The Lands of Trolnarm

[Mouse]

Would it help to very slightly shade the front of the first bit of that label?

Anyhow. I think we are all agreed that you absolutely have to do a series of these maps. That would be a dreamer's idea of heaven

[ladiestorm]

J.Edward, you never cease to amaze me! This is an absolute fairy tale beauty!!! I love the farmland, the old leaning tower.... and pretty much everything else!

And happy belated birthday!

[jshoer]

Truly beautiful! It belongs right at home with the maps in Redwall and Watership Down.

[Matthew VE]

Beautiful and inspiring. Amazing work!
I also noticed it was your birthday, so happy belated birthday!

[Voolf]

Amazing!
Can't really say more. I am speachless

[Shards]

Beautiful work!

I think you achieved the fairytale look very well by all of those turrets and having them a little topsy-turvy is a great little touch.

Your landscaping is just wow... especially those slices of rock formations over the troll cave!!

[onez]

Beautiful map!
I like everything about it, the colour palette, the typography, and the somehow 'wobbly' linework.
I also think it is remarkable how you managed to keep the colours toned down just enough to perfectly integrate with the handmade linework.

Excellent job!


If I had to nitpick I'd only say that an illustrated title banner (The Lands of Trolnarm) for the map would probably add to its already powerful charm.

[Ilanthar]

And he strikes again ! Another beautiful one, John. The parchments for labels are top-notch and the ambiance very "fairy". I do have a question : will you do some very non-realistic and very pointy peaks one day ?

[Obbehobbe]

[Insert what everyone else have said here] + [more awesome response]

[J.Edward]

I'll have to do this in 2 chunks.

Oh man, this is just beautiful! I could easily see this in a kids' book. Your linework is fantastic and the colouring's lovely. Fantastic work all round.

Thank you ChickPea

Absolutely wonderful work! I love the way the hills roll, but everything rolls with them in a beautiful fashion that very much reminds me of stories I read when I was younger.

The more you look at it, the more it draws you in with all the little details.

Stunning work here J and I can definitely see you kept that promise of a mappy birthday!

Thank you GLS I live in an area with a lot of rolly hills so I tend to like to do rolly hills

Another fantastic piece, J. I like this style you've been working with lately: quite realistic but nonetheless very fairytale-ish. You have definitely achieved the look you were going for, I'd say.

I wanna ask two questions about this map:
--how long did this take you to make?
--is the story from your own imagination (and if so I'd be curious to know where you're going to take it next)?

THW

Thank you THW
Hmmm, I was trying to remember how long it took.... I know I worked on the pencil over 2 days.. maybe 6-8 hours each day. Then another 2 hours fixing the mountains around Troll Cave, as they looked wrong to me previously.
The color took a good bit longer. I started out trying to do a water color style more similar to the Haldeshar map. I liked it but felt it was the wrong style for this one.
So I erased that and started over. I feel like I spent 12-20 hours on the color, maybe more. Not sure. So total... maybe 40 hours or so. Maybe a bit more.

The story is my own imagining. It is only a story outline at this point.
I am currently working on so many stories I couldn't commit to writing this one fully at the time. I have a fairy tale world with a bunch of stories in it so far. I am slowly working on it for a book at some point. I also have several other worlds that have stories at various levels of progress going too. Trolnarm was more of a quick of the cuff type of story concept.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes. Absolutely beautiful artwork, J! Yes.

Thank you Chashio

Beautiful landscape John.

Thank you Thomas

First of all, a belated happy birthday John! This is a lovely piece (you know i have a weakness for "storydriven" maps ) and i think you really "nailed" the fairy-taleish mood in it. Linework and smooth coloring are splendid (as usual)! Love the Ho(h)lbein reference

Thanks Abu Hehe, I do as well. Story driven maps have a special flavor.
Holbein was actually in reference to Hans Holbein the Younger, but the Wolfgang connection would be more appropriate.