First Map - Island for upcoming D&D Campaign

[Robulous]

Very nice. Coupla suggestions - the sea seems a little too cyan blue, unless you're suggesting a tropical island? Also you have blue sea and black rivers, I'd suggest having a (prob dark) shade of blue for the rivers, and for the lakes too.

The outside frame is nice, but that style is usually used to show scale, so each black block should be the same length as your 5 mile black block.

[ajrittler]

Very nice. Coupla suggestions - the sea seems a little too cyan blue, unless you're suggesting a tropical island? Also you have blue sea and black rivers, I'd suggest having a (prob dark) shade of blue for the rivers, and for the lakes too.

The outside frame is nice, but that style is usually used to show scale, so each black block should be the same length as your 5 mile black block.

Thanks for the feedback Robulous and thanks for the rep too! Both, greatly appreciated.

This is supposed to be a tropical island, but I agree with you 100% it's a bit too bright. Agree, the rivers should match the sea - initially, they did - the sea was darker and I went back and added the brighter blue. I was never sold on the blue so left the rivers alone.

For as much research as I've done I did not realize that the border should match the scale! doh! thanks for pointing that out. I'll most definitely go back and adjust that!

[ajrittler]

I haven't had a lot of time the past couple of days to work on this. One thing I did was reconfirm what I already knew - the frame on a nautical map is used to show latitude and longitude, not scale. I also re-measured the latitude and longitude scales on my border - they are roughly 1", so I'm alright with them.

I still haven't touched my "blue" map in a week - I'll get back to that soon. I did mess with the "parchment" looking map tonight. To me it felt a bit "light and airy" looking. Not the look I wanted. I added some more texture, messed with saturation and lightness a bit and changed the highlight that represents the "sea". It's actually a dark blue but looks dark grey or black. Still not overly impressed!

Latest without the latitude/longitude scale/border

[ajrittler]

Finally had a minute to add the border to the blue version. Left it white (for now). I don't think it looks too bad. Now that I've had a chance to look at on both versions I realize that I have to increase the stroke weight of the actual "dash". Needs to be thicker so it "touches" the line above and below it. A "lessons learned" from this has been - start the frame early and take into consideration the additional "height/width" needed for it. It's been tough trying to match the texture/color of the frame to the actual map (if that makes sense).

So my next steps are:
1) Increase stroke weight of the dashed border.
2) Create a key for the "blue version". It will go in the lower left corner.
3) EVENTUALLY settle on a font for both!

Blue version with white border


Parchmentish version with border

[ajrittler]

I was actually able to get two of the three remaining things to do/fix knocked off my list today. Cleaned up the stroke width of the border and created a simple key. There's only a few items in the key, and they may be a bit "small" and dark. (future clean up) Anyone have suggestions on if the key needs more?

I think it's getting close to being "done". Overall, I'm happy with the way it's looking. I may go back and add some more mountains south of Hangman Harbor, or at least some low hills. Extend a few of the rivers. What started out as just a quick map for my next campaign has taken over a part of my life So much so that writing material for the actual game has taken a back seat. I've got a lot to do there and September is right around the corner. (The start of the Scuttle Island Campaign)

Anyone want to chime in? Would appreciate the feedback!

Current Blue Version

[ajrittler]

I've been trying to decide just how close to being "done" the map is. Close, I think, however after staring at it the past week (and not doing anything to it) I'm starting to feel that the mountains might be "wrong" or maybe there just isn't enough elevation in the map overall? When I look at real maps it just seems "inaccurate" to me.

As a test, I quickly extended the mountains and drew in some smaller ones to the east.

Was hoping to get some thoughts/input from the folks here. How do the mountains/elevation look currently? Should there be more? Should they be done "differently"? Should they be "re-drawn" completely?

PLEASE SOMEONE CHIME IN I really need the input. Greatly appreciated and thanks!

Test Version with Additional Mountains - minus border and saturation/brightness


Current Version - with border and saturation/brightness tuning. If I do decide to change the mountains the final edit will be to this.

[Josiah VE]

Why is it darker and doesn't have a border? I really liked the one in your previous post. Those mountain you added look almost black so it doesn't look right.
I really like the lighter version with the border, it looks wonderful.

[ajrittler]

Why is it darker and doesn't have a border? I really liked the one in your previous post. Those mountain you added look almost black so it doesn't look right.
I really like the lighter version with the border, it looks wonderful.

Just an oversight on my part really. I opened the wrong version and changed it. I wasn't overly concerned because I just was messing around with extending the mountain range. The current version is still the one with the border/lighter. I spent very little time on the mountains hence the darkness. Just was a proof of concept to see if I should add more.

Thanks!

[Robulous]

The photoreal version looks amazing though I have a personal preference for more monochrome parchment style maps, I rather enjoyed the simplicity of the earlier version But looking very good.

I have reservations about the font, it's not one I'd personally use but it depends on the cultural context of what you're mapping. Can you tell us more about island? The names suggest an 18th century pirate theme.

[ajrittler]

The photoreal version looks amazing though I have a personal preference for more monochrome parchment style maps, I rather enjoyed the simplicity of the earlier version But looking very good.

I have reservations about the font, it's not one I'd personally use but it depends on the cultural context of what you're mapping. Can you tell us more about island? The names suggest an 18th century pirate theme.

Thanks for the feedback! I will eventually get back to the parchment style for this map I'm sure. For now, I've moved this to the "Finished Maps" section. It was my first attempt and I really want to start a new map so I can (hopefully) continue to grow/get better.

I was never 100% on this font - but for this "look and feel" I thought it was ok. You are correct too on the theme!

Link to finished map thread
https://cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=35237

Background:
This is Scuttle Island. The setting for the next arc in my home-brew D&D campaign (which will most likely last the next 12 months). It's a tropical island far to the west from the main continent that typically sets the stage for the players. I like to think of it as Skull Island meets the Isle of Dread and Black Sails. It's sparsely populated by explorers (a few that have taken the time to sail the coast and make a map with names ), adventurers and pirates looking to hide their loot. There are 5 hamlets (essentially) - with most of the island's inhabitants living at Breakwater Harbor and Hangman Harbor. I wanted a break from the typical dungeon crawls - this island is giving me a bit "freedom".