Morhaven Islands

[Carnifex]

Here's the finished map of this project. It will be used for a campaign setting I'm working on. There will be more detailed maps later on, this is "just" the overview map.

The map is made entirely in Photoshop CS3. Everything on the map is made for this map only except for the compass and the background paper. I hope the border I will work fine in the layout of the campaign material later as well. The border was fun to draw/paint but I really got to buy a pen tablet soon

The the aged paper borrowed from here (thanks!):
http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=7564

The WIP thread can be found here:
http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=8740

[Graphomaniax]

Very nice map, luv it! Simple and delicious!

[bobslayer]

I really like this map, very clean look, and easy to understand.

[torstan]

That's a great map. Very clean and clear, and wonderfully executed. Congratulations. I'm not totally sold on the border, but that's a minor thing. I love the subtle colouring of the sea and the way that works with the underlying paper texture. Great stuff.

[Carnifex]

That's a great map. Very clean and clear, and wonderfully executed. Congratulations. I'm not totally sold on the border, but that's a minor thing. I love the subtle colouring of the sea and the way that works with the underlying paper texture. Great stuff.

Thanks for your kind words! It means alot.

What is it that you do not like about the border? It will probably be around for a while so I will try to do it perfect.

[torstan]

My issues with the border are that it's a ver different style to the map itself. The saturation is substantially higher in the gold strip. Also, the texture is quite heavy, especially compared to the compass rose that looks like it should be in a similar style (both have a stone texture). The darks are darker than any shadows elsewhere in the map - by a lot. All of these together - but particularly the sharp darks and heavy texture - make it stand out from the map as a very different beast. That has the effect of drawing the eye to the edge of the map, whereas I'd rather a border dat quietly on the edge of the image and didn't distract the eye away from the focus - the map itself.

I guess the point is that the eye tends to be drawn to the area with the largest difference between the highlights and shadows - in everyday life that's the foreground. Things desturate and tend to occupy a thinner value range the further away they are. If the border is the region with the largest value range and most texture and detail then the eye will be drawn to the edge.

Those are my thoughts off the top of my head as to why it niggled. Hope they're useful?

[Carnifex]

My issues with the border are that it's a ver different style to the map itself. The saturation is substantially higher in the gold strip. Also, the texture is quite heavy, especially compared to the compass rose that looks like it should be in a similar style (both have a stone texture). The darks are darker than any shadows elsewhere in the map - by a lot. All of these together - but particularly the sharp darks and heavy texture - make it stand out from the map as a very different beast. That has the effect of drawing the eye to the edge of the map, whereas I'd rather a border dat quietly on the edge of the image and didn't distract the eye away from the focus - the map itself.

I guess the point is that the eye tends to be drawn to the area with the largest difference between the highlights and shadows - in everyday life that's the foreground. Things desturate and tend to occupy a thinner value range the further away they are. If the border is the region with the largest value range and most texture and detail then the eye will be drawn to the edge.

Those are my thoughts off the top of my head as to why it niggled. Hope they're useful?

Oh... thanks you for your clarification. I was worried you didn't think quality of the border was high enough. I'll probably use this border for the more detailed maps (see morhaven test thread) and make another border for this type of map.