Ahryn - WIP

[Mouse]

Looking good, Kacey

I really wouldn't worry too much about where to put the compass right now until you've added all the islands and the land detail, then decided where the rhumb lines are going. If there's a nice vacant looking spot that needs something in it out in the ocean once you have done all that, then I would guess it would make a good place to start thinking about a compass

[Tiluchi]

Hi Kacey,

Yowza, this is beautiful! I love the color scheme you have going, and you've done a great job of blending the terrains. I'm not often a fan of maps like this where coastlines are directly lifted from Earth, just because the exact parallels are often obvious and incredibly distracting. However, I think for the most part you've done a great job of breaking up different landforms to the point that they're not immediately noticeable. I do think that some of the Indonesian islands in there are a little too obvious, but it's up to you if you want to fix that :-) You've also got Cape Cod, Massachusetts in there twice, which honestly is really distracting once you notice it, just because it's such a distinctive shape. But overall, beautiful job!

[Straf]

Looking good, Kacey

I really wouldn't worry too much about where to put the compass right now until you've added all the islands and the land detail, then decided where the rhumb lines are going. If there's a nice vacant looking spot that needs something in it out in the ocean once you have done all that, then I would guess it would make a good place to start thinking about a compass

Ah that's what those lines are called I've seen them on other peoples' maps and wondered what they were all about. I'm assuming they're purely aesthetic rather than fulfilling a practical purpose

[Mouse]

I just had a totally crazy idea sparked by what Tiluchi said (and by the fact that I'm listening to a particularly lively little violin concerto played by Tasmin Little, which always seems to do the trick when I'm stuck for them)

This is for future maps - but would it be possible to reflect the coastlines and the relief, then rotate the reflected bits 180 degrees so that the relief shading looks 'normal' on the mountains?

Reflecting things would make otherwise recognizable shapes 'new to the eye' and less likely to be... well... recognized.

(Just ignore me - I'm having a totally MAD day!)

EDIT: Oh - and Straf, a quick definition of a rhumb line is: an imaginary line on the earth's surface cutting all meridians at the same angle, used as the standard method of plotting a ship's course on a chart.

[Straf]

It's not a form of synchronised Cuban dancing then?

I looked it up and then started to read about Mercator Projections :/

[Abu Lafia]

Great work so far Kacey. I like the coastline shape and the relief shaded terrain. The aged looking colouring is very appealing! Looking forward to see it coming together.

[Mouse]

It's not a form of synchronised Cuban dancing then?

I looked it up and then started to read about Mercator Projections :/

Oh no, you don't want to do that on a Thursday! Map projections are really way too complicated for a Thursday

Since most fantasy maps are at best only vaguely Mercator, the rhumb lines that are drawn on them as dead straight lines are at best only vaguely accurate, so yes - they are primarily decorative rather than functional or useful

[Straf]

Oh so I won't be judged negatively if I declare that I could make neither head nor tail of it?

BTW I do believe we live at opposite ends of the same road, you at the Durotriges and me at the Iceni

[kacey]

definitively a cute project !! an interesting combination of familiar coastlines which form something completely new

Thanks randigpanzrall, I'm glad you like it.

This is looking really good

Thanks Straf!

Looking good, Kacey

I really wouldn't worry too much about where to put the compass right now until you've added all the islands and the land detail, then decided where the rhumb lines are going. If there's a nice vacant looking spot that needs something in it out in the ocean once you have done all that, then I would guess it would make a good place to start thinking about a compass

Thanks Mouse, I'll take that into account, I'm sort of stalling on finishing the coast right now... Seems like so much work, I started drawing a portrait last night just for a change of pace, I should probably get back to getting this land done, it might be that I just need a challenge deadline to get anything finished.

[kacey]

Hi Kacey,

Yowza, this is beautiful! I love the color scheme you have going, and you've done a great job of blending the terrains. I'm not often a fan of maps like this where coastlines are directly lifted from Earth, just because the exact parallels are often obvious and incredibly distracting. However, I think for the most part you've done a great job of breaking up different landforms to the point that they're not immediately noticeable. I do think that some of the Indonesian islands in there are a little too obvious, but it's up to you if you want to fix that :-) You've also got Cape Cod, Massachusetts in there twice, which honestly is really distracting once you notice it, just because it's such a distinctive shape. But overall, beautiful job!

Thanks Tiluchi, it's a real struggle to vary the coast enough, for such a big place I sure am having a hard time finding the right chunks from earth to piece together this coast line. I hadn't even noticed the double of Cape Cod, thanks for pointing it out, I'll try to vary it a bit better, tho I can't promise I don't double something else in the process, I forget what chunks I've used so far so anything could happen, thankfully I have you guys to help point out the things I might not notice. I'll definitely remove the little islands at the bottom, or rearrange them at least, probably a better idea is to use islands that aren't anywhere near tho.