Pirate Maps!

Hi! I just joined the community this evening, and was going to post this
after I finished it, but everyone seems to be really responsive and helpful
with suggestions/critiques so I figured I'd toss up a WIP.


:?: First ever colour map attempt, did some DnD type doodles back in
highschool. A fantastical version of the Caribbean as part of a
graphic novel project. All under copyright I'm afraid, but I'll post some
freebie ornaments and such if there's interest. :)


[Photoshop CS3E / Painter X | intuos 2 | About 36 layers | lots of brush lag]

http://www.blackspotstudio.com/bssbu...etCarib01b.jpg

To Do: (Quite a bit more colour.)
I'll be coloring the ornament in the upper right and land masses as well as
labelling islands and I'm puzzling out a way to depict detailed current
directions in a visually pleasing way.

Welcome to the Guild, and a Fantastic first post.

Welcome!

Here's the flow map I pieced together from a weather site, going to try to
incorporate this concept... just prettier. >.> Any ideas would be appreciated,
it's 4:28am and my creative juices ran dry a couple hours ago. :o

Best I can figure is to do little arrows like this, just lower the opacity and make
'em a little fuzzier/blurry. OR Larger transparent arrows, all stylized to fit the
period.

http://www.blackspotstudio.com/bssbucket/flow.gif

That is a nice looking map indeed. Sweet! I'd go for transparent and stylized bigger arrows.

Impressive, most impressive!

I especially like the text banners top and bottom, appropriate and imaginative words. And that parchment look is top notch. I would love to see a tutorial on how to accomplish that.

I think you are on the right track with your idea on how to make wind arrows, interesting to see how you can incorporate them and keep it stylish.

You have given me inspiration and ideas, thank you so much :D
And good luck with your mapping!

//Anna

Wonderful! If this were the final image, I'd be impressed. I can't wait to see where you're headed!

The first idea that popped into my mind was Poseidon blowing wind. At least I think it is Poseidon. I've seen similar pictures before with an old man blowing the wind into a sail, or making the sea tumultuous.

You might want to try showing the currents using something like contour lines...(though I'll admit I have never seen this before)

Here is a quick mockup on the gulf chunk of your map. I just posterized a greyscale "flow-density map" that was a little too flat in the middle... Ideally instead of continual lines, if you could use segments that taper at both ends it might look nicer...

Attachment 3213

-Rob A>

Ding, ding, ding! Once again RobA submits an incredible idea/map. I like that approach! REPPED!

But then you'd still arrow heads to show the direction the current is flowing in unless there's a more cunning way to show direction of flow without using arrow heads...dunno. You're the waterman, RobA - you figure it out!