[Free Form Mapping] A Pirate's Island

[Turgenev]

I thought I would try something a bit different. I decided to do a quick and dirty map - basically I didn't want to spend hours or days on the one map. I wanted to do something that was more free form and spontaneous (basically like free form writing but applied to cartography instead). Here's what I came up with.

piratescroll_large.jpg

I drew the island, the mountains, hills and forest outlines with a sharpie marker in less than 5 minutes (on a scrap piece of paper no less). I then scanned it, and then cleaned it up and coloured in it in Photoshop. Then I added the hex grid and then took that map and added it to the scroll. Over all, the whole thing took just under 1 hour to do (give or take 5 minutes).

Here's the original scanned map to give you a better idea of what I started with.

piratemapscan.jpg

[Steel General]

Fun little map Turgenev...

[Redrobes]

Thats a cool map for a short amount of time.

[Turgenev]

Thanks guys. While I was away, I didn't get any mapping done so I did this in an attempt to rekindle my cartography fire. I'm now on other projects but I might do something like this again in the future since it was so much fun to do.

[Ramah]

In under an hour that is really something. I doubt I'd even have my sketch scanned in that time. :S

I presume you already had that scroll background? Or acquired it? Because if you also created that scroll in PS in that time then I think I'll just uninstall mine. Hehe.

[torstan]

I have to say that a short sharp map is a great idea. Nice map too.

[Turgenev]

In under an hour that is really something. I doubt I'd even have my sketch scanned in that time. :S

I presume you already had that scroll background? Or acquired it? Because if you also created that scroll in PS in that time then I think I'll just uninstall mine. Hehe.

The scroll and the skull & crossbones pics came from free clip art that I found online. I've also sped up my scanning time by using the import option in PS that allows me to drop the scanned image directly into Photoshop instead of using the scanner command and then finding the stored image and then opening it up in PS.

[Ascension]

I love these quick and dirty maps and was actually thinking about tossing that out as a challenge idea. I do these as well to re-light my fire but my hand-drawn ones never come out this nice Good stuff, man.

[Turgenev]

Sometimes I get so involved in my maps and I will obsess about the littlest detail until it is just right, I thought of doing this free form just to see what would come up without any sort of planning. Instead of shooting from the hip, I drew from the hip.

I look at this map and I see spots that a part of me wants to change and tweak but I'm resisting the urge and leaving it as is - with blemishes and all. I hope to do a similar exercise again at some point. I guess I should add 'sharpie marker' under the Software Category section under my username. (just kidding)

BTW, Ascension - I had to google the 'Bill Stickers is innocent' bit. It had me LMAO! Hehehehe...

[Lathorien]

I think a one hour (friends just called surprise their board and coming for that session you've been talking about but never acually did any work for) challange is a good benchmark. Dunno for a full out challange, but as a chanllenge to each other, make a thread where we all dump simple maps. ready to use, with less that an hour taken to make them> Its a resource tool for GMs, or writers needing some new geographical inspiration, a little fun to see just want kind of mini-project or table aid can we come up with with a hour guidline.