Steampunk-ish political watercolor map

[Lingon]

That's the plan, anyway!

As I did't like the way my last map turned out, I decided I need more practice. So I flipped the paper over and began drawing something new on the other side. ("Recycling?! Are you kidding me?!" – my dad when he saw it.) And my portfolio is really thin too, so hopefully this'll turn out good enough to add to it. I've got no story or anything to accompany this map (though I'll have to come up with a little when it's labeling time), so I'll just go straight to the first WIP:


For inspiration I've looked at maps from the 1800s, and I got the feeling there was some competition going on between the cartographers about who could place the most rivers on their maps. Which seemed fun, so I added a lot. My idea for mountains is to make them a lot less prominent than on my previous maps, just highlights and shadows and no inked lines, so that's why there aren't any there yet. I did draw them in faintly first though, to get the rivers and fjords right.

What else, what else… It'll be a watercolor painting, again, and my first try at a politically focused map. Thinking of using those fading colored borders I've seen so often. And a steampunk feel, which I'll try to achieve with color scheme and border decorations.

I'm working on a commission at the same time (no experimenting on that one, sticking to what I know!), so updates may be a bit slow until that's done.