If I thought people were holding their breath waiting for an update, I would say something nonchalant here...
It's been forever since I posted an update - amazing how normal life can get in the way of hobbies, isn't it?!
Some of the callout box borders were done with a terrible pen, and I'm going over them with another black that is much more consistent. I satisfied myself with linework and a few last little labels. Underlying terrain is done. Forests are done. I've indicated low growth with little scrubby plants. I made one mistake, I think - the P-most canyon in the N-R region really should have more perspective than a top-down view. Whoops! There's not really a good way to fix it now.
Now I am starting in on coloring the map - I'll be filling it in with watercolor pencils, and then painting over that. In the end, the pencil texture will be much less apparent, the colors will deepen or brighten depending on the pencil, and the coloring will appear more even in general. There will also be a bit of sloppiness to it if I accidentally blob over a line. (I like a little of that!) That discoloration around some of the water labels should also go away.
Because I bet the image above seems like a real tease, here's a detail on the N-R region:
I'm thinking about the following things right now:
- What to do with the N-P callout region. It's empty right now because I'm not sure whether I should leave it unlabeled (like unexplored wilderness), label it sparsely with one of my existing languages (as if somebody from níngtòhùs sailed over fíkùm pòst and put a few monikers on things), or invent a fourth language.
- Whether the A-P callout region needs anything else in terms of linework. That area is mostly windswept plains and grassland. I've put my little scrub-symbols where the densest growth would be, but the rest seems empty right now. It may not seem so empty when I start coloring it in with light greens and golds.
- Whether to indicate political boundaries. I am thinking of taking a red pen and placing dotted lines for that purpose, but probably not writing country names over it all. it's too crowded right now. What I might do instead is make sure the capital of each region gets its symbol upgraded from a circle to a square, and then that city gives its name to each city-state. Or, I might leave off those boundaries altogether.
Let me know what you think about anything!
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