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Thread: Different biomes (?) on paper maps

  1. #1
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    Help Different biomes (?) on paper maps

    Does anyone here draws their maps on paper...?
    (I probably haven't been searching hard enough on the forum, cos' I haven't seen any?)

    Well, I would appreciate it if someone were to provide me with useful tips or tricks on drawing maps on paper, for I find myself having difficulties drawing different biomes (or is that what one calls it?). It's rather hard to differentiate between a desert and grassy plains without having to 'label' the place.

  2. #2
    Community Leader Guild Sponsor Gidde's Avatar
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    The same principles apply to drawing with a pen as you'll find in any of the "hand-drawn mapping" tutorials. for instance, the brushes I made for my hand-drawn tut were actually based on a how-to that was drawn on paper then scanned and posted. So i'd advise you to look through the mapping elements form to find symbols you like, then practice drawing them (or something similar) on paper.

  3. #3

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    Hi Samp. Are you going for a particular look? If you are it would be helpful for you to post up a couple of reference pics so we are better placed to help. If you're not going for any specific type of look, it's difficult to advise as the number of ways you can draw biomes is potentially limitless. Perhaps if you could post up a scan of what you have so far we can suggest symbols or patterns which will fit in with the style of your map.

    Best

    Ravs

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by ravells View Post
    If you are it would be helpful for you to post up a couple of reference pics so we are better placed to help. If you're not going for any specific type of look, it's difficult to advise as the number of ways you can draw biomes is potentially limitless. Perhaps if you could post up a scan of what you have so far we can suggest symbols or patterns which will fit in with the style of your map.
    Oooh, I will post my map up, once I find a way to scan it in (since I have no scanner, I could probably take a picture with a camera or something, but the quality would be pretty crap). Well, about any specific look I am looking for... Since my maps aren't usually coloured, I am wondering if I can differentiate the biomes clearly without having a map that is too messy or cluttered. However, I would prefer patterns over symbols, though.

    Thank you for the replies, it is much appreciated.

    [Will upload map here asap.]

  5. #5
    Guild Expert jbgibson's Avatar
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    Right here on the Guild, do a search for "Raisz" -- that's Erwin Raisz, one of the masters of semi-pictorial mapping. One post in those search results shows up titled "Forcing myself to do something" - that has some pointers to books that would help - Raisz and other carto authors. TheRaisz books do show up in an Amazon used book search, and won't cost much - I got a copy of Raisz' Principles of Cartography for Christmas :-). There was a post linking to some site that had a bunch of his land cover symbols . His heirs still sell his maps, and they aren't out of copyright, so you won't find scads of examples online. But if one can get a whole textbook for about ten US dollars....

    A plausible reason there aren't lots of pen&ink mappers here is that gap between paper and computer - not everybody's got a scanner. You could check copier shops - some copiers are glorified scanners, and in the US at least they'll sell you digital versions of what they scan. Probably at least some such availability in Singapore?

    Oh, and keep looking on the Guild - there are a number of threads about hand cartography, and the albums have some hand done maps. There's one in my Aurora-One album for instance.
    Last edited by jbgibson; 01-25-2011 at 11:45 PM. Reason: added map link

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    @jbgibson: Ahh, that was most helpful! Many thanks to you! =)
    About copier shops, I guess it's rather expensive if I'm scanning just a single piece of paper, so I guess I'll have to get some of my friends to do it for me. Then again, I can always use a camera ><

    *edit* A rep to you!
    Last edited by Samp; 01-26-2011 at 01:56 AM.

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  8. #8
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    Here's my map! I haven't added any biome differentiation, but I guess I should soon... or now.
    (Over-sized image, so here's a direct link)
    I will need some constructive criticism ^^ It's probably the 2nd map I've ever actually put proper effort in

    http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2338/dsc00019zy.jpg

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    Community Leader Guild Sponsor Gidde's Avatar
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    Lookin' good!

  10. #10

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    Just a quickie from me. Judging from your mountain style, you might want to consider these styles I very quickly penned (I'm sure you can do much better). For some reason the tendency is to use 3d forests if you're using 3d mountains.

    anyway, just some ideas.

    Ravs
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