Recreating Ptolemy-style mountains for the Ternia Land Project

[JPuk01]

I am currently working on a fantasy map project building the world of Ternia, a project that is designed to create something that is similar to Nicolaus Germanus' Ptolemy world map from 1482 (author died in 1490, so no copyright restrictions). The original map that I am trying to reproduce can be found here:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...a_Germanus.JPG

Now I have run in to a few issues regarding getting the right effects applied for the mountains in Inkscape (since mountains were drawn back in the day as lumpy shapes rather than actual hilltops) - the closest that I have managed to get to reproducing the effect that I wanted so far is the "Canvas Edges Matte" effect in Inkscape, using a filter size of 0.015 and detail of 10. The output that I have managed to achieve so far can be found in this link here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/U9YfVMbAg77EfVSh9
Screenshot 2024-02-26 151304.png

Is there anyone who is knowledgeable in Inkscape (or can do something similar using GIMP) who can advise me on how to reproduce the mountains as seen in the work of Germanus?

Many thanks, Jakub

[Daia Maps]

This is a mighty undertaking, maps from way back then seem so hard to replicate these days.

I have no experience with Inkscape but looking at Germanus's map, seems like the mountains have more of a thin black outline instead of Edges Matte you applied, maybe try that? As for the inner texture, you might need to edit a replica of that lumpy surface if you can't find or replicate one. It appears that he painted the under layer with a brighter brown then went back and forth with a darker one, in a almost checkered pattern but following the "flow" of the mountains. I feel like I could get something similar in Photoshop or with alcohol markers on paper, but again, no ideia as it pertains to Inkscape.

Sorry if nothing I said helps, but I wanted to ask you if you plan on drawing the winds blowing from the heads. They add so much charm to the art. Good luck, and can't wait to see the finished product.

[JPuk01]

Thank you very much for responding to my post. I've also been looking at some of Germanus's other maps from his portfolio - some of his maps (particularly his black and white variants) have used something similar to this matte effect (albeit with black outlines too) that I have used with my project that I think I could replicate as well. I think it might be doable in the way that I managed to figure out myself...

As far as drawing the portraits of heads blowing some wind on the map - I am currently looking to harmonise the simplistic map seen in more modern maps with the elements seen in Ptolemy, so it is not something that I am planning on doing for the project that I am currently undertaking. But thanks for the idea anyways.