Hallo Hallo!

[Taldoz]

Heyo! I've lurked around here now and then, getting a few tips and tricks and whathaveyou on mapmaking for the past two years or so? Figured I'd finally make the plunge and try to be a bit active, get some feedback, and maybe make some friends along the way!

I've been mapmaking for about 6 years now, to one degree or another, and I honestly really enjoy it as a hobby! It helps me relax and de-stress after a long day, especially on days when my ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression are all kicked up to high Gear for some reason. Uh.... I can't think of anything else to say, honestly ha ha! I suck at introductions both irl and online! I don't think I'm all that interesting, personally, so these things are difficult for me!

So I guess Ask me anything? I dunno How are you all today?

[niekell]

Greetings Taldoz,
Welcome to the wonderful world of posting to Cartographers Guild! I hope you enjoy making an appearance.
I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to see some samples of your work, so if you could post up something you'd be happy to have commented upon then that should get the conversation started.
All the best, niekell.

[Taldoz]

Hey Niekell That's actually a fantastic Idea! I wish I'd thought of that!

Imma steal your idea and take your advice right now, actually!

This is a (mostly) finished map for a story Idea my friend has. I say "mostly" because I still have to figure out where the cities and forts are gonna go, where major political factions/nations are gonna be, etc.

Basically, the political stuff has to be done still.I'm tempted to make a second version of just the political information while leaving this one finished as a topographic version only.


Ecryon WIP.jpg

[niekell]

Hello Taldoz,

To my eyes that's a good hand-drawn map.
I keep wanting to turn the orientation though, and it changes depending upon which part I am looking at. I think it's to do with the mountains and trees not uniformly pointing upward in one single direction. It feels to me that Nth (up) is somewhere to the upper left of the map and I should turn the paper to have that as my "up".
I like the forests, I have never managed to get a good grip on representing forests, especially forests over hills and mountains.
I'm not sure what effect you were going for on the edges of the water (sea, ocean, lakes) with the double lines but to my eye it is coming across a bit heavy handed as a land/sea border representation. Definitely does the job... but kinda overdoes it for me, sorry.
I also wonder how zoomed out we are as there is no set scale. If we're way zoomed out then the lack of rivers would make sense to me, but I guess I'm used to seeing rivers on continental maps such as this. I assume it is a continent due to the large mountain ranges and widely varied terrain, and not just an island. The usual debate on maps is if the rivers make sense in the landscape using drainage patterns and such, you've deftly avoided that concern so well done Taldoz.
Will there be naming coming or is it to stay pure landscape?
Best wishes, niekell.

[Taldoz]

Hey Neikel!

Yeah, I'm not too terribly happy about the mountains issue. I drew the one northwestern most range first, then took a break to do some work at my job, then when I came back to it, I just held the damn paper at a different angle As for the double lines on the water, it was honestly an attempt at trying something new and different for me. I *kinda* like it, but I'm gonna tone back on it next go-around on a continent like this. The marker I initially chose was just way too dark, but I only realized it after I'd started marking, and by then it was too late!

Yeah, this is a fairly zoomed out continental map that has some names forthcoming. Right now, all I have named is the continent itself; "Ecryon". Originally I was gonna put some rivers in there, but the more I looked at the scale of the mountains, the more I realized that if I put rivers in there, it would throw everything off. Even any that were the size of the Mississippi or the Amazon would just look a bit off. So I just erred on the side of caution and rationalized that people in the ISS can't see individual rivers that often, so why should this map have them?

[niekell]

Hello Taldoz,

So the double lines are to emphasise the coast or to mark continental shelf drop-off?
What is the phonetic pronunciation for Ecryon if you don't mind me asking?
(ess-REE-on, ESS-rye-on, ess-RUH-yon, EK-rye-on, EK-ree-on, EK-ruh-yon?)
Good point for not seeing rivers at that scale... though you can see things resulting from rivers.
The Nile's green ribbon through the desert of North Africa, the Indus River valley shows up against the terrain in western India, and the Darling River flood basin in western New South Wales (Australia) are easily visible from the ISS even though you can't spot the water itself. For simplicity's sake I get why they don't show up though. All good.

Best wishes, niekell

[Taldoz]

Hello Taldoz,

So the double lines are to emphasise the coast or to mark continental shelf drop-off?

They're meant to emphasize the coast, honestly. Although I never thought of using them as shelf drop-off.... That's actually a neat idea! Thanks! ^_^

What is the phonetic pronunciation for Ecryon if you don't mind me asking?
(ess-REE-on, ESS-rye-on, ess-RUH-yon, EK-rye-on, EK-ree-on, EK-ruh-yon?)

I've been pronouncing it as Ek-ree-on, personally. Although I'm also a huge fan of people coming up with their own pronounciations of fantasy worlds and using them in conversation. I think it stems from my love of how Lovecraft never gave the same pronounciation of "Cthulhu" twice.

Good point for not seeing rivers at that scale... though you can see things resulting from rivers.
The Nile's green ribbon through the desert of North Africa, the Indus River valley shows up against the terrain in western India, and the Darling River flood basin in western New South Wales (Australia) are easily visible from the ISS even though you can't spot the water itself. For simplicity's sake I get why they don't show up though. All good.

Best wishes, niekell

Huh. I'd never thought of that, honestly! Well... I mean I *guess* I kinda did with the placement of the inland seas and forests, but not as specifically the rivers affecting the vegetation/terrain at this scale. Good point! Thanks again!

IMMA LIKE IT HERE