Oct / Nov '17 Lite Challenge: The Free Nation of Venezia

[Greason Wolfe]

I think it looks just fine so far. I would be a little concerned about that one lake that appears to have three outlets though. It seems to me that at least one, if not two, of them would dry up. Of course I may be interpreting what I am seeing in the wrong fashion. Still like the look of this either way. I rarely have much luck when I try to get that kind of style out of my maps.

[Mouse]

You've certainly got a good start on this one, IG.

Looking great

[industrygothica]

Thanks!

Still needling around with some labeling, and lots yet to go..

### Latest WIP ###

[waldronate]

I find the thumbnail view of your island to be very veiny and free-hanging! Nicely done!

[mixerbach]

Wow, IG! This map really stands out compared to everyone else's. Great job on just taking 'the path less traveled'.
Personally, I think it looks like it could be a finished product even now. But with most of the month still before us, I have a feeling we have modifications a'plenty to look forward to!
Keep up the great mapping, brother!

[QED42]

You have definitely nailed the historical style for this map it all fits together super well.

The only part I'm not sure on is the text for the seas. Is having faded text like that common in maps of this style? It just looks a little out of place with the rest of the map to my eye.

[Mouse]

Great looking map, IG

I have to agree with QED about the very pale glow around the smaller labels. If you adjust the position of a couple of them just a fraction so that none of them cross the line work, you could almost do without it. Alternatively you might consider masking the labels and feathering the mask outwards, then using the modified mask to slightly erase the line work underneath them? Though that would be something you would do right at the end when you were absolutely certain you were finished placing them and no further changes would be required.

Other than that an excellent map

[industrygothica]

That's a good idea Mouse.. I messed with that for forever to try and get it right, and this was the best I could come up with. I'll give your idea a shot and see how it works. Thanks!


-IG

[waldronate]

The style looks to be a derivative of traditional woodcut or similar technology. Inscribing the map onto the printing plate tended to get solid lines with solid breaks (varying thickness is easy, but anything other than hard on/off won't work). The coloring was painted by hand by the apprentices after the initial printing was done and was often quite sloppy for "mass-printed" maps. Some types of ink lets off nasty chemicals as it ages, which causes the paper to discolor around the inks. The edges of the pages will also oxidize because they are the parts that are most exposed to air, especially with cheap wood-pulp paper. As people use the maps, many of them will run their fingers across areas of interest, further leading up to grunge around certain areas.

I mention this because the delicate feathered glow around the labels and the precise shading both strongly label this a modern digital creation. And, of course, I like to ramble on about marginally-relevant things. Similar to Mouse's recommendation, I also recommend masking around the text, but I recommend using a hard-edged mask that's about the width of a line. It's a nicely-done piece that looks really good at the first look. It's the trivial details that most people won't notice or care about that jar me a bit. Then again, I'm know for being a bit pedantic about these things (or, as my friends used to say, "a bit of an a**shole").

[industrygothica]

A**hole or not, I always appreciate constructive feedback. You've provided me with a wealth of information, and I truly appreciate it! I don't know that I'm going for an authentic replication of one of those old maps, but maybe some weird juxtaposition of old and new? I don't know. I'll tinker with both feathered and hard edges and see what strikes me the best--regardless, the hard glow will be gone at some point. I haven't messed with this map in a few days, and I probably won't today either, but I'm thinking after I adjust the woodcut effect and get the labels worked out, it'll be close to done. Or at least as done as a map can be around here.

Thanks again for the feedback!


-IG