Time for critique and hello!

[pyrandon]

Hi, nikonguy! Welcome. I think you must be fibbing about being a beginning cartographer, for these maps are just great, both of them. Very, very impressive!

There are a couple improvements I'd suggest to the regional map. First, the river in Salifanfax is backwards: it runs from the plains to the mountains. The river in Rinstorm also seems to run into the north ice expanse, which seems odd.

Also, stylistically, the fonts are a tad too large, and the different styles and colors detract from the unity of the map. I am also not fond of the mountains, for they appear too bloblike for my tastes: much like they are large slugs. (But this, admittedly is my personal opinion & tatste; feel free to ignore it.)

The world map is very well done: rich and interesting. Perhaps it could use more geographical features, but only if it wil be used for some such purpose.

Again, great job, and welcome to the Guild!

[nikonguy]

Thanks for pointing out the river oddities..

As for the world map, it is going to be use as a more "general" world map that will act as direction to the more localized and detailed regional maps. The features on the world map are more of an abbreviation for the overall terrain, where as the regional map will provide more specifics.

Thanks for the input, keep it coming!!!

[nikonguy]

Well, I looked at the river stuff, and boy am I rather shocked at my flawed logic on this one.

What I thought: I was looking at the rivers from the perspective that the rivers start in the mountains and then break off into smaller rivers.

Reality: The opposite, as I'm sure most of you know. Smaller rivers will flow to create bigger rivers.

I looked the Mississippi River, the Rhine, and a few other ones in google earth, and boy was I suprised.

Thanks a lot for pointing that out!

[RPMiller]

Thankfully we caught it before RobA saw them.

[The Cartographist]

nikonguy - welcome to the guild. I think your world maps are fabulous. Vrey nicely done.

You've definitely come to the right place.

[ravells]

Welcome, welcome, nikonguy!

Lovely maps! I like the way you've used blue on blue for the ocean labels. Not so sure about the size and alignment of the labels in general though!

Ravs

[RobA]

Well, I looked at the river stuff, and boy am I rather shocked at my flawed logic on this one.

Don't be surprised... many, many, many, many people have thought the same. It is one of those things that 100 years ago everyone would have known, but is a foreign concept to most urban people!

Like the overall layout of the map, and most of my comments follow others' (the rivers being the big one for me). You can fix that river in Salinfax by rotating it 180 degrees to still hit both towns and run into the Al-Hassar bay, btw.

I'd also question some of the city placements. The one at the North tip of the Isle of Mordel (can't read the name) should probably be at the river mouth. Shaledin on the edge of a swamp? (but maybe they mine peat)...

The mountains.....ah, the mountains. I personally don't like this style, but then have no better style to offer up You are using isometric symbols for the hills, however, so might try similar styles for the mountains.....one where you draw in the ridgeline, then fill in the slopes isometrically?

and lastly the fonts. Try to make all the fonts readable at the same scale. I have to squint and move close (and still can't make out) the small ones then glance over and get scared by the big ones

Two questions back at you... what software are you using, and what is your preferred rig for the photojournalism?

-Rob A>