April 2017 Challenge: Possessions of the Eldish Empire

[DanielHasenbos]

Inset is looking good Dan! Also, love the crisp, clean border!

Great choice of font, though some of the labels are a little hard to read. Otherwise, really nice update Dan!

Thank you greg! I haven't changed the labels with this update, but if I find the time before the challenge ends, I may get back and change that!

Hmmm. I think I need to use it as well. It's a great pattern, and I don't think I've used wave patterns like that in my maps before.

It's looking great! The inset is very well done.

Thank you Josiah! I'd like to see you use the patterns. I'm sure it would look cool with your maps!

I'm once again stunned by your work Sir! Absolutely neat yet beautiful to look at. For me your political maps are always pieces to look up to in awe and admiration. Keep up the fantastic work!

Wow, thanks Abu, you're too kind! D:

Nice update, the inset looks good so far, and thanks for the link back to the Quelgriss thread I'll definitely have to try this technique.

Thanks kacey, and your welcome! I look forward to see what you'll do with that technique!

It's great! The inset is really cool. I would maybe add something (a shadow maybe, or some thicker line) to make it pop more.

Thank you Ilanthar! I might try adding some sort of shadow if I find the time for it (:

Love the pattern/texture in the water. Looks like a crazy amount of work, but well worth it.

Thank you nam37! I used a repeating pattern for the ocean, so it wasn't actually that much work ;p

So here's the new update with the inset done. It's most likely going to be the last update before the end of the challenge so that means that this could be the final version of the map.

### Latest WIP ###

Elda 3.jpg

As always, let me know your thoughts!

[Voolf]

Such a great style. The map is very neat. I dont check challanges often, please upload it to finished map when its done. I want to rep you for it

[Mouse]

The detail of this imagined coastline is really quite incredible, and the drawing is superb. There is a ton of logic about the way the territories have been decided - very believable. I even like the colours (despite pink not being one of my personal favourites). Still not keen on the sea pattern (which is very odd of me because I generally like curly patterns in the sea), but I can see that it breaks up the ocean and that the alternative - depth shading or contrast of some kind - would greatly reduce the focus on the land.

Overall then, I like it

Thinking out loud to myself here - maybe I don't like the sea pattern in this map because the rest of it is relatively 'modern atlas', and curly wave patterns aren't usually seen in a modern atlas? Hmmm.... Then I'm not as much of a free thinker as I thought I was! LOL!

Please ignore this 'thing' I seem to have about the curly patterns. Everyone else seems to like them very much

[Josiah VE]

Very polished and professional. An excellent map to add to your portfolio.
I was just wondering, what part of the map does the inset belong to?

[J.Edward]

Very polished and professional. An excellent map to add to your portfolio.
I was just wondering, what part of the map does the inset belong to?

I totally agree. This looks great Dan
If it weren't in a challenge right at the moment, I would be posting this beauty to FB atm.

Josiah - look just left of Auerlels

[Josiah VE]

Josiah - look just left of Auerlels

Aha, I see now. Thank John.

[Chashio]

Fabulous work Dan!

[J.Edward]

I did feel like I should mention this though....
It was not easy to find where the inset was taken from.
Not sure what I would do, personally, to make it more obvious, but it does seem like it needs something.

One other tidbit... The specific size of the inset
I would probably scale it down just enough to fit it into the lines of the main map grid.
It would fit better visually, in my opinion, that way. Just a thought though.
Untitled-1.jpg
Still, it looks splendid Dan.

[Diamond]

I agree with John about scaling the size of the inset box down juuuuust a bit. As far as making it easier to tell where the inset is referencing, what about a simple black-line box around the relevant area of the main map, with text along the upper edge reading "see inset"?

FANTASTIC map, overall.

[DanielHasenbos]

Such a great style. The map is very neat. I dont check challanges often, please upload it to finished map when its done. I want to rep you for it

Thank you Voolf! I will make sure to upload it in the Finished Maps subforum when it's done!

The detail of this imagined coastline is really quite incredible, and the drawing is superb. There is a ton of logic about the way the territories have been decided - very believable. I even like the colours (despite pink not being one of my personal favourites). Still not keen on the sea pattern (which is very odd of me because I generally like curly patterns in the sea), but I can see that it breaks up the ocean and that the alternative - depth shading or contrast of some kind - would greatly reduce the focus on the land.

Overall then, I like it

Thinking out loud to myself here - maybe I don't like the sea pattern in this map because the rest of it is relatively 'modern atlas', and curly wave patterns aren't usually seen in a modern atlas? Hmmm.... Then I'm not as much of a free thinker as I thought I was! LOL!

Please ignore this 'thing' I seem to have about the curly patterns. Everyone else seems to like them very much

Thank you Mouse, and I'm very happy to hear that the territories (and borders?) seem natural and believable. That's always something I'm quite unsure of. I've stuck with the ocean pattern. Keep in mind that this is an entirely different world. It's got nothing in common with earth (except that there is an empire that spans almost the entire world and colonized all corners of the world during the 15th and 18th century. Oh, and their national color is red...) so perhaps this ocean pattern is considered very modern? ;p Nah, I guess you've got a point about the texture, but I think it goes well with this particular map.

Very polished and professional. An excellent map to add to your portfolio.
I was just wondering, what part of the map does the inset belong to?

Thank you Josiah! And yeah, John already pointed out what region the inset shows. I've tried to make it a little more obvious in this update.

I totally agree. This looks great Dan
If it weren't in a challenge right at the moment, I would be posting this beauty to FB atm.

Josiah - look just left of Auerlels

I did feel like I should mention this though....
It was not easy to find where the inset was taken from.
Not sure what I would do, personally, to make it more obvious, but it does seem like it needs something.

One other tidbit... The specific size of the inset
I would probably scale it down just enough to fit it into the lines of the main map grid.
It would fit better visually, in my opinion, that way. Just a thought though.
Untitled-1.jpg
Still, it looks splendid Dan.

Thank you John! I've followed your advice and changed the size of the inset just a little bit so it matches with the lines.

Fabulous work Dan!

Thanks you Chasio ;D

I agree with John about scaling the size of the inset box down juuuuust a bit. As far as making it easier to tell where the inset is referencing, what about a simple black-line box around the relevant area of the main map, with text along the upper edge reading "see inset"?

FANTASTIC map, overall.

THANK you, Diamond! I've done the black-line box around the area. Without the text, but I think it should help to identify the area in the inset map (:

Here's the final final update:

### Winner ###

Elda Final.jpg

As always, let me know what you think!