Hello World

[forkandahalf]

Hello world,
I am brand new to this site. I originally got my start in cartography due to being a dungeon master. I really enjoy it because I have both a very creative and sometimes very analytical brain. I take my inspiration from other members on this site and from high fantasy book maps like Eragon and Lord of the Rings. I do all of my maps entirely by hand. I use a drafting desk with standard drafting materials. I prefer to use Bristol paper as my material of choice and use drawing pencils for the sketching of the maps. I always finish in permanent ink from drafting pens, preferred size 0.5 with a hard felt tip. I do lined dungeons but I enjoy making world maps the most not just for my use only but for others if they so want a world made from scratch and their ideas. this is the beginning of my first attempt at a world map for my friend as a joke.

[Lyandra]

Welcome to the Guild forkandahalf! That is a start of a great map you've got there. I am looking forward to seeing how it develops. I love the traditional medium too, so I will be keeping a close eye on your future works, I hope to see more of them real soon! Good luck with your current project!

[Depassage]

Welcome to the Guild Forkandahalf! Looking forward to seeing the end of it!

[forkandahalf]

Here is also some of the first dungeons I have completed. I will not be doing the hatching in the future.

[forkandahalf]

And here is the finished work. Criticism is welcome.

[Lyandra]

Could you post a better image? Some of the features are very hard to see. The map looks fine, though I think it could use more elements, in places it looks sort of empty (too many white spaces to my taste). I am also curious what do the lines in the right hand corner represent? Are those rivers? if so they would be quite impossible in the real world. Overall, good work.

[arsheesh]

Welcome tot the Guild Fork-and-a-half. It's good to have more artists that work with traditional mediums here. I agree with Lyandra, the map could use a bit more in the way of other elements (e.g. forests, towns, sites of interest etc). However it looks like a great start.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Ettrick]

I like the off-map texture you've used on the dungeon maps. Very cool.

On the regional map, the three rivers that flow together north of the lake need some sort of destination. The simplest would simply be to connect them with the lake. That provides an outlet. Otherwise, and this may make for an interesting game option, a cavern into which the river flows. There would be seasonal changes in water level and erosion which would allow for exploring along the river's edge under ground and all the challenges that presents. It also makes things a bit easier for the GM since the players can't go in too many unexpected directions.

[forkandahalf]

Here is a re-upload with better quality and an explanation. The dotted lines throughout the map are main paths and thoroughfares in this part of the world. I am thinking for the Tri-River, below Grunchen, that I will put some kind of marsh/wetland or a series of caves and cliffs that the river may have cut through. The wavy lines by Farenos are hills and the ones by Kreaire is a mountain range. I am open to more suggestions, however this map will remain black and white. From now on I will also be doing maps on smaller paper so that way I may be able to scan it in and avoid confusion.

Thank you for the tips and questions so far.

[Lyandra]

Thanks for uploading a better quality image, it's much easier to see everything now. Your idea for the Tri-River sounds good. It was the only element of the map that looked odd to me, everything else was clear enough to read. Are you going to be adding more elements besides the marsh or caves/cliffs near Tri-River? I think it would really make your map look much better. In my opinion black and white seems to fit nicely with your style.
I know that some people here in the Guild, when drawing by hand on a paper larger than A4, scan their drawings in stages and then "stitch" the parts in a graphic program. You might try doing that. Though I suppose drawing on a smaller format will be easier...