Hand drawn maps

[PaperGriffin]

Those are beautiful maps.

[- JO -]

That's good work, and a hell of a level! Bravo! Your friends are lucky to receive such gifts! And congratulations also for the shooting of your cards, they are beautifully highlighted, in a very unusual style.

[Azélor]

Very impressive !

[Impractical Cartographer]

Thank you for the kind words.

Maybe someday I should really do some tutorial on how to hand-draw maps.

However, I think I should rather start with something simpler and put a "work in progress" thread where you can follow the way I draw, hit, ask and comment on the progress.

[Greason Wolfe]

I got one word for you...Yowsa! Those are excellent works. I would definitely follow along if you post a tutorial, even if for nothing else than to see your work flow.

[Impractical Cartographer]

Ok, I'd like to ask you something else.

What do you think about using fantastic or ancient script on maps? Or even an ancient and extinct language? Is atmosphere or readability more important?
Do the next Dragon Mountains really have to be named in English/French/other language? Maybe it's better to use runes? Cuneiform? A forgotten alphabet?



I used Glagolitic script only on this map. Glagolitsa is the oldest known Slavic alphabet created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril. Currently, it is used only in the holy books and Orthodox liturgy. Few people know this script and he can read them.

But I think it makes the map more interesting, more intriguing and more mysterious.

What is your opinion?

[Greason Wolfe]

I personally don't have a problem with ancient/forgotten scripts because, as you mentioned, they can add atmosphere to a map. What I see in such instances is an "English translation" in a smaller script underneath the main script so that people can identify locations more easily unless they are not supposed to be able to do such.

(Hope that made sense)

[Baron]

I go the other way. I just get frustrated if I can't read or understand a map. Sure, you could argue that it's just art, but even when I look at ancient maps, I don't get as interested because I can't read the words. As in that pretty Japanese map someone posted the other day, I just want one I can read, otherwise I give it a glance and move on. So if we're going to make pretty fantasy maps, I want them in a modern language that I'm fluent in. (Sadly, in my case that's only English, but if I was fluent in French and German and Spanish and Latin instead of just retaining the tiniest bit of familiarity, I would include them as well.) I suppose that ultimately it depends on what, or who, you're making it for, right?

[Falconius]

I kind of agree with Baron at least in terms of the mappiness of a map. You have to consider that when you use obscure languages or even made up languages you are deliberately excluding everyone who doesn't read that language. Which is fine, so long as you realize that that is the actual choice you are making.

[Tiana]

I love ciphers included on maps, because ciphers are not unbreakable. Personally I think this looks great. I love art maps, maps in other languages and forgotten scripts, but most of all if they can be decoded.

I use a conscript on a map of my own world. I use it for splash, though, not for the entire piece, and it is an English cipher that could be decoded. I think this gives a certain amount of puzzle flair so I enjoy it.