Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s Shadowscapes Tarot has always been on my wishlist for artistic tarot decks, and I am so glad that I got the deck that comes with a guidebook when I finally took the plunge and purchased it. The cards themselves are wonderful pieces of artwork that bring the tarot to life using Law’s signature whimsical watercolour style, but the guidebook gives readers a much more in depth view of the stories that are hidden in the cards. When I started reading the guidebook, I show more thought that it would be a good idea to do a short reading each night to get more familiar with the deck itself alongside the stories, since it doesn’t make much sense to separate the two mediums. Low and behold, the first reading revealed the 8 of cups as the finale, which promises a deep dive in the spiritual side of life by entering into a period of self reflection and isolation. Well played, Shadowscapes tarot, well played. As I was reading the book alongside the cards, I found that even though I drew on some of the traditional interpretations of the tarot Law’s cards revealed different messages and pathways due to their unique imagery. Most decks I see the cards as separate entities that occasionally play together in readings, but with Law’s deck a more intensive story is revealed, spurred on by imagery that brings the tarot’s characters to life and themes which spiral among the various suits. Some of these stories are revealed in the pages of the guidebook, but few are complete narratives, giving us instead small snapshots into a fantastical world populated by magical creatures and fey courts that characterise the traditional qualities of the tarot - and of humanity. Law’s stories are such short pieces that we are inevitably left wanting more, but the tarot cannot reveal all; instead we must take its wisdom in glimpses and bring its knowledge into the real world. After all, magic isn’t just contained in the pages of stories (or tarot cards, in this case); it can be all around us, if we just choose to see it. show less

Did we read another art instruction book with absolutely no intention of actually following through on the instruction part? Yup, sure did. You all know I buy these books simply to get more of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s gorgeous artwork anyways, and we’ll keep buying them until she comes out with a giant compendium (which we’ll also buy)! This is the third volume of the Dreamscapes series, which instructs readers on utilising realistic animal imagery to create magical compositions. The show more previous volumes were lovely in their focus on mythology and magic, but Law’s shift towards more mundane animals is a smart tactic. Fantasy is great, but without a grounding in reality it can lose all shape and become too much for the eye to handle. By practising basic animal shapes as found in fanciful fish, soaring birds, and personality-driven felines artists can remix these patterns and techniques to make far more meaningful compositions. Paired with Law’s short snippets of folklore from around the world, we are reminded that most cultures imbue “normal” creatures with just as many fantasy traits as their more magical brethren and that these stories are equally entrancing - both to tell and to illustrate! Moving away from human-driven stories takes us back to the folktales that populate much of the non-European canon as well, which is a crucial aspect of broadening any fantasy artist’s or writer’s research, knowledge, and skillset. Adding to the canon that Law has built in the previous two books, this third installation is a crucial volume of instruction that I am glad that she chose to write and illustrate. show less

Books I probably shouldn’t delve into when I don’t have a good space to actually get back into my own art: THIS. But damn, was it glorious exploring the luscious fantasy worlds that Stephanie Pui-Mun Law has created through her artwork! We’re obviously here to get our eyes onto more of her art (fullstop), but I actually really like that this book is actually instructional in nature. Not only do we get to view the artwork that she has so carefully designed, but we’re given practical show more instructions on how to recreate (or at least, attempt to recreate) our own pieces. Law covers basic watercolour techniques ranging from paper and pencil selection to composition tips and colour blending, and presents the “lessons” in such an engaging manner that by the time we’re done reading we feel like we could actually go and paint something worthwhile. Bolstering the practicalities of painting, she also provides some backstory and inspiration for the fantastic supernatural subjects – a requirement if you want your artwork to have any real depth, symbolism, or narrative! I have another one of her books waiting on my shelf to read yet, so chances are I’m going to have to pick it up sooner rather than later! As for actually sitting down at my (lack of) drawing table? That’s yet to be seen… show less

Shadowscapes is a tarot deck of 78 cards with exquisite fantasy-based artwork. This particular edition does not come with the companion book, but does have a booklet. I work around this by using an app that contains the full text of the companion book.

While I don't often do in-depth readings with this deck, partially because of the heavy detail and small size of the cards, but I find it amazing for one-card draws and journaling sessions.