Bronze Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2020
Two of Hearts Illustration
- A' Design Award 2020 Bronze Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Stefano Rosselli
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 15,282
- Verification code 5343A717CF · Verify this award
About Two of Hearts Illustration
"Two of Hearts" is a vector illustration specially created for the collaborative project called "Luck of the Draw" which regrouped artists from around the world to create a unique deck of playing cards. The illustration concept is inspired by the fox from "The Little Prince" fable written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It is a hint to the lesson that the fox teaches about relationships.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- "Two of Hearts" is a vector illustration created for the collaborative project called "Luck of the Draw". The project was initiated and coordinated by Victoria Spady to bring together artists from around the world to create a unique deck of fifty-two playing cards.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- "Two of Hearts" illustration was created in RGB colour mode, ".ai" format and inserted into a template with 63,5x88,9mm dimensions (standard poker playing card size). The template was created and provided by the project's initiator/coordinator.
- Tags
- digital illustration, playing card, Two of Hearts, artwork, special edition
- Production Technology
- The final illustration, which is mainly based on a pencil sketch, was digitally created (without the use of drawing tablet) thanks to a vector graphics editing program. All visual elements present on the image were created in vectors. Once the artwork completed, the entire image was rasterised before being provided to the project's coordinator.
- Design Challenge
- For this project, the creative challenge was to find an appropriate, coherent and visually appealing solution to convey a concept related to the type of card which was attributed by the project's coordinator. All that without affecting the playability and by keeping the design clearly legible at a relatively small size (it had to fit into standard poker playing card dimensions).
- Project Duration
- The illustration was created in February 2018 and final printing on the playing card occurred in April 2018.
- Operation Flow
- Playing cards games.
- Inspiration
- "Two of Hearts" illustration concept is inspired by the fox from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's fable, "The Little Prince". It is a hint to the lesson that the fox teaches about relationships. This idea was used to illustrate one of the meanings commonly attributed to the "Two of Hearts" playing card.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Stefano Rosselli, 2018.
Colors of Two of Hearts Illustration
Design Interview about Two of Hearts Illustration
The main principle behind “Two of Hearts” illustration was to create something meaningful and strongly related to the specific playing card I had to create an illustration for. The first thing I did before starting conceptualizing anything was to learn about the meaning(s) commonly attributed to the “Two of Hearts” card, so it could help me to build my illustration. Since the “Two of Hearts” card is related with the concept of relationship/love between living beings, it immediately reminded me of “The Little Prince” fable written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and more precisely the part with the fox (which, by the way, is one of my favorite animals). So I decided to use this as inspiration to create my vector illustration.
While conceiving this illustration, my main focus was to find the right balance so I could keep the design appropriate (it had to be PG-13), cohesive (stick to the card’s color palette), playable (readability) and at same time to vehicle a meaningful, playful concept visually characterized by my illustrative style.
Since I plan to entirely design a deck of playing cards featuring my own illustrations, I would like to make use of my “Two of Hearts” illustration for this specific project. At this point the project is still an idea that needs to be further developed.
Overall, it took me about twenty hours of work spread over several days. I invested the equivalent of a half working day thinking about the concept, putting together my mood board, sketching on paper and choosing the visual concept I found the most suited for the project. After this, I spent mostly of the remaining time creating the digital version and fine tuning the visual appearance until fully satisfied.
In 2018 I was approached to take part in a non commercial collaborative project bringing together many designers around the world to design 52 playing cards for a very unique deck.
Since I like to play cards with friends, that I always spend very nice moments in doing so, that it was exciting to collaborate with many talented artists from around the globe on a common project and that prior to this I even had in a corner of my mind to create illustrations for playing cards, I gladly accepted the proposal. Once I confirmed my decision to join the project, the coordinator attributed me a playing card which I had to create a design for. And that’s how I started to work on “Two of Hearts”.
Since I like to play cards with friends, that I always spend very nice moments in doing so, that it was exciting to collaborate with many talented artists from around the globe on a common project and that prior to this I even had in a corner of my mind to create illustrations for playing cards, I gladly accepted the proposal. Once I confirmed my decision to join the project, the coordinator attributed me a playing card which I had to create a design for. And that’s how I started to work on “Two of Hearts”.
There isn't a specific target customer. The illustration was created for a non commercial collaborative project aimed to regroup various artists around the world mainly as a way to potentially generate synergies between them.
The name for this design simply comes from the playing card which I was attributed and which I had to create an illustration for.
