Yer Samoht (personal project)

[MistyBeee]

Hmm... Let me guess...?

Now I'm just curious, and sorry if I broke a kind of taboo but... If you mention you used references for styles, why not identify them clearly ? That would be fair and really appreciated.
I know it's something often kept under the rug here, and I hate being the one talking about it, but... Imitation can be a compliment. Imitation helps a lot to progress. But when a style is imitated/used/stolen without credits, especially for commissions, it's such a pain for those who created them. Not the spirit of the Guild for me. I also know I'm not the only one thinking like this, but no-one dare to talk, since the Guild is precious to everyone of us

However.

Good map ^^

And sorry. Genuinely sorry. 'hate so much doing this.

[Voolf]

looks fantastic at the moment!

Thanks.

Nice mix ! I can trace some inspiration, I think...
I love the labels and the forests, as well as the general feeling !

Thank you JO.

Hmm... Let me guess...?

Yes that one inspired me a lot.

Now I'm just curious, and sorry if I broke a kind of taboo but... If you mention you used references for styles, why not identify them clearly ? That would be fair and really appreciated.
I know it's something often kept under the rug here, and I hate being the one talking about it, but... Imitation can be a compliment. Imitation helps a lot to progress. But when a style is imitated/used/stolen without credits, especially for commissions, it's such a pain for those who created them. Not the spirit of the Guild for me. I also know I'm not the only one thinking like this, but no-one dare to talk, since the Guild is precious to everyone of us

I usually do, especially if I follow explicitly one map of somebody else. That was true to Jonathan Robert's maps which i learned a great deal, then Ross McConnell battlemaps, then John Stevenson, Mike Schley, Max... the list goes on.

I usually skip that when I want to do something new and i gather a lot of inpirational pieces and put them together as a reference. For this particular piece it was your map (as stated above), B&W Inkmap by Mar_r, The Lands of Cha-Uari and Forgotten Ruin by J.E., Shall Teclex maps like Province of Lyria and Sword Coast, a map from Banner Saga game, Westedge Kingdoms by SylvaKnight.

I did get a lot from your maps making this one, so my deepest apology if you feel offended somehow. But please remember, that there are a lot of people out there making similar things. Art can be stolen, but style? unless its a 100% copy of particular art, I do not thnk so. You would have to sue a lot of people for drawing in the same style as others
A lot of people here follow others and we know our work and "borrow" ideas for next maps. I do not have problem when others are saing they will use some ideas from my maps for their own. I have seen people asked if they can use a style of something for their maps, I asked myself and the usual response is "sure go ahead".
I did not realised that this is a taboo topic here, is it?. If someone else feels that way please do say. I remember we had other problems here. Sometimes related to specific persons, posts were moderated and deleted, but that old times

[ThomasR]

... there are a lot of people out there making similar things. Art can be stolen, but style? unless its a 100% copy of particular art, I do not thnk so. You would have to sue a lot of people for drawing in the same style as others
A lot of people here follow others and we know our work and "borrow" ideas for next maps. I do not have problem when others are saing they will use some ideas from my maps for their own. I have seen people asked if they can use a style of something for their maps, I asked myself and the usual response is "sure go ahead".

I'd like to say that it's a statement I entirely agree with. I doubt there is anyone at the Guild who hasn't been influenced by other people's work, be it cartographic work or more widely art. Plus, each of us produces maps that are not only the addition of what our mountains look like or our forests or the embellishments on our maps. There is a synergy at work between these identifiable elements and some others way more difficult to grasp.

I've said it a lot and I strongly believe that we artistically grow by imitating what we love but we stumble upon something more personal in the process. The important thing is not producing something similar to what others do, it's to find our own way.

I can see some likeness to others work in some features from Rafal's map but I doubt anyone but him could have produced the vibe this particular map broadcasts.

Also, I can understand people not seeing it that way and I think it's a topic worthy of being debated (maybe not in this thread though).