The British Isles.
IMG_20181109_022539_006.jpg
Well, that's the British Isles, done and dusted. Specifically, the British isles in my style, done traditionally (ink on coffee stained paper), and photographed using the subpar camera on my phone. This was my first time at trying to reproduce a real world location, and it certainly came with its own set of hurdles.
For the initial outline of the coast, I took numerous measurements from my atlas, then calculated a ratio according to the size of my paper, then made a rough outline of it, followed by the details. The biggest issue however, was representing the mountains/highlands, and the numerous rivers and lakes on the islands. The sad fact is, I had to take numerous "artistic liberties" in those regards, as is readily noticeable.
Finally, I learnt that laying down gradient (stippling) on the British isles takes almost as long as the deceptively simple Celtic knot border. Dear God, I must work on time management and efficiency.
In any case, criticism and suggestions are eagerly welcomed.
That's an amazing work here, UGE ! So many great details, from the delicate title parchment to the celtic knots, the ship, and this lovely coastline : I really love the relief here, and the subtle shading along the coast & rivers.
Have some more well deserved rep !
Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you. Incidentally, do you have any advice for where and what I could improve upon? Anything you don't particularly like?Originally Posted by MistyBeee
That's an amazing work here, UGE ! So many great details, from the delicate title parchment to the celtic knots, the ship, and this lovely coastline : I really love the relief here, and the subtle shading along the coast & rivers.
Have some more well deserved rep !
The old look is really excellent! Very nice map and frame!
About improvement, I'd say maybe a slightly more curvy coastline.
Thank you for the feedback. A curved coastline, you say? I'll certainly try it out in the next one.
Fantastic work on this! I admire your drawing skills.
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"
Thank you, for the compliment and the reps. Much appreciated.
Nice map! I wish I could write like you!
Thanks man. The writing is actually much simpler than what cartographers in the 16th and 17th centuries did. Their calligraphy was one to behold. I'm just doing cursive writing XD. Thank you for the reps as well.
Oops, sorry, I just saw your answer today ! ^^
There is two details I may change for a better consistency of style. The first is easy, the second a little less ^^
- You definitely have a talent for shading and texturing : adding some shading on the countries banners in the same style than what you did on the title parchment would give a more "finished" look and may help to integrate better the calligraphy as well)
- For my taste, I would maybe reduce a little the "black" impact of some parts of the map, and try to avoid the "black holes" (sorry for the clumsy words, it's this kind of situation where I see my English vocabulary is very limited ^^). The mountains maybe catch the eye a little too much, and maybe a more discreet shading may worth trying (something similar to the Dover cliffs ?). Maybe the same for the compass & border, where this lovely dotted texture you used on the coastline could be enough to emphasise the shapes without unbalancing the whole map. If it makes sense, I always think using different variations of the same style/technic is better than putting together different styles. To make simple : less is more ^^
However, keep in mind it's just my opinion (I know many people love strong shadows ^^), and it does not change anything to the fact your map is already wonderful ^^
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