Map of the Twin Kingdoms of Aran and Ilan - Handdrawn

[Lingon]

I really like the borders on the mountains. Makes sense that they follow the ridges like that, plus, it looks amazing. So, I vote for keeping them!

Actually, I like all the new additions, except the effect on the principality names. It could be hand-painted like that, if you had the patience, but it still comes across as too digital imo. The rest – awesome. Especially the borders on the mountains

[Azélor]

I like how you managed to do the political borders. They are subtle and also original.

The only bad thing I have to say about your map is that some mountains fade into the water.

[Caenwyr]

Thanks for your critique people, this is helping me a lot! There was only one remark I didn't really understand:

The only bad thing I have to say about your map is that some mountains fade into the water.

Do you mean the mountains at the northwestern edge of the inland sea, Azelor? The idea was for those mountains to look as though they were rising up from the water, with almost no flatland between the mountains and the sea. A bit like the Norwegian fjords, for example. If you know of a better way to represent that, I'm all ears!

In the meantime I'd like to present a fairly small update of my map. Changes since the last version:

• removed the colour of principality labels (haven't changed the typeface since I kinda like it, even though it does indeed look less "old" than the Monotype Corsiva I used for the city names), and did away with the bevel;
• Added a slight coloration to each of the principalities, so the borders look less jarring and the territories are visually linked together. Is this effect better or worse than the previous one?
• Drew in the rest of the forests. Turns out Carthorn is the woodstock of the eastern kingdom (Araniell). I might have to cut back on the forest a bit in Barann and Cilydd, since those two principalities (and especially the latter) are considered to be the granary of Aran;
• did some minor corrections to the roads.

Up next:

• Kingdom labels (only two, so that should be easy... though I'll probably have to move around quite a few city and principality labels so they don't overlap);
• mountain labels (I hate those. Anything that overlaps my mountains, actually. I put so much work in them, I want them to be shown in full glory!);
• sea labels;
• maybe a sketch of the most important sea routes (if that doesn't mess up the balance of the map);
• a compass rose;
• maybe some rhumb lines thrown in for good measure;
• a scale (finally!!);
• a legend (with a list of notable locations from the accompanying novel);
• a list of shields of the 11 principalities and the two kingdoms (that in particular will take a LOT of work);
• A more ornamental frame;
• etc etc etc...

[Lingon]

Aaand the borders look even better. Adding that coloration was a great call. And the new style for the principality labels is a big improvement too.

[Ilanthar]

I fully agree with Lingon, now the borders are fine to me. Same for the principalty labels (even if they do look more modern).
It's becoming a great map!

[Freodin]

I would like to see an alternative version for the principality labels... though dropping the bevel and the colouration has helped a lot, I still think the font does not fit the rest of the map's style.

[Klaus van der Kroft]

I love it! Truly fantastic work!

[Azélor]

Thanks for your critique people, this is helping me a lot! There was only one remark I didn't really understand:

Do you mean the mountains at the northwestern edge of the inland sea, Azelor? The idea was for those mountains to look as though they were rising up from the water, with almost no flatland between the mountains and the sea. A bit like the Norwegian fjords, for example. If you know of a better way to represent that, I'm all ears!

Sadly, no Well, it's not that bad anyway.

[Raptori]

Re: mountains rising straight up from the sea, I think the reason that message isn't coming across now is that the mountains don't relate to the coast in any way other than just being right next to them. The way to do it would be to line up the curves of the coast with the slopes of the mountains, with some of the coast disappearing behind the mountains maybe to make them really integrate with each other.

[Caenwyr]

Re: mountains rising straight up from the sea, I think the reason that message isn't coming across now is that the mountains don't relate to the coast in any way other than just being right next to them. The way to do it would be to line up the curves of the coast with the slopes of the mountains, with some of the coast disappearing behind the mountains maybe to make them really integrate with each other.

Thanks for that tip, Raptori, I'll keep it in mind for another map. As it is now, I'm not gonna go back and redraw that section, I finished the mountains weeks ago, and am now going full steam for the finishing touches.

A small update:

• Kingdom labels: DONE;
• A more ornamental frame: DONE;
• rhumb lines: DONE;

Still to be done:

• scale, compass rose, sea and mountain labels are in the works.
• sea routes (if that doesn't mess up the balance of the map);
• legend (with a list of notable locations from the accompanying novel);
• list of shields;

I'm not particularly fond of the kingdom labels, so I'm thinking of removing them again, and just mentioning them in the legend. After all there's more than enough room for that now.



(yay, the 100th post in this thread!)