Oct / Nov '17 Lite Challenge: West Prapihn Islet

[mixerbach]

Hello there!
Thanks so much for stopping by and having a look at my map!

After two other attempts that quickly fizzled and stalled, I returned back to this map, the one I started with for this island challenge. A backstory for West Prapihn Islet may evolve as I go, but nothing has yet materialized. I'm trying to stick to Bogie's guideline of roughly 150 miles North to South, to give you an idea of the scale I'm shooting for. The map is very much still a work in progress, so please feel free to leave your suggestions, questions, complements and criticisms below.
Happy mapping!

### Latest WIP ###

[Bogie]

Welcome to the Challenge MB. Great map and I love the color of the ocean.

[mixerbach]

Thank you, sir! I plan to add some forests, woods, and other vegetation in the next WIP.

[mixerbach]

Update Time!
I got some green things added to the Islet of Prapihn this week, which certainly helps break up the monotony. Unlike in previous maps, I tried to add different areas with different kinds of vegetation. I've imagined the darker greens to be evergreens, the lighter greens to be deciduous, and the yellowy-greenish-orangey areas to be swampy, wet environments. Other various tweaks and changes also occurred here and there, but still no one lives on this pleasant island. I hope to begin fixing that by my next WIP.

Thank you, kind reader, for stopping by to have a look! If you have a moment, tell me how you feel about the map so far with a comment. It doesn't even have to be a complement! Indeed, I have accepted commentary in all forms: critical, complementary, contemplative, condescending, considerate, communicative, communal, compromising, conservative and, yes, one time, even constipated. All comments welcome here!

### Latest WIP ###

[Bogie]

Nice, the textures are coming together well.

[mixerbach]

Update Time!
Slowly but surely, things are coming along. I think I may even have a backstory forming for this map!

I think I'll call this WIP the Lakes Update! Lakes, lakes and more lakes! I had so much fun adding lakes to this map that I'm afraid now that I may have gotten a bit carried away with it. Oh well! Too late now! Regardless, the lakes are the most obvious change you'll see on this WIP (AKA the Lakes Update), but there are also cities, towns and villages (in the South half, mainly) that you may notice.

There are other little things cleaned up here and there, but overall I'm satisfied with how far along this is in relation to the deadline.
Wait a minute! Did I really just say that?
Wow... there's a first time for everything!

### Latest WIP ###

[rdanhenry]

If anyone complains that you put in too many lakes, just tell them your island has giant beavers.

Along the west coast, just below the forested area, you have two lakes connected by a river or canal. Both lakes have an outflowing river down to the coast. This is not a natural situation. If the connection is a canal and flow is controlled so that the upper lake cannot drain that way, then you are okay. If it is a river, then the upper of the two lakes would feed into the lower through that river and only the lower lake would flow out to the ocean.

The colors are rather subdued. If you are trying for a natural look with them, then I would suggest eliminating the black coastal line, which really isn't necessary, as the water is in no danger of being confused with the land.

[ladiestorm]

it's looking really good, so far! I'm just curious about those white areas on the map... what are they?

[Bogie]

I like the rivers and lakes. The connected lakes are unusual but it could happen in rare situations.

[mixerbach]

GIGANTIC THANK YOU'S to both Mr. Henry and Ms. Storm for having a look at the Islet and letting me know what you thought.
^{(Mr. Bogues: you know you still have my undying gratitude for your earlier comments. )}

Mr. Henry:
Thanks so much for leaving the kind of comment that reminds me why the CG is such an AMAZING resource for the cartography-wannabee like yours truly. I completely glossed over the "canal" issue you pointed out on the West coast of the Islet! Hard to imagine with how many times I've gone over the darn thing, but there you have it. While I certainly could not have given the issue such an intelligent critique as you gifted me in your comment (mine would have been more like: "better change that... it looks funny,") I would have changed it, if I even noticed it.

I found your comment about the border to be rather liberating. I loved the looks of it when I first added it. But that was prior to mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, etc. Since then, it has been a constant source of irritation, to be perfectly honest. I will find a more natural way to finish the coasts than the big ol' black line technique.

Ms. Storm:
Thank you for the complement, ma'am. I'm glad you think so, because I'm mostly pleased with how things have turned out so far.

To answer your question, the little while areas that you see sprinkled about liberally, but only on the South side of the Islet, will represent civilization in various sizes and flavors. There will be more obvious signs added along the way to help drive home the image of villages, towns and cities. I think once you see the farm-land, smoke-haze, and (maybe) roads, they will be more easy to recognize as what they are supposed to be. I suppose the village, town and city name labels will make it a dead giveway.

Action Items!

1. Either of those lakes will drain to the sea - not both, silly!
2. Replace the accursed border with something more ... natural.
3. Establish Kingdom of the Beaverfolk somewhere in South Prapihn Islet.
4. Make villages, cities and towns LOOK more like villages, cities and towns.