I don't think we're going to be able to retire on it. But if it's any indication, when I did that Richard Morgan comp, I did this:
1. Read the book to enjoy it.
2. Read it again but this time with a highlighter and highlight everything which gives you a clue about the geography.
3. You then read all the highlighted bits again and make separate notes. For example there was one bit which read that place X was 'a two day gusty ride' from place Y. You could guage roughly the distances picking up on descriptions like these. (In fact I think I'll post my notes here which may be helpful).
4. As you're doing this, you're sketching out the map with a pencil. I think I must have made about 20 iterations of that map at least, but I was on garden leave and had the time.
5. I still didn't win the competition! Or at least I've heard nothing.
It's not easy!
This sounds suspiciously like a job
And a job in which you get to prepare stuff for other people, so they can then take your work, turn it inside out and call it their own. Yay!
No, thanks...
LOL
Joking aside, this is a hobby for me. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't want to feel any pressure. And there are lots of ways to get paid better. Like selling your kidneys. That might even turn out to be more fun.
Maybe I should turn off sarcastic mode...
Check out my City Designer 3 tutorials. See my fantasy (city) maps in this thread.
Gandwarf has fallen into shadow...
Well I still have yet to hear back from them, probably never will either. Oh well, no big deal really.
My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
I bit the bullet today and threw my hat into the ring today. I sent off a dungeon map from the Living Airship, an outdoor encounter map from Wrath of the River King and my regional map of Dreeston. If they get a favourable response then I'll see about drawing a town example. I'll see what the response is!
@Torstan - Hope you have better luck at getting a response than I did...still nothing, not even a "thank you, but this isn't what we are looking for."
My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Straight from the GP rumor mill...
The only good thing out of me sending my portfolio to the art directors, is that they claimed to have bookmarked my portfolio link and will contact me whenever a map requirement seems to fit my design aesthetic. It could be a good thing, or just a polite way of saying, "we got it, thanks, don't call us, we'll call you." So I'm not really sure how positive it really is, still could be though. At least the A.D.s responded!
However, like SG, James Jacobs hasn't responded to my map submissions, not at all. I even posted a question on the Paizo boards regarding them, and suggestions for doing it a different way, than an Open Call, that was 2 days ago, and not a response to the thread - same thread that Ravs, posted and he did respond.
Paizo boards are down at the moment, so I don't know the current status there.
My assumption, either they've already found their candidates, or they've been so inundated with maps, that they can't respond to everyone, so they've stopped responding and are just waiting until Feb 9th, then come to a decision.
So unless you knock their socks off with your turn-over maps, don't expect a response, until after their deadline - if they will respond at all.
GP
Last edited by Gamerprinter; 02-04-2009 at 06:15 PM.
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I think that what they are looking for (and I understand it completely) is not what we produce here. It's clean graphic art with lots of notes to explain to the cartographer who has been commissioned how to capture the essence of what the writer has described.
Well, it looks like (and this is just my humble opinion), that folks we produce the maps like Gameprinter and a few others will likely not be what they want.
People who make maps like myself likely will be more in line with what they want as it is closer to the 'classical' game map that one sees all the time in the various product lineups.
Angain, simply my thoughts on it.
Daniel the Neon Knight: Campaign Cartographer User
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice!
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MY 'FAMOUS' CC3 MAPS: Thunderspire; Pyramid of Shadows; King of the Trollhaunt Warrens; Demon Queen's Enclave
I agree that these maps are different from the turnover maps they are after for whatever purpose. Nonetheless, as James Jacobs mentioned he was interested in raw talent I see no downside to emailing in pretty maps.
I have no response as yet, and I think it is pretty likely that James' promise to respond to each submission might have turned out to be a little foolhardy after people got hold of that post. I'm really not surprised that the long and careful responses he posted to the first few to submit maps stopped appearing. I also emailed the art directors and got nothing back. Doesn't mean I won't stop bothering them though as my portfolio expands.
I guess the next time we are likely to hear anything is after Feb 9th.