Annion - World Map (Commission)

[Wired]

A world map done for user DarthDakka at the Spacebattles.com forums. I incorporated a legend and created a few new custom brushes to finalize this piece. Done with a Wacom Bamboo in Photoshop. All elements are custom-made.

[Sanderling]

I love the overall look of the map--it reminds me of that old map of Pern in the first Anne McCaffrey novels, and the sense of genuine kid-wonder it always evoked. I especially like the mountains--they feel exaggerated and yet perfectly natural for the map, which is a balance I wouldn't know how to even attempt.

My only critique on the map style would be the outermost water-ripples around the coastlines, which are so far out they're almost distracting; and the conifer forests seem strangely thin and patchy, compared to their deciduous counterparts. (And a nice touch, combining the two in the legend the way you have.) Note also that "Grasland/Steppe" in the legend needs another s.

I'm not sure from moment to moment about the font; it has a neatly handwritten feel, but almost too neatly, and somehow it feels overtly computerized, almost a little cute. That's completely subjective on my part, though. As for the names, I don't know if you or the client added them; some of them are very much generic fantasy (The Maw, Winter's Shield, etc.) but others are quirky and even homey, such as The Nevergreens or the Hundred Hearths.

Overall it looks like an excellent map. It doesn't just tell me where the stories take place--it makes me want to know what those stories are.

[J.Edward]

Nice work Wired. I was particularly drawn to Wintershield and Silvermounds.

[Chick]

Nice map. Somehow the forests look upside down to me, like they are standing on their heads with the trunks sticking up, but it's probably just my eyes

Excellent job

[Wired]

I love the overall look of the map--it reminds me of that old map of Pern in the first Anne McCaffrey novels, and the sense of genuine kid-wonder it always evoked. I especially like the mountains--they feel exaggerated and yet perfectly natural for the map, which is a balance I wouldn't know how to even attempt.

My only critique on the map style would be the outermost water-ripples around the coastlines, which are so far out they're almost distracting; and the conifer forests seem strangely thin and patchy, compared to their deciduous counterparts. (And a nice touch, combining the two in the legend the way you have.) Note also that "Grasland/Steppe" in the legend needs another s.

Yeah, I freely admit that, on second sight, the coniferous forests would have been better served with a slightly larger brush, and the deciduous forests could have used a few brushes added here and there around their edges to give a better impression of variety. Well, I strive to learn with every new map.

I'm not sure from moment to moment about the font; it has a neatly handwritten feel, but almost too neatly, and somehow it feels overtly computerized, almost a little cute. That's completely subjective on my part, though. As for the names, I don't know if you or the client added them; some of them are very much generic fantasy (The Maw, Winter's Shield, etc.) but others are quirky and even homey, such as The Nevergreens or the Hundred Hearths.

The truth is that the client supplied me with nothing but the barest details about the world (such and such number of large continents, a few smaller ones, an arctic continent rather than an antarctic one). In the process of finalizing the map he asked wether I could add some labels, so I ended up making them up myself. Admittedly, that's not something I'm particularly good at, not even for my own worlds. But in the end I was just happy to be able to present a map that, for once, feels more alive because the places have names.

Overall it looks like an excellent map. It doesn't just tell me where the stories take place--it makes me want to know what those stories are.

I don't know that myself. I only have the barest basics available, which were "a world where magic and technology coexist, now roughly at level of the early modern ages; it's technically a post-apocalyptic setting since around a thousand years ago the world went through the eqivalent of a magical nuclear war".

Nice work Wired. I was particularly drawn to Wintershield and Silvermounds.

Thanks.

Nice map. Somehow the forests look upside down to me, like they are standing on their heads with the trunks sticking up, but it's probably just my eyes

Excellent job

... of my god! It's your eyes, Cornelia! Quick, to the doctor!

:p

Nah, just kidding. I probably should have used a slightly larger brush for those coniferous trees, and a bit more variation around the edges wouldn't have hurt the other forests. So, thank you for your kind words.

[ChickPea]

The map looks great but I have to agree with the comment above about the font. In my own entirely subjective opinion, it doesn't work for me. I think part of the reason is that I have certain expectations when looking at a map like this. Fonts on this style of map are often old-style serifs or calligraphic, and that's what I subconsciously expect to see, so a cute sans-serif feels quite jarring. But, kudos to you for NOT going the same tired route as everyone else. Perhaps if I keep looking at it, I'll come round. Font aside though, I love everything else.

[Wired]

To be honest, I orientated myself on Max's SULVAN map with regards to the font, as many of the more elaborate or old-style fonts I've seen tend to clutter up images quite a lot if you want to have many labels and still have all of them be legible. This one (the font's name is "Handwriting", IIRC) has the advantage of not being your run-of-the-mill font everyone has seen _and_ being legible despite being comparably thin.

[Ilanthar]

Nice map Wired! I like the land shapes, mountains and cities. I think the two kind of forests are a bit too different, but I know it's hard thing to balance.

[arsheesh]

Lovely work Wired! I quite like your B&W style.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Wired]

Thanks for all the nice words and the valuable feedback.