25 Custom Playing Cards Designs by Top Illustrators Around the World

Photo of author
Written By Niamh Tait
My name is Niamh, and I’m a freelance writer and a Loughborough University English graduate. I love to travel and my hobbies include writing, reading and drawing.

For an artist, there is no limit to what you can create, what tools you can use and what subject matter you can portray. Whilst there are certain styles that are more conventional and considered traditional, like paint to canvas or ink on paper, the possibilities of how to create and exhibit your art are endless, with more unconventional styles being lauded.

A trend among some of the top illustrators around the world is to fuse convention with unique, by creating original designs for classic playing cards.

Related Post: 80+ Iconic Movie Poster Remakes by Top Independent Artists Today

We’re all familiar with the standard motifs of playing cards: the four different suits, hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs, the joker cards, aces and the Jack, Queen and King. But these are playing cards like you’ve never seen them before.

The illustrators that we have featured below rethink the traditional iconography of playing cards, and inject their personal, artistic style into the design, and the results are epic. From careful, precise illustrations inspired by mathematics, to minimalist, neutral colours. From floral paintings, to famous singers.

Our talented illustrators prove that, with custom playing cards, nothing is off limits, as they strive to usurp the classic, card design and make it their own.

NFT Playing Cards Collective Art Project by Huntlancer


Math Playing Cards by Diana Stanciulescu, Romania

The exquisite visual design of these playing cards enables an intuitive insight into the language of mathematics.

Meadowlark Playing Cards Deck by Russ Gray, USA


Deck of Cards Design by Stefia Nissi Mulia, Indonesia


Chinese Dynasties Poker Playing Cards by Fabian Hung, Taiwan


The Illusionist Playing Cards Concept by Peter Voth, Germany

Related Post: 24 Creative Logo Designers to Hire Online in 2020


Custom Bicycle playing cards by Raul Urias, Mexico


Into the Weird Playing Cards by Jenny Gebhardt, Germany


Hipsteria Minimalist Playing Cards by Slava Shestopalov, Ukraine


High Victorian Playing Cards by Joe White, UK


Messymod Playing Cards by TRÜF Creative, USA

These cards feature a completely custom design in typical Messymod fashion which can be described as minimal, modern, graphic, quirky, stylized, grotesque, delightful and just plain weird. Buy this deck at Art of Play.

Iron Spades & Iron Clays 200 by Chad Michael, USA


Playing Cards by Junaida, Japan


Stranger Things Playing Cards by Lyss Rachele Engel, USA


Vineyard Designed Playing Cards by Luks Piekut, Poland


Flora Magica by Aitch, Romania


Flourish by Rosette Heights, USA


Nathan Love Playing Cards by Tim Probert, USA


Playing cards by Ludmila Sheviakova, USA


POP Divas Playing Cards by Ramon Vahos, Australia


Colorful Playing Cards by Camila Rosa, Brazil


Brosmind Bicycle Deck by Juan and Alejandro Mingarro, Spain


Fair Play by Sarah Elly, USA


Illustrated Playing Cards by Yinfan Huang, USA


Whimsical Playing Arts by Oksal Yesilok, Turkey

This deck of 54 cards are the reinterpretation of the known playing cards symbols with a different design. Inspired by the logo of whimsical, the concept of the design is determined and supported by illustration. The Deck is printed with fluorescent color to reinforce the line of design.

Playing Cards by Anastasiya Khoroshilova, Russia


Playing Arts Custom Playing Cards Deck by 55 Selected International Artists


With our illustrators’ custom playing cards there is a design for everyone. There are vibrant cartoons for younger players and politically charged feminist designs for all the poker playing activists out there. Our featured artists are ready and available to be contacted for work, so drop them a message and get your hands on your own original playing card pack.

3 thoughts on “25 Custom Playing Cards Designs by Top Illustrators Around the World”

  1. NIAMH TAIT You did a really hard and respectful job. Thanks for that.
    One question please. Can I get the svg (or any other format) version of any of these decks? And how much will that cost?

    Reply
  2. Hi Niamh, my name is Gevorg. You did a great job. Thumbs up for the post. I would like to own a license for the “Meadowlark Playing Cards Deck by Russ Gray, USA”. How can I do that?

    Reply

Leave a Comment