Edge of Creation

[Tonnichiwa]

Hello everyone,

I was experimenting with different things today and came up with this map made just for fun. Enjoy

[Voolf]

Nice style. Very similar to some of feudal japanese artists. I like it. There is a little bit to much strokes on the sea though. Kinda makes it too messy in my eyes.

[Mouse]

Hey Tonnichiwa - Great work

I really like your style. Did you hand draw some of it? I haven't seen either of those sky or sea 'fills' before

[Tonnichiwa]

@Voolf, Thanks, I'm glad you like it, except of course for the waves. I was trying to create a map in the style of Heiin Kunpin's map called Enoshima Konkisan Sannomiya Saiken No Zu. It is kept in the East Asian Library of the University of California Berkeley. His waves are almost exactly like that. He drew it in the year 1700.
I agree that they seem to be a bit much but that's the map style.

@Mouse, nope, its from the Cartographer's Annual #103 City Panoramas and Cartographer's Annual #110 Empire of the Sun. The waves and clouds in the sky aren't actually fill styles at all, they are symbols from the City Panorama Annual. I used mountains from both annuals and intermixed them to see if they fit well together. Normally they don't but I messed around with them long enough that I think I found a way to make them work, at least in this map.

I'm glad to see you like the map. It turned out better than I thought it would.

[Voolf]

You mean this one. I like it very much, as other japanese artists. The waves are less "drastic" here, but hey your attempt is great. I guess next time if you reduce them a bit it will look much better.

[Tonnichiwa]

Yep, that's the one. The Cartographer's Annual style was the closest I could get to making it look like that. But I may be able to find different waves in a different style, or actually draw them myself some day.

[Greg]

Hey Tony, it's been a while since I've seen you around on the guild so good to have you back!

It's a nice look you've got to this piece. I really like the waves, and actually think it's the other way around, with perhaps more sketchy lines needed on the land to match it, particularly on the left hand side of the island.
I'm afraid I can't read Japances to appreciate you labels and text in the corner, but I'm sure they say something good. They look nice and well positioned whatever the case.

The experimental way you've done the clouds also gives it a cool, kinda wood engraved look which I think could be interesting to see a whole piece in that style.

Anywho, long story short, great to see you back at the Guild and a nice stylised piece to return with!

[Tonnichiwa]

Thanks GLS. I've been through some very serious life changes that have not been kind to me so the guild and mapmaking had to take a back seat for a while. But I'm glad to be making a map once in a while again. And good to see you too. I see you did great on the challenge recently, congrats for that. And thank you for your comments about this map. If I were a better artist I would probably try to do an entire map in that woodblock style, but alas my skills are not up to par.

The Japanese is really just a bunch of words that are inspirational but I forgot which ones mean what. Now I just put them somewhere that looks aesthetically pleasing to the non kanji reading people and it seems to work out great.

[Wired]

Cool style, have some rep!

[Voolf]

I can't read Japances to appreciate you labels and text in the corner, but I'm sure they say something good. They look nice and well positioned whatever the case.

清廉 (Seiren) - Purity
友 (Tomo) - Friend
喜び (Yorokobi) - Joy
福 (Fuku) - Good fortune, blessing
美しい (Utsukushii) - Beautiful, lovely
愛　(Ai) - Love

(These kanji are not used alone, though they still have meanings)
健 (Ken) - Health, Vigor
危 (Ki) - Danger
忠　(Chuu) - Loyalty, devotion
栄 (Ei) - Glory, prosperity