Unnamed - An Experiment

[MapMappingMapped]

I asked for ideas, and Jaxilon gave me this, so here's the WIP. A large, dead island. I used my new Manuscript dip nibs, along with Liquitex Acrylic ink. I want to try and apply the paint once all the linework is done and dry, as Nopkin and Baerald do. Oh, and I'd mentioned happy mistakes, and the very first drop of ink I put on the paper was the two blotches there. Well, hopefully it'll be sort of invisible with the paint, or it'll make the map old-looking and authentic hehe...
According to Jaxilon, this island has a abandoned port and a capital in ruins. If you can't find it, the capital is on the dried out lake (I was thinking Tenochtitlan), and the port further west on the coast of course.
The little areas near the south-west where there is grass - the grass has grown because of the receding sea - which is falling down that crazy crack in the ocean. Also, the river that leads to the port is quickly disappearing ( it doesn't come from the lake anymore, and is probably reaching the sea to die...).
I apologise for the border. If anyone has ideas to save it...
If anyone has used Liquitex ink, I'd happily accept advice! Once the linework is done I'll leave it to dry for a day. That's how tense I am lol
Oh, and yeah, no labels - if I tried them, the map would go bang...

[Gidde]

It'll dry MUCH faster than that (though there is zero harm in waiting). Usually I come downstairs, peruse the forum for 15-30 minutes, go back up and it's dry.

A few tips that I have found out the hard way:

• Do not actually dip the pen. Use the eyedropper in the bottle, and ONLY coat the back of the nib, except for once when you first start with the dry nib, one drop over the front.
• Always have scrap paper nearby, and it needs to be thick paper like a sheet from a drawing pad, not thin paper like copy paper.
• Every time you load the nib with ink, tap the side of the nib to the side of the bottle to get rid of excess, then test your line on the scrap paper. Only then are you safe to touch your map with it.

I'm going to make a real tutorial post this weekend with pictures, but these should help you avoid more drips.

[Jaxilon]

Woot! It'll be fun to see how this goes. I know how it is not working digitally so I'm with you on the bit of extra strain you feel about things not going to plan. This is going to be fun

[MapMappingMapped]

It'll dry MUCH faster than that (though there is zero harm in waiting). Usually I come downstairs, peruse the forum for 15-30 minutes, go back up and it's dry.

A few tips that I have found out the hard way:

• Do not actually dip the pen. Use the eyedropper in the bottle, and ONLY coat the back of the nib, except for once when you first start with the dry nib, one drop over the front.
• Always have scrap paper nearby, and it needs to be thick paper like a sheet from a drawing pad, not thin paper like copy paper.
• Every time you load the nib with ink, tap the side of the nib to the side of the bottle to get rid of excess, then test your line on the scrap paper. Only then are you safe to touch your map with it.

I'm going to make a real tutorial post this weekend with pictures, but these should help you avoid more drips.

Thanks for the tips Gidde! I can't believe how strong this ink is - it didn't smudge anywhere - except the little key to symbols box, where I drew my hand across it in the second it took to dry: there's a little downward brush-stroke like leak.

Woot! It'll be fun to see how this goes. I know how it is not working digitally so I'm with you on the bit of extra strain you feel about things not going to plan. This is going to be fun

Oh yes, this is fun! The ink was exactly as I had hoped! I did not need to draw any lines over again - everything stayed put. To anyone looking and who's wondering whether to buy the liquitex ink - you shan't regret t!
Latest progress - I think it's kind of done. I'm happy with the island, but I kinda messed the sea lol. For some reason I kept accidentally painting into the isles...
The scroll at the top was NOT smudged by the paint on the ink. It's the sea overlapping onto it, which makes such an ugly smudge :/
Overall I'm quite happy with this experiment- and I found my new favourite border! I usually have such a problem with neat borders, and this one isn't neat but (I think) works pretty well! (I got it from a book about native crafts which used the same border on every page).
What I'm most unhappy about - the lava showing in the cracks. Looks like bloody vomit.
And finally, I just feel so good thanks to the liquitex ink. It's so shockingly good! For the dip pens, I think they're also much better for coastlines, than microns or other fineliners, since the latter make rather circular lines, and I feel better with scratchy, hard coastlines. Long sentence heh.
(also, when scanning, the dip pens seem to be much less pixelised than microns...) But I still love microns for many other things!
Thanks Jaxilon for the idea! Not sure if I'll label it yet..

[Gidde]

I know right?! When I got it, it changed my paper-mapping world.

That sea overlap is indeed beyond frustrating -- hence my acrylic borders No way around it without masking, which is something I haven't tested with the ink (last time I masked first, then sea, THEN ink to avoid that test).

And I tend to agree - dip pens make rugged coastlines EASY.

[MapMappingMapped]

I know right?! When I got it, it changed my paper-mapping world.

That sea overlap is indeed beyond frustrating -- hence my acrylic borders No way around it without masking, which is something I haven't tested with the ink (last time I masked first, then sea, THEN ink to avoid that test).

And I tend to agree - dip pens make rugged coastlines EASY.

i think masking fluid over ink will remove some of the paper, even if just shreds, which can take away some of the linework. Then again I suppose it depends on the quality of the fluid and paper. My fluid is Winsor and Newton masking fluid (the yellowish one), and my paper is mostly cheap cold press that's pretty decent. I've also tried the fluid on my better-quality paper, and it seems impssible not to leave the paper underneath a bit untattered. But the least damage is quite acceptable.

[Gidde]

Hmm, I really need to get some masking fluid (I made do with posterboard and magic tape last time). I have several different kinds of papers, I could do some experimentation and post up the results.

[MapMappingMapped]

Hmm, I really need to get some masking fluid (I made do with posterboard and magic tape last time). I have several different kinds of papers, I could do some experimentation and post up the results.

I'd stay tuned if you did!