Pirate Maps!

[Chel]

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]



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.

[NeonKnight]

Welcome to the Guild, and a Fantastic first post.

Welcome!

[Chel]

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.

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.

[RPMiller]

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.

[RobA]

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...



-Rob A>

[RPMiller]

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

[ravells]

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!

[Chel]

Holy crap, it's an active forum. Thanks for all the replies! And that's one slick looking map. I think I have a copy of that insert somewhere around here actually...

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


-Rob A>

Ooooh, yes that looks awesome. I'll have to play with that idea

[The Cartographist]

I would use small, stylized arrows although nowhere near as many as are on the weather chart. I would use only enough to convey the major current features, and not every little permutation or detail. Afterall, they wouldn't have super detailed information in such a setting.

[Carnifex]

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