September/October 2014 Lite Challenge: The Inland Island Sea

[Chick]

Eric, I've decided I agree with you. I'm just not used to thinking in font sizes like 1.3 pt

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[industrygothica]

I've held off commenting on this map because I wasn't sure how to say what I wanted to say. I'll start with this: Wow! This piece is beautifully executed, and it is certainly deserving of an award of some sort. I can't stop looking at it.

When I look at your map I see the ornate crest with the title, and the colors on the borders. Then I immediately want to zoom in and read all of the wonderful labeling you've put in. I am concerned, however, that the last thing I notice is the water. Ordinarily that's not a big thing... but this challenge is all about the lake, and I'm worried that the emphasis just isn't there for me.

Maybe I'm just crazy, and being too rules-lawyery. I hope so, because this truly is a wonderful piece of art. I just felt that you deserved my honest opinion.


-IG

[Chick]

industrygothica, thank you for the nice compliment.

My intention was to look like an old vintage hand-drawn map. I started by looking at a lot of old antique maps of the Mediterranean Sea. Here are some that I used as reference for style.

http://www.alte-landkarten.de/images/12842-01.jpg
http://www.bergbook.com/images/18920-01.jpg
http://bluemonocle.com/images/5/15875.jpg
http://altelandkarten.de/images/20862-01.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...heirs-1741.jpg
http://med-control.org/med02.jpg

I resisted the impulse to make the sea blue, because somehow I feel that would be contrary to the intended style. I did "dot" the land adjacent to the sea and put ripple borders on the water's edge, similar to some of the markings on some of those maps.

Since you have such a good eye for this, can you suggest what else I could do that would emphasize the water area in a way that you would like, without violating the intended style?

[industrygothica]

I think you nailed the style dead-on. I don't believe that I have a good eye for anything, but I do agree that making the water blue would contradict the style of the piece. I wish I had some suggestions for you, but that would be a bit like a cartoonist giving advice to Picasso. For the sake of the art, you probably shouldn't do anything, because I believe that anything you do will compromise the style. While the water may not be the immediate focus in my eyes, I'm sure others will see it differently and vote accordingly. Somehow I don't think you'll have any difficulties.

Best of luck to you.


-IG

[Chick]

OK, and thanks for the suggestion. I'm a newbie and a long, long way from Picasso of cartography, so any ideas you might have would be welcome. Votes are great, sort of uber-likes, but improvement and learning is the main reason for doing these things

[Chick]

I have fixed a couple of minor typos and such, and I'm hoping this will be the final version.

Thanks again to everyone who made such excellent suggestions!

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[- Max -]

Some inclined city labels don't really make sense for me (especially on western coast).Since you have room for making them straight horizontally, there would be no reason to not do it, for the sake of legibility.

[Chick]

Some inclined city labels don't really make sense for me (especially on western coast).Since you have room for making them straight horizontally, there would be no reason to not do it, for the sake of legibility.

You're absolutely right. Originally, the font was significantly larger, and when I reduced it at the suggestion of Eric (see below), I didn't make any effort to change the placement.

I'll see what I can do .... I guess the term "final version" is a bit fluid around here ....

[industrygothica]

... I guess the term "final version" is a bit fluid around here ....

There is no such thing....

[Chick]

Thanks again to Max for the great suggestion about making the labels more horizontal.

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