All About Egypt swap are below. scaritt from Florida made Cleopatra VII; Ann Stebbing from Haute Vienne, France depicted Hathor (I believe, from the sun disk and horns); and catladybj from Kennesaw, Georgia made ‘Preparing the Dead’ (a mixed media piece using cut paper that gave off the impression that it was made on papyrus (ancient paper of Egyptians).
Wow, you are incredibly talented – very nicely done cards! I had no idea this was a “thing” you could do. I’m familiar with trading cards in the sports world, but not for something like this. My hubby is especially fascinated with all things Egypt, from the Sphinx and the pyramids, to HOW they were built – and he ponders the “alien” connection as espoused by so-called “ancient astronaut theorists” to explain how people back then, without our modern technology, could have created such architectural marvels without some kind of help from above!
Dr. K. Lee Banks recently posted…Women with Intention Wednesday: Tracking Blogging Activity Intentionally
These are really beautiful. You did a great job and the details are amazing.
Those are beautiful and unique cards. My grandfather would have loved them.
Up Run for Life recently posted…Common Lower Body Sports Injuries
That sounds fun! And this reminds me of my elementary days. We studied about Ancient Egypt which was really interesting.
Those are pretty neat. The Egyptians had a very captivating way of displaying art.
Love the idea of this swap and that it’s based on ancient Egypt! I’m fascinated by Middle Eastern history myself and I studied it in college as well. 🙂 I instantly recognized that your Cleopatra looks like Elizabeth Taylor. You captured her beauty and glamour playing the role.
My brother would enjoy something like this. He is an artist so he appreciates other artists’ creativity.
I think the Ancient Egypt is interesting! There are so many powerful people and culture that I’d love to know more about. You did great on the cards you made.
how interesting that you do this! All your cards are beautifully drawn.