February 2023 Challenge: Almaera and Carmenjia's System (A2)

[Tiana]

I talked a big talk and haven't even started it yet (bad sandwich of migraines + commissions). To encourage me to actually do the thing, here is the existing solar system map that I will be basing what I create off of, our super high end concept map.

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I am aiming to make a map that fits in this space on my wall and... isn't made out of post-it notes and craft paper.

The fur is... thanks to my cats... and will probably not be on the final map...

You may note some of them are labelled things like "a Malelri for sure".

Malelri are the shapeshifting race in mine and Janell's setting. You have probably seen other maps in our setting and can find them collected here on my website! Or by looking into my post history for "Almaera" and "Carmen".

[jshoer]

Actually, I'd kind of love something low-fi but evocative. Could be really fun!

The cheese

Is "the eccentric one" really more like "the inclined one?" (Eccentric means a highly elliptical orbit, inclined means a very different orbit plane from the rest.)

[Tiana]

Actually, I'd kind of love something low-fi but evocative. Could be really fun!

The cheese

Is "the eccentric one" really more like "the inclined one?" (Eccentric means a highly elliptical orbit, inclined means a very different orbit plane from the rest.)

Thanks. I guess it's both, an oval orbit that's on a weird plane. It's a Malelri who just whizzes by and says hi every now and again. I have gone sort of low-fi!

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J is working on constellations on paper for me to adapt to the digital copy.

[Tiana]

Super lo-fi north and south hemispheres. J did one half, I did the other.

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[Greason Wolfe]

I kinda liked the idea of doing this with post it notes. Like some great and powerful creator entity planning out the next solar system they were an ing to build.

[Tiana]

Thanks, Greason. I am super fond of the OG post it note version. Maybe it would have red thread and tacks for the constellations. But I don't have a board to do it that way, lol. And the post it notes keep falling off because they're not very sticky. And they're covered in cat hair.

And I just spent 3 hours manually positioning vector stars so I AM IN THIS now.

But technically yes, that is how we, the great and powerful creators, planned it, XD

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Almaera system.jpg

[epson]

The hemispheres are a nice way to tell, where the system is in a bigger context.
Some things are a bit wild for my taste. Like the names not aligning with the middle of the planets or some texts in angles.
I would also try out an alternative for the purple background in the top image.
But the style is consistent and charismatic.

Also: Perfect how you fit "The Star Garden" into that name. Or "Almaera" to "Carmenia".

[XCali]

It's a lovely vibrant map. Good job with the constellations.

[Tiana]

Thanks, XCali and Epson. I experimented a bit with adding some of Epson's suggestions.

Also added the entire planet I forgot, added closeups that show the continents of Almaera and Carmen (that use highlights to show the locations of the two specific cultures with a few name colors), and did vector textures for the planets. I then wanted to add a little glow, so I did so with raster, and also added a representation of the galaxy as originally intended in that gap. And then messed around adding a bit of Ekaeli in the frame. Ideally I'll fill in the whole frame with Ekaeli writing but we'll see if I actually have time for that.

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[Rubikia]

Wow incredibly beautiful! Love the representation of the galaxy and the detail is amazing! A joy to explore and look at