Research For a Future Posting
Hello all,
First off I'm investigating whether commissioning a map is in the cards at present, so please do not waste over much of your time at this time. I plan a paid job so rough estimates of what the commission would go for would be welcome, but I am unlikely to move forward until I've developed a better idea of how this works (literally raised in the woods). Second, I'd prefer to work with the cartographer in a collaborative way much like an illustrator, as I've lots of materials for inspiration. Third, many thanks to Ravs for his forum post detailing what a cartographer might need in a post like this.
The task I have in mind is to take a hex map I made for a campaign and turn it into a non-hex map art piece suitable to put on my wall and to use in some writing set in the same world. Anything from a Tolkeinesque setting map to a realistic terrain map is appropriate, I'd really be going for the best idea. Something that appears well in greyscale would be best for any color maps, but not essential. A low quality .jpg of the hex-map is shown here:
World Map.jpg
It was made in GIMP using the HexGIMP mod, though unfortunately the original source-file was lost in a computer crash. The full map is a 2909x4273 pixel .tif file and is information dense since it was made as a utility map for campaign purposes. All the labels are legible in the full version with only one misprint (Imperium is spelled perium on the map). I also have roughly 800x900 pixel .tif files of sub regions and a short descriptive atlas. Each hex is 10 miles across and the map as a whole is 1300 miles tall by 1000 miles wide. I can provide written descriptions of map elements (such as the red region to the north that indicates warmer climate boundaries).
I would use the new map for two purposes: First as an art piece in a standard 24x36 poster frame (no idea what DPI that requires I can print locally from the digital file) and second I would use 50x50 to 100x100 mile sub maps for chapter headings in a book I'm writing (if anyone's interested http://www.wattpad.com/story/37432140-the-north-marshes). I would need the copywrite to allow sub-sampling the map to follow characters around and slight edits (mostly removing settlements for earlier historical eras). So long as no professional publishing comes into play (which I doubt) we should be golden. In that unlikely event though I'd be open to individual chapter maps being made to keep the artistic style consistent, but publishers and ergo lawyers would be involved so who knows what might happen. There are no time constraints
My email is kristophergrows--at--gmail.com (remove the -- and convert "at" to @)
Many thanks and sorry again for posting an investigatory bit like this instead of a normal commission request. I just don't know if this is realistic presently.
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