Custom LOTR Map for Graduation Gift

[Qtiplord]

Project Scope:
Custom Middle-Earth map for the lawschool graduation of a lotr super fan. Titles and minor artistic flourishes only.

Design Concept:
My best friend is graduating law school and she is a tolkien super fan. Loving lotr has been a hallmark of our friendship and I want to get her a graduation gift befitting her amazing accomplishment. I'm interested in commissioning a custom map of Middle-Earth but changing the titles of most major locations to reflect her life and achievements thus far. Basically, changing all the places the Ring traveled to with all of the places she's lived/things she's accomplished along her path to mount doom (graduation). I have these all mostly nailed down but welcome input from the artist if he or she is interested.

Additionally, i'm interested in some minor artistic flourishes throughout, things like changing Minis Tirith to look like the supreme court building, and adding a wig to the illustration of Smaug flying around the lonely mountain, (inside joke). These would be few and far between, if I even decide to pursue them at all.

Technical:
I'm just interested in the one map, to be printed and framed as a gift. I'm interested in procuring the work of someone who already has a middle-earth map in their stable that they're interested in lightly altering, the preferred size would likely dictate the size of the existing work. This will be hung on a wall so a nice sized map but not overly huge.

Copyright:
I think is irrelevant in this case, but would stay with the cartographer and the tolkien estate.

Deadline:
We're quite a ways out from my friends graduation, timeline is not of any concern, i'm mostly focused on identifying the right artist.

Payments:
I'm happy to pay whatever you think is fair for this commission. I don't *think* this will be too major of a time investment so I'm hoping the price is reasonable, but happy to discuss and get into the details here as this is my first time requesting a commission.

Contact:

C.D. Patterson

Patterson(at)gwu(dot)edu
Please use the subject line LOTR Map

[Tiana]

If you're looking for someone who already has a Middle Earth map they might modify, I know there's this one made by Sapiento earlier this year! https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...ddle+earth+map Maybe worth contacting them to see if they can insert your custom lawyer journey. Marc also did a Shire map but I don't think it went as far as you were hoping. There's probably a couple of others on here... let's be fair, several of us would and could do a new LotR map just for your project. I know I would. But Sapiento's map is the first one I think of when it comes to premade recent Middle Earth renditions.

[Wingshaw]

This sounds like a great idea for a gift!

I'm afraid I don't have time to offer my own services (and I've never done LotR, either), but following from Tiana's point: there's a ton of Middle Earth maps around the Guild. I remember there was a period about a year or two ago when it became a friendly challenge here, and so many fantastic maps were made. Doing a search on the forums might be the best way to identify an artist you'd like to hire.

I've just done a quick search, and found these ones (note some are quite old posts and so might not still be active members):
Carnifex: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
Sapiento: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
Gidde: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
MistyBeee: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
J.Edward: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
Cirias (WIP): https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
Saule: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
Siriusbusiness: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
FrancescaBaerald: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
Snowstorms: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth
Tainotim: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...t=middle+earth

Even if they aren't specifically what you're looking for, can't hurt to get some inspiration for style, right?

Wingshaw