Etrakien Revisited by Clercon

[torstan]

Map:




Created in: Photoshop CS5

Review
This is the second time the World of Etrakien has made it into the Cartographer's Choice hall of fame. Clercon picked up his first Featured Map with his initial rendering of Etrakien. It's a testament to Clercon's skill, and the development of his style, that his second rendering of the world has once again created a stand out piece of illustration.

The map presents layers of style, subtly and consistently hinting at the cultural details of the world. The stylised mountains are clearly reminiscent of the original map, but the subdued colours and worn parchment feel create a very different impression. This is an excellent example of a old parchment map that still retains function and clarity for even the smallest details. I highly recommend following the link to the full sized map to properly appreciate this excellent piece.

So why did I decide to remake the Etrakien map? I was very satisfied with the look of the first version but when the story of the world started to evolve the map didn’t really fit anymore. I also wanted a map that was a bit darker then the first map to more reflect the mood of the world. The first map is more colourful and “happy” looking then this second version. Thirdly I needed the world to be a bit bigger.

The scale on the map is not given in km or miles but in the time a bigger sailboat on open sea or individual person travels. The upper side of the scale is for sailing and the lower numbers is for walking (the size of the map is about 2500 km from left to right, if you have to know :-) ).

Original threads
Click here to view the Finished Map thread.
Click here to view the WIP thread.