Really clean and clear. Not my kind of map but nicely done!
Hello,
Here is a work in progress of an Atlas-Style political map of an western european-sized continent named Faelonia. There are four main cultures. A nordic-ish (mostly based on swedish names) culture to the west, Sjalland and Riddare, A french-like culture comprised of Lyrarnion and Ormont, English-based countries, Ferona, Manchain and Atland, and finally, a latin-based (went for the roman look) culture, Escia, Crantium, Euphene, Eresum and Ybica. (Note that I do not speak Latin. There might be mistakes here and there.)
As I expect to base some of my writings on this map, the different cultures will help me not get bored by being able to write different stories based on different cultures.
I still have to name some more cities, and I want to add some more landmarks, mostly human-built ones, but have no ideas. Maybe airports, ruins or something like that. I haven't decided on the period yet, except that railways do exist. I might go for something steampunk.
I might also add some basic information on the nations, like flags and stats.
Please comment and critique!
Really clean and clear. Not my kind of map but nicely done!
I love it! Your maps are always the best, Max!
That's delightful! Main easy change I can think of might be for you to shift around some of the province names - many are atop features or mingled with the nation names - permissible if there's no room, but most such on here have room to separate.
A tougher change would be to tackle text-on-a-curve, but I understand avoidance; takes time and there is a learning curve. Still, the effect would sharpen what's already a nice map into a great one. A precept of labeling is to make area labels (mountain range, peninsula on here; more if you make a physical map version to compliment the political one) spread out to fill or at least cross the area labelled. That works pretty well without even having an elongated font - just spacing a regular font farther apart. Curved text seems to encompass an area best, though one need not force it. Ravells has a link to a great guide to labeling in his signature.
Nice work even as-is; have a nugget of rep!
not that I'm a typography expert but i agree with this, some of the names: take Capitale, in grey; and Baudretal, in black, for instance. they over lap each other. just shift the names around to make them more pleasing.
other than that i really do like this map, especially the colour-palette and would love to try out something in this style one day.
saved and repped!
Your map look very perfect...!!!
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."-Confucius
Old map and Historic map
Thanks for the kind comments! I thought this thread had lost itself to the bottom of the forum. I'll try to move some of the names, but I was planning on putting a lot of information in it. I thought of curving text, but since, as you said, it is so hard, I didn't go ahead with it. If only there were some easier ways than with the standard photoshop text curve tool. Maybe Illustrator has some way to do this. Thanks for the great link, jbgibson, there seems to be a lot of info in this pdf.
I didn't have much time to work on this map recently, but I'll try to update it soon enough. With my new printer that might make it easier to plan ahead.
The map might be missing some islands. I'll see if I can add some while keeping the style.
Horizontal text looks fine to me on this kind of map.
Illustrator is an excellent tool for putting text on a curve. Draw your curve with the Pen Tool, then switch to the Text tool and move the pointer over the line. Click when you see the cursor change, and you'll be typing on the line. You can change the curve after the fact using the Direct Selection tool, so you don't have to worry about drawing a perfect path on the first go. Then you can insert the text as a Smart Object in Photoshop, retaining the ability to change it later on, although switching out of PS to adjust a curve is a bit clumsy.
Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
http://www.bryanray.name