Originally Posted by
jshoer
That looks great! Also great to see somebody drawing maps with a similar method to my own. I've a fair amount of experience by now with dip pens and watercolor pencils. Next time, I'd suggest you look for bristol paper. The ink really sits on top of the paper well, and if you decide to watercolor, the colors get into the paper, under the ink. The heavier stock won't warp so much, either - though you will get some of that, there's no way around it.
As for digitizing, I've had bad luck scanning because it ruins the contrast levels. You might find all your scuffs and construction lines become very black. That might be fine, as long as you are willing to post-process it all! I've taken to photographing with a tripod, in daylight but out of direct Sun. I have had the best results with a 60 mm macro lens. It also may seem obvious, but it's worth mentioning: use a self-timer, so you don't vibrate the tripod. There are various tutorials out there on the web for photographing art if you want more ideas. Another point to bear in mind is that everything digital photophiles say about matching real-world colors applies here. Be careful to set your monitor to sRGB when you tweak the color balance!
This map in particular looks terrific. (I want to say "fantastic," but that goes without saying!) I wouldn't add color at all - I think it stands well the way it is. If you digitize it, though, you can always experiment!
P.S. I love the southwest corner of the continent! You achieved lots of fine detail there, without overdoing it. For some reason, I also really like the scale at the left.
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