January 2016 Challenge: Barsoom

[Deadshade]

This is an excellent map. The colors are truer than nature, the subtle shadow/light play is fitting, Mars portrait is nicely stylized.
I would just adapt 2 things - both have been mentionned.
- Terra could be more bluish/greenish and Luna more whitish/blackish to suggest the true colors of those bodies all the while keeping the general rusted tone.
- There is no reason for the polar caps to be semi transparent. Either they were planned and then they are behind the frame. Or they have been added after the map was done and then it is them who override the frame. Doing both is perturbing (at least for my eye).

Third is that the river Isis is physically improbable - the blue suggests water and the idea of a continuously decreasing altitude on a track going over half the planet's perimeter shouldn't happen. But it is perhaps a feature that exists in the comics, I don't know.

[Chick]

Thanks, Deadshade. I originally had the planets in natural color, and I also tried varying levels of the overlay color, but it was always too much strong color on an otherwise (almost) monocolor map.

Yes, the river Iss is hopelessly impossible, but it's what ERB wrote, so I tried to thread it through what canyons and between-craters spaces existed. Some of the seas are also unlikely, including one specifically written as at the south pole, but I tried to keep as close to ERB's novels as I could with a modern Mars surface to work on. Remember, ERB only had the canali maps to go by.

As for the polar ice, with three initial negative reactions out of three, I guess it just doesn't work.

### Latest WIP###
Barsoom 11.jpg

[snodsy]

Wow, Chick this is look spectacular! I'd give a little more room around the header text. Maybe cut down the leading for the three bottom text blocks. Maybe a pinch or two more space around the small labels from the element they represent.

Are the upper and lower regions ice caps, they look more like clouds with them overlapping the border, if ice caps, I'd make them fit under the striped border, if clouds I think they are ok.

[Deadshade]

I originally had the planets in natural color, and I also tried varying levels of the overlay color, but it was always too much strong color on an otherwise (almost) monocolor map.

]

I thought so. That's why I wrote that it had to be the rusted style but with "hints" of the true color (green/blue and white/black) . Of course as I didn't try, I have no idea how the "hint" could be technically done. As you said that you tried and didn't find, the solution is certainly not obvious. I think that this (logical) intrusion of hints of other colors than rust would immediately suggest that those bodies are not like Mars what could be an added value for the general composition.
But I may be wrong .

[xpian]

Being creative is great! I try new thinks like that all the time. It's part of the reason my process is a little slow. But when the thing you try just looks wrong, ya gotta change it! ;-)

[Chick]

A few more tweaks, some based on your good ideas, and some I've been thinking about myself ...

### Latest WIP ###
Barsoom 12.jpg

[Bogie]

Fabulous map! Love all the details. Can't really give advice, it is way beyond my pay grade already!

[Chick]

Fabulous map! Love all the details. Can't really give advice, it is way beyond my pay grade already!

That's very kind of you, Bogie!

[Meshon]

Here is my latest effort. I even took a whack at drawing the Roman god Mars, for those of you who like a good laugh

Hahahaha!

Wait, why am I laughing? If you hadn't mentioned it I would have just thought, "Oh cool, there's Mars in the corner." It's perfect. I'm really glad to see you do this map. I realized that I just didn't have enough connection to the source material for this challenge; I'm glad you brought your experience to the table.

As to the polar caps and playing with the authority of map borders, I know you've already resolved that but seriously, good to try things out and then hear what people think. Do it again on your next map, in my opinion.

cheers,
Meshon

[Chick]

Hahahaha!

Wait, why am I laughing? If you hadn't mentioned it I would have just thought, "Oh cool, there's Mars in the corner." It's perfect....

Thank you, Meshon, you're nice to say that, but I have no illusions about my drawing ability, it's still about second grade elementary school But I do appreciate the encouragement very much!