My First World Map

[Mouse]

I am so sorry I didn't explain it properly the first time around!

I will take extra care never to send you off down the wrong road again

Having said that, though, the result you produced, despite the weirdness of doing it that way (and it must have felt really weird) was really quite attractive! LOL!

I can't explain what it is about the drawing, but you happen to draw really nice lines with the pen

[Chris Lewis]

I am so sorry I didn't explain it properly the first time around!

I will take extra care never to send you off down the wrong road again

Having said that, though, the result you produced, despite the weirdness of doing it that way (and it must have felt really weird) was really quite attractive! LOL!

I can't explain what it is about the drawing, but you happen to draw really nice lines with the pen

Lol, no worries at all my friend. I was actually trying to imitate the pine forests on another map (that you also commented on) that I REALLY liked. I couldn't find it again to put the link in I will try to take a stab at the way you described as well. Thank you for the comments, too. I wish I could make the shading look as good in pen but may have to save that for the digital side?

[Chris Lewis]

Here is the link, with the forests I'm referring to in the BR corner https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=36165&page=4

[Mouse]

Given the choice of doing the shading digitally, where things can be undone at the click of a button, IMHO I'd leave the shading until you can do it electronically on the digital map

Voolf's maps are indeed very beautiful, and to be quite honest I hadn't actually noticed that he didn't draw the whole tree at the edge of the forest.

Which way you go with this must definitely be your choice, not mine, but here are a few pros and cons to the alternatives:

Drawing the whole tree at the edge of the forest makes it more obvious that what you are drawing is actually a forest, but it does have the tendency to clutter the edge of the forest area with a great deal of detail that just isn't there in the interior of the forest. Shading on top of that can make it look a bit strange if its not very subtle.

Drawing the edge of the forest the way you have done, and the way that Voolf has done, removes the complicated edge detail straight away, but makes it a bit awkward when trying to express the shading that you will probably need to 'lift' the forest off the ground. It works well in Voolf's map, but he is drawing forests at a much smaller scale - as relatively small areas on a totally massive continent. It's easier for him in that situation to get away without any edge shading.

Its up to you, but whichever way you go with the style of the linework, bear those things in mind and the consequences (either way) for your map.

[Chris Lewis]

Given the choice of doing the shading digitally, where things can be undone at the click of a button, IMHO I'd leave the shading until you can do it electronically on the digital map

Voolf's maps are indeed very beautiful, and to be quite honest I hadn't actually noticed that he didn't draw the whole tree at the edge of the forest.

Which way you go with this must definitely be your choice, not mine, but here are a few pros and cons to the alternatives:

Drawing the whole tree at the edge of the forest makes it more obvious that what you are drawing is actually a forest, but it does have the tendency to clutter the edge of the forest area with a great deal of detail that just isn't there in the interior of the forest. Shading on top of that can make it look a bit strange if its not very subtle.

Drawing the edge of the forest the way you have done, and the way that Voolf has done, removes the complicated edge detail straight away, but makes it a bit awkward when trying to express the shading that you will probably need to 'lift' the forest off the ground. It works well in Voolf's map, but he is drawing forests at a much smaller scale - as relatively small areas on a totally massive continent. It's easier for him in that situation to get away without any edge shading.

Its up to you, but whichever way you go with the style of the linework, bear those things in mind and the consequences (either way) for your map.

All excellent points to think about! I imagine it will be much "easier" when I make the move to digital - like you say it's the money factor that is a barrier right now. My maps also looks "messy" right now without any colors for forests and bodies of water. I'm experimenting with simplifying my linework in some features to help me in this area. E.g., it seems to me the pines look less confusing when there is less amounts of linework.

[Mouse]

Again, the amount of detail is a personal style thing - your choice

All of these things - linework, shading, colours, interact and affect each other when combined in the finished map, so when you are looking at just the linework and nothing else remember that it may well look a lot different once the map is finished. In other words you can only learn by experience just how much is just enough and not too much, and since that crucial experience now depends on getting that tablet, I can hardly wait for it to arrive so you can start to do some real experiments in developing your style