The Suited Gambit
Project Duration:
5 weeks | Spring 2025
Objective:
Mold & cast a chess set that explores family of form. Include one common piece shared amongst the set.
Intent:
Design an abstract version of a deck of cards, creating a modern & sleek chess set with intentional hierarchy for display.
Inspiration Board
Ideation Sketches
Early Modeling
Focus on sharp forms that create an illusion of movement through the back. Explored hierarchy through height variations. Head pieces all facing forward.
Sharpened the forms by separating the triangular pieces from the main bodies. Reoriented the heads to face sideways, allowing for a more dynamic set of pieces that faces forwards and side-to-side. Downsized the pieces to improve elegance & decrease bulkiness.
Refinement
Molding & Casting
Orthographic Studies
Added corresponding suits to each set. Clubs and Spades are on the black set, and Hearts and Diamonds are on the red set. Each final set contains 5 resin-casted pieces, along with acrylic heads and suits.
Final Models