Map of the Twin Kingdoms of Aran and Ilan - Handdrawn

[arsheesh]

So I too am for the hand-drawn icons, only the one's you are currently using are a bit blurry. Overall this map is coming along really nicely though.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Cyx]

I still kind of like the dots... maybe it's just me but I feel like the map has enough going on already, you don't really need the extra noise from the same little diagram repeated that many times. Not that they're not cute little towns... but there ARE a lot of them.

I'm really glad you're not going with the white dots though (or at least you don't seem to be), the drop shadow seemed totally out of place =)

The map on the whole looks totally beautiful though! I stole a lot of inspiration from your mountain designs and drawing style ^^

[Caenwyr]

Wow, thanks for the massive response, people! Unfortunately you guys seem as undecided as I am ;-). The only thing we're all agreeing on is: the white icons are a real no-no. Which means I'll probably go for the red dot icons instead, and matching red text. Cool, glad that's decided then! Off to new adventures: labeling!!

[Llannagh]

Well, I might be too late since you kind of decided to go for the red dots, but I definitely vote for the handdrawn little towns. To my mind they match the perspective of the mountains much better and would be consistent that way.

But the red dots are okay, too, if you wanna go with them.

I do like the whole paper-ish style of the map.

[Lingon]

Either of the red icons, I'd say. The red pops nicely, makes them easy to spot. I like the idea of red text, but I'd suggest a darker red than the icons. Red tends to make text harder to read, for some reason (unless that's just me).

[Caenwyr]

This has taken me longer than expected, but here I am with another update.

What has changed? Well quite a bit actually! Here goes:

• after long consideration, I decided to go for the red circle icons. I can still switch afterwards, but I don't think I will;
• I added in all the city names (Labeling is a bitch!) and gave them the same reddish hue, albeit slightly darker;
• I added a first preliminary frame - I wasn't very happy with the amount of information I lost on the eastern rim of my map, so I did something rather peculiar with the frame. I'm not sure I'm gonna keep that though;
• Something that really, REALLY took a long time was the borders. I decided to go for a coloured border with a fade-out effect, but I might still have to tweak that where the border overlaps with a mountain range;
• I also added the roads (I just noticed I forgot to erase them where they go behind a mountain);
• I added the forests as well (at least the western part. Still have to do them in the east, however). At first I wanted to go for fluffy, cloud-like forests, but I started tinkering with it and came up with this. I'm sure this will be a hate-it-or-love-it thing. Be sure to let me know what you think!
• And lastly, I also drew in the names of the different principalities. I gave them the same colour as their borders and added an emboss effect, but that might be a bit over the top for a map that aspires to look like it was handdrawn...

Enough with the twaddle, here's what it's all about:




Oh I know, there's tons and tons of information I'm trying to pour into this map, and I'm not sure that will map it any prettier. If you guys know of any way to present all this information (and more to come!) in a more aesthetic way, be sure to let me know!

[arsheesh]

Looking fabulous!

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Llannagh]

I really like the red circle icons with the slightly darker font! That matches really well and still looks pretty clear. The forests are also very good, imo. Cloudy forests wouldn't probably fit as well as these. Good job on the scattering of the trees, my main worry with a forest style like that is always that it doesn't look random/natural enough.

You're right about the borders, though. The way they fade into the mountain ranges doesn't really work for me. Maybe a clear, handdrawn line would be better.

But apart from that, great map overall! Have some rep.

[Ilanthar]

A lot of work indeed! I like a lot your mountains and forests, and the cities are working very well (both circles and labels). As Llannagh, the borders are disturbing around the mountains. It's original but just feels "weird" and unnatural. The other nitpick I have to say is about the principalties labels : they look too much modern too me, but I think it's only due to the font you chose.

[Freodin]

Personally, I like the way you did the borders in the mountains. It might look a little chaotic at first, but I'd say it transports the notion of "border" well enough.

With the country labels I have to agree with Ilanthar though: the font is too modern, and the bevel does not really work.