Hello Everyone- I am 'back'
WHEN DID I JOIN THE GUILD?
I became a member in 2013 but have been more or less in hibernation. So here I am again, and I would like to say ‘hello’ to everyone. Here is some background spiel about myself.
WHY DID I JOIN IN?
I was encouraged to do so by someone associated with the Jack Vance website, Mr C. Wood. Here is how it happened.
I discovered Jack Vance in 2012. I was moved to create a map of the Dying Earth. This was accepted as fan art by the Jack Vance website. So Chris suggested I ought to join the Cartographers Guild.
Allow me an analogy. No matter how good a writer of fantasy fiction or fact is, they must follow the conventions of language. Their sentences must be constructed in line with grammar and logic, even if the grammar is invented for the book. They may use strange words, quirky phrases and so forth but at the end of the day the writing must be coherent, understandable, and appealing.
In quite the same way, if a writer sets his or her work in some fantasy landscape, if this landscape cannot be understood, if it is incoherent then it will come across as geographical gibberish. Some writers have a disciplined grasp of the physicality of their fantasy landscapes - you can recognised such authors because you vividly can see with your mind's eye the worlds they construct, and can translate this vision into coherent, consistent, realistic and believable fantasy maps. With bad writers, the story might as well be set in pond of ketchup for all the use they make of the physical features of their adventure.
Continuing with Jack Vance's books, I recently created another map called 'Window into Tanjecterly' and it too has been accepted as fan art and is awaiting publication on the website. As a side project of 'Window into Tanjecterly' I did a revised map of Lyonesse and will be sending in soon to the same website.
WHAT DO I HOPE TO GAIN
The three maps I have done have shown me how little I really know about digital art in general, and in fantasy map-making in particular. I understand the Cartographers Guild is a good place to be for those who want to get their head round the science and art of map making.
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It would be fun to see them 