That is why there used to be work places that looked like this:
or this:
(images from us mil. and Belfast Museum - Titanic exhibit, respectively)
-Rob A>
Consider that a practice that lead towards clipart. The LaSalle County Platbook contains dozens of pages with similar showing properties drawn by hand. When this book was created, undoubtedly one was created for every other county as well - 42 in all. How many similar books were created for other states and their counties?
How many artists were involved - probably an army, perhaps part of the cartographers jobs in the project. Anyway, hundreds or thousands of such drawings would be required.
Production workflow would be necessary to create such a large project, therefore cows consistently drawn the same way would help in making quicker work of such a large job.
I couldn't imagine the level of work involved, nor the cost in today dollars compared to 1876.
Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
DrivethruRPG store
Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations
That is why there used to be work places that looked like this:
or this:
(images from us mil. and Belfast Museum - Titanic exhibit, respectively)
-Rob A>
My tutorials: Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional Map ~ All My Tutorials
My GIMP Scripts: Rotating Brush ~ Gradient from Image ~ Mosaic Tile Helper ~ Random Density Map ~ Subterranean Map Prettier ~ Tapered Stroke Path ~ Random Rotate Floating Layer ~ Batch Image to Pattern ~ Better Seamless Tiles ~ Tile Shuffle ~ Scale Pattern ~ Grid of Guides ~ Fractalize path ~ Label Points
My Maps: Finished Maps ~ Challenge Entries ~ My Portfolio: www.cartocopia.com
Can you imagine the insane filing system an operation like that would require? 50 or 60 drafters, each working with 20 - 100 poster-sized sheets, and you've got to be organized enough so that everyone can find the drawings they need when they need them.
Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
http://www.bryanray.name
(Just as a complete, total, and unabashed sidenote that has nothing to do with mapping or this thread in the least other than a flashing snopped of a thought: I wish the days of ubiquitous suits and dress clothes would come back.)
(and now on with our regularly scheduled thread)
Don
My gallery is here
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"Keep your mind in hell, but despair not." --Saint Silouan [1866-1938]