During the conceptualization process I simply used paper and pencil. The final design was digitally created on computer (without the use of drawing tablet) thanks to a vector graphics editing program commonly used by digital illustrators.
Technology played an important role as the final illustration was digitally drawn thanks to a vector graphics editing program.
Due to the type of project this illustration was made for, data or analytical research wasn’t required. I only conducted a research on the web to find out which meaning(s) are commonly attributed to the “Two of Hearts” playing card. I used the result of this research as an anchor point which I could build my concept around.
For this illustration, the creative challenge I faced was mainly to find an appropriate, coherent and visually appealing solution to convey a concept related to the type of card which was attributed by the project's coordinator. All that without affecting the playability and by keeping the design clearly legible at a relatively small size (it had to fit into standard poker playing card dimensions) no matter the way the card is vertically hold in hand.
I thought it was a great opportunity to have my design skills reviewed and recognized by a panel of professionals specialized in design. I also saw the fact to take part into an international design competition as a way to considerably increase the visibility and credibility of my work. Self-taught illustrators/designers may be subject to prejudices about their skills, so a valuable and impartial recognition of their abilities represents a non negligible way to gain more respect.
Grand Interview about Two of Hearts Illustration
The literary inspiration served as my primary reference point throughout the design process. While the color palette and the symmetrical structure were more design-led choices, the fox’s meaning in The Little Prince guided the rest of my decisions from concept to final composition.I identified what I considered the most iconic emotional lessons behind the fox’s message (connection, patience, and commitment), then selected the elements that could carry those themes in a somehow universally legible way. Because this well-known story is rooted in many childhood memories, I aimed to evoke an immediate sense of recognition while preserving depth and emotional impact for a broader audience.The remaining challenge was translation, i.e. assembling these extracted ideas into a coherent, harmonious, balanced, and comprehensible visual language.
I chose a vector-based approach because it defines my visual signature. For this project, each illustrator was selected specifically for a distinctive style, so the priority was to translate the theme through a method that already felt natural and recognizable to me.
Because the space was limited and the design should, ideally, remain functional for “two-way” playability, I deliberately prioritized simplicity and immediate readability. I kept the symmetrical structure that naturally characterizes playing cards, using it as more than a functional constraint. It became a visual tool to reinforce the concept of duality, mirroring, completion, and connection.
For this project, the warm/red main palette was a constraint for red suit cards, so I had to keep the design primarily in those hues (except for accent colors, which could be freely chosen). But the restricted palette wasn’t a limiting factor, because it was aligned with the emotional tone I wanted to convey.
In the “Luck of the Draw” project, harmony with the full deck was achieved mainly through shared constraints. Especially the overall color palette tied to the suit identity.Because each illustrator was invited to bring a distinctive visual interpretation to the card, harmonization wasn’t an issue in that regard. Therefore, I didn’t have to worry about it.
Winning a Bronze A’ Design Award reinforced that my approach, i.e. pairing literary depth with minimalist, legible design, can land emotionally while still communicating clearly. It motivates me to keep using the same strategy in various future projects.
The most critical decisions were already established even before the early pencil sketch stage, since I clearly pre-visualized the artwork in my mind. I was really happy to see that the imagined concept translated immediately well into a satisfying design.The message I centered on was: “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” To translate that idea visually, I simply decided to depict the fox with closed eyes, so “seeing” becomes internal rather than literal. I also made the heart one of the dominant elements and placed it at the composition’s center, ensuring it carried the emotional meaning and became, together with the fox, the first focal point for the viewer while still referencing traditional playing-card design.Once that structure was fixed in the sketch, the vector process focused on refinement, .i.e. enhancing the shapes, reinforcing the precision and symmetry, and applying color.
The most effective elements are the fox’s closed eyes and the central, prominent heart. They translate the fox’s core idea that true understanding of a relationship comes from feeling.The surrounding blooming flowers add a second layer of meaning. They visually represent the lesson from the fox: “It’s the time you’ve spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.” By placing growth and blossoming around the central heart, the illustration connects affection with time invested, showing that relationship value is built.
It taught me to prioritize what must be understood instantly, then structure everything else to support that primary message.Because a playing card is a small functional object, the design needed to communicate clearly at a glance, in a very limited space (comparable to a small device screen). The central heart and the fox facial expression act as the primary focal points, while the surrounding elements (like the flowers) function as secondary cues.
The design bridges traditional playing-card imagery and contemporary vector illustration through a seamless integration of the classic card layout and suit identity with more intricate, vector-driven graphic elements. I believe it helps modernize and enhance the visual appeal while adding depth to the design