WIP - Aronbor... or Perdon

[Ramah]

Maybe its the color and/or orientation of the text that's 'not quite right'.

I agree, but I haven't cracked it yet. I've tried quite a few variations, hence the change in colour in the last image I posted. In its current state, since I posted the image I tried just having it plain horizontal which, as strange as it seems considering 95% of the other labels, I hadn't actually tried. It might even be the best I've had it since it kind of matches the rest.

[Ramah]

New update.

I've finally done an icon for the cities which I quite like. It's making me more annoyed that the symbol I have for my towns is from a slightly lower perspective than the other ones but meh, not sure I'll change it. I just need to do a symbol for the keeps now I think on that score.

I've added a few more forests and made Emberton Gulley look a little more like a Gulley.

I've added some more marginalia and as you can see quite easily, a large water stain which effects the legibility of everything over there. I think I may lower the effect of the ink bleeding out of "The Grey Sea" label somewhat as it's a little overpowering maybe. Still, I quite like the effect.

[Gandwarf]

Gorgeous work Ramah... really a living and breathing map/world.

[Ramah]

I wasn't going to post another image just yet as I wanted to get all the marginalia done before doing so but I'd like to get some opinions on the grunginess of the map. I've run my last effects on it twice (which is what I did with the Vaniya map) and personally I like it. It looks ok on my screen. It's pretty dark around the outside and in other places but that's ok by me, it's the Aronbor section of the map that is supposed to be the focus anyway.
Looking at it in Windows image viewer though is a different story. As I mentioned earlier in the thread it darkens everything further and seems to reduce the warm yellow tones considerably.
So I was wondering how it appears for others?

Changes in the map since last post are: grunginess. Another large stain added. Quite a bit more marginalia. Redone the folds to change the way the map would be folded. A few labels here and there.

[ravells]

Majestic!! I think it's really hard to carry off large wooded areas by using individual tree symbols but you've really cracked that. The colours (and the mountains) are just gorgeous. The whole maps speaks of mystery and menace. Superb work. Amongst the best I've ever seen posted here.

[Tear]

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Ramah again."

[Gidde]

Repped. This is such a beautiful map it's making me itch to do something by hand (something I should never, ever do lol), even though I've never really been into hand-drawn maps. You're changing my mind

[Coyotemax]

The only thing throwing me off are the areas where you used white text. With how hand-drawn the rest of it looks, the white seems artificial to me.

that having been said, this is one of the nicest maps I've seen since joining this site - and believe me, that's saying a lot

[Ramah]

Thanks a lot guys. You don't think I've overdone it on the grunginess then? It was a concern for sure.

CM: Yeah, I know what you mean. I was ok with the white text when it was just on the lakes but I don't like it for the mountains. I did similar on the Vaniya map, marked the mts in white until I could come up with a good solution of making a dark label fit in.
I'll work on it. Thanks for the CC.

[Coyotemax]

I think what it is to me, is that I would expect the paper colour to be the equivalent of white. using that as the basis, anything lighter than the background colour is what would throw me off and feel not quite right.

Not saying it can't be done of course - but in this map there's so little of the white it really stands out, is all.