There is huge room for improvement for many of the maps typically found in the flysheet of novels. One gets the impression that they are usually afterthoughts or drawn by the writer.
There is huge room for improvement for many of the maps typically found in the flysheet of novels. One gets the impression that they are usually afterthoughts or drawn by the writer.
I'll chime in with a welcome as well, Will!
And I agree with Ravs that many of those flysheets come across as afterthoughts. I think that in come cases a novels is written without map in mind, then one is scribbled at the last moment because it is expected
And I must say, your clay (polymer clay?) maps (or more correctly, landscapes?) make beautiful textures (especially the mountains) that I have yet to seen well done in a 2D graphic package
Care to mention your setup for photographing them?
-Rob A>
For the big 3d hand crafted maps I used to get a photographer friend to shoot them with his Nikon D70, with just one light source so that the cast shadows from hills and mountains are more authentic. Although... if a planet was in a binary star system, I guess setting up two lights, near each other, would be correct.
I now have a D70 SLR digital camera and have tried my own photography, but my lighting system indoors is inadequate so I shoot outside in the early evening, around 7pm in the summer, to get a natural, warm light.
Once I get the map into Photoshop I clean up any errors in the painting process (I use acrylics), tweak rivers, and whatnot.
I think the next time I do one of these sculpted maps I will photograph all the steps and materials and post it here someplace to show how I do it. producing them is one of my favorite creative endeavors and I hope I get some more assignments for them soon.
Thanks everybody for the kind words and welcome.
I've contact my friend at The Geek Gazette to check this site out for a potential article. Check them out at: http://geekgazette.tripod.com/ ... drop them a line and tell them Will sent you.
William McAusland aka Mutant Lord
Author, Artist and Publisher
web site http://www.mutantepoch.com
"The Mutant Epoch is about humankind's attempt to reclaim some semblance of civilization, calling upon its best and boldest to uncover the lost knowledge and power of the old ones."
Wow!!
That is what I call great work. Interesting technique with marvelous results, and welcome to a great forum Will.
You are hereby duly repped.
Anna