November 2007 Entry: Superstition Valley

[Gamerprinter]

...but the way you've put this together I can totally see how the symbols can be pulled out.

By creating the map first, I can get the "look" I want, and by creating hills, and terrain features as individual objects, I can then pull them out and isolate them as individual map objects - thus I will be creating a dozen or so hill objects, etc. I plan to create several more mountain ranges going different directions and one spreading out, as well as several individual mountains. Though I may not use every terrain feature I create as individual objects.

For a compass rose, I plan use a native american motif. The north-south point will be an Apache spear with feathers, the east-west point will be a springfield rifle with native feathers, metal stud decorations, as would be done to a native owned rifle. The center piece will be a round "skin" shield with southwestern native geometric art painted onto it.

I may include some "wood-cut" type designs on the edging, as well as several inserts of prominent citizens or known desperados in the Superstition Valley. All labeling will feature heavy serif-western motif fonts, I may even place a legend that has a feel of a 19th century advertisement.

I know I said, I prefer Dark Ages and earlier, but I'm having fun with this Wild West project!

[Gamerprinter]

I'm thinking of minimizing the use of color, only using muted watercolor tones in the cactus/trees, detailing on the mountains, hills and major terrains, then relying on a parchment map background - black ink only for all other graphics and labeling.

Which means I'm not going to "type in" the labeling, that will be hand-drawn as well.

For the mountains, as a web object, I'm thinking of creating each "side of the mountains" as separate objects, allowing users to butt them up together closely for a narrower mountain range, or use only one side to separate a higher plateau from the ground floor below, or face each other to create a canyon like valley between two plateaus. This means I will be creating southern end pieces in different directions to allow the placement of mountains going different directions - to custom build your own mountain range.

For the towns and camps, I intend to use more than just that one "mining town" design, rather, I will be drawing prominent buildings at that location, rather than an entire town, and rather than just a circle or star. Thus each community will have its own unique marker.

For labeling I intend to combine text on scrollwork, hand-written descriptions right onto the map area at specific sites and large labeling that is "laying down on the ground surface" following the 3/4 view perspective in the map itself. I'm also researching drawings of women/natives/horses in 19th century style as embellishments at the corners of the map, and surrounding the legend, etc.

(I know Arcana said a simple Old West map and set of objects, I just can't control myself! )

[Gamerprinter]

To ensure I have useable web objects from the pen & ink drawings I'm creating I am now focusing on creating just the objects as opposed to the entire map (that is more or less developed in my head so far - at least generally where things must go.)

I created "mountain/canyon" parts, side views, front views, end pieces to connect to canyon walls or mountain sides.

I created a few stand-alone rock piles and formations to fill empty flatland areas of the map.

I started to create "plant" patches that could be used as repeating tiles for areas of growth. I will crop in close to each object to create a useable repeating texture.

The "square of dots" represent scrublands at a greater distance.

Because of the 3/4 view, I may have to create objects in different scales for those programs not able to rescale objects easily. Due to objects in foreground will be larger than midground or distant northern area of map.

WIP so far...

Oh this file is a PNG, but since there no color yet, and the objects aren't separated to individual objects, this is still pre-production art.

[ravells]

Looking great, GP! I think they look excellent in black and white.

[Gamerprinter]

I like the "black and white" only look myself, though once all the objects are placed on a map, perhaps color would truly help to visualize everything. However, I will be creating "colored" and "uncolored" versions of my map objects, so that I can create a b/w only map, as an option.

Additionally to prove that my mountain parts map objects work, I will be creating a few optional quick maps that show different mountain configurations with my hand-drawn map objects.

Finally, regarding the parchment background for this map, I'm thinking of just using a slightly manila white instead of true parchment look, since map printing existed for the old west onto normal paper and not necessarily parchment.

So I won't have any torn corners, burned edges, etc.

I am now referencing both old west 3/4 view maps and an 1876 Plat book of my county in Illinois for more ideas and to stay consistent with a 19th century mapping theme.

Next I have to work on buildings, mines, and communities - as far as drawing goes!

[ravells]

I'm looking forward to seeing how the modular mountains work. Great work, GP!

[Gamerprinter]

Good thing I tried this experiment of testing the mountain modules to see how they worked. I can already tell, I need at least a dozen more pieces to cover some angles I hadn't thought of ahead of time - still it is already working well enough. I'm definitely on the right track.

Oh, I tried my scrubland fill at different scales just to see how it looked for a region fill. I tried my cactus and bushes, but they didn't work well - needs some tweaking.

Anyway, Mountain Mods - 1st attempt... WIP so far...

Top left is a flattop ridge using my first mountain doodle.
Center top, same doodle, but both sides facing each other to form a canyon and a box canyon connecting piece at the bottom.
Top right, just one side of the mountain range to indicate a plateau over the ground level.

Upper center - is one side of the "east west" canyon side with a couple of end pieces attached.
Lower center is upper and lower canyon wall with left side box canyon connector.
Bottom is just the lower wall of the canyon with two upper end mountain pieces attached.

[töff]

I just found this forum, awesome! Love it.

I have an Old West map I did recently, here: http://gonewest.mysteryandmagic.com

I stuck with just browns, and a splash of red ink for the town names.

Cheated by stealing clipart for the town icons & cacti. Meh.