WIP - Aronbor... or Perdon

[Ramah]

You're completely right. And the way I thought of it is that whoever drew this map would most likely not be using white ink. Hehe.
I tried last night cutting the labels into my mountains but I got a little precious over them and didn't like losing any of them. Hehe. I'll give it a go tonight by leaving the labels where they are and cutting into the forest they are currently over and see how that works.

[Karro]

This is a fabulous map. First-rate quality.

As for the white labeling, etc: the colors of the map largely suggest to me that the map is actually produced on a neutral-colored paper, rather than a white parchment. To achieve a white label, then, would in my mind require a white ink/pigment to be used. Not out of the realm of possibility, by any means, but in the case of the mountain labels, it is almost the only thing that looks the least bit off. Haven't a clue how to fix it, though.

The only other thing I thought was weird as that some of the labels cut off at the border. If this were merely a screencap/closeup of a larger map that wouldn't be unusual, but as an independent map of this region, I thought it odd that the cartographer would choose to label a region with a name and then intentionally cut off that name part-way through. Examples include "Rydon" on the right, "**sia" in the south, and the definite article "The" from "The Grey Sea". Anyway, to me, these cut-off labels are just a slightly jarring peculiarity, and I can't fathom why the in-world cartographer would choose to do that.

P.S. more rep owed to you as soon as it has been duly spread.

[Ramah]

Thanks for the CC Karro.

In regards to the cut off labels, I wasn't really sure what to do. To fit the Rydony and Iosia labels inside the border and keep the size uniform I would need to place them in quite awkward positions. Going over the border and leaving the full name in just looked a little off to me (although I think I preferred The Grey Sea label when it was over the border but I cut it off to keep it the same as the others.)

I'll try revisiting them when I get chance to do some work on it later tonight. Maybe if I removed that part of the border so it didn't show through the font as much it would look better. Or does that too seem like an unlikely thing for a cartographer to do?

[Karro]

I'd give that a shot (the label going outside the border, and masking out the border beneath the overlapping labels) at least to see how it looks. I'd sooner think that cutting off the labels would be more uncharacteristic of a cartographer than of messing with the borders, but that's just my opinion.

[Coyotemax]

I think it depends on the background of the cartographer - what is his (her?) primary inclination and/or training? Was it a cartographer who became artistic, or an artist who became a cartographer?

An artist might cut off the label because it looks better, but someone raised as a cartographer might be horrified by that idea

[Karro]

I think it depends on the background of the cartographer - what is his (her?) primary inclination and/or training? Was it a cartographer who became artistic, or an artist who became a cartographer?

An artist might cut off the label because it looks better, but someone raised as a cartographer might be horrified by that idea

Perhaps... but many an artist by inclination has also been known to stray outside the lines, as it were.

[Coyotemax]

<-- one of those

that's why I said "might"

[Karro]

<-- one of those

that's why I said "might"

I colored outside the lines, once, in kindergarden, to make a social statement about equality.... strange how I remember that.

[Ramah]

Ok, very quick update showing change to the fonts as suggested. Unfortunately, when I placed the label "The Grey Sea" I chopped some of it off the edge of the map anyway, even when drawing the hidden part on the border.

Anyway, does it look better you think?



I tried a few techniques to get the mountain labels looking better but in the end the most effective one seemed to be adding more mist to The Ruhks so the labels were more legible.

[Coyotemax]

Three ways you could approach that sea label. one would be to leave it as is. You could move it over a smidge to get the T to fit (possibly even down a bit then over to get it all to fit). Or leave off "The".

(and the mountian labels look fabulous)


Whichever way you do or don't go, this is definitely looking very nice.