Would YOU want a book of hand-drawn maps?

[Warden]

There's something about computer generated maps, I find, that just take away from a good fantasy game. Yes, they're handy for those unable to draw and can look very well and good at first, but it's just wrong somehow.

I'd buy something like that.

 

[psyekl]

Getting the quality of Dungeons of Doom isn't a problem (thanks for the reference). Cartographer Ed Bourelle does do decent work, but his drawings are digital while mine will be by hand, making any comparison difficult (being unrelated styles). If you meant you wanted the complexity and entertainment values of the maps to be comperable, then I think you'll be pleasantly suprised.

I had considered drawing maps of common buildings, but the general response seems to be that the smaller buildings are not something most gamers will want. Small buildings are rarely important enough to deserve a floorplan, and if they are needed the GM can whip up their own quickly without needing them pre-generated. I happen to like drawing the common buildings of a fantasy culture, it adds "flavor" to the game when you know how people live their daily lives. If enough people show an interest, then I'll definitely add this to the list of drawings I'll make.

I recently worked out a deal with a very talented individual who will be taking care of the digital half of this project, and he has some fantastic ideas about how we're going to make the product customizeable to individual GM's.

The first product looks like it's going to be in .pdf form, and it's in progress now, I'll try to have it out by sometime in late Spring/early Summer.

As an afterthought: The Island map I used as an example was a piece I did for an art gallery showing, it was never intended to be labeled or used in a game. My scans were rough, but intended for illustration of the styles I plan on using only.

Please keep the ideas (and support) coming! Keep me out of the pit that is Page 2 !

 

[Kaji]

Count me in. I can always use more cool maps, and these look cool to me.

 

[lotuseater]

wow, your maps are great. but as much as i would love such a book as a gift, i would probably only purchase it if contained all the maps i would like to specifically design for my own campaigns, but for which i lack the artistic talent to accomplish. how much to hire you on retainer?

 

[Meeki]

Psyekl if your intersted in map techniques look into the creation of pysiographic maps, namely a cartographer named Rice. You can use his technique and look at some old medieval maps to help you create professional quality but hand-drawn maps. I draw maps with micron pens on absorbant paper, one you can find in a sketch book or cotton paper, it looks really nice. Also look at a style of map decorating called the mappamundi, its basically the medieval style that includes all sorts of those mythical creatures throughout the map. One of my favorite things to do is come up with multiple maps of the same thing from different aspects, gets you thinking about the cultural views of the people if you include commentary. Good luck on your map making.

 

[psyekl]

Psyekl if your intersted in map techniques look into the creation of pysiographic maps, namely a cartographer named Rice. You can use his technique and look at some old medieval maps to help you create professional quality but hand-drawn maps. I draw maps with micron pens on absorbant paper, one you can find in a sketch book or cotton paper, it looks really nice. Also look at a style of map decorating called the mappamundi, its basically the medieval style that includes all sorts of those mythical creatures throughout the map. One of my favorite things to do is come up with multiple maps of the same thing from different aspects, gets you thinking about the cultural views of the people if you include commentary. Good luck on your map making.

---I don't need map techniques, I have my own thank you (but thanks for the excellent reference links). Of course, while my style was attained through literally years of evolution and researching maps drawn throughout history I could never seem to reproduce the old styles accurately, so rather than emulate them I came up with one of my own that still has the appropriate "feel".

What this post is for is to find out what subject matter gamers want in their maps in order to make my release as useful as possible to the games. I use the more artistic treatments in maps intended for player handouts, but for GM maps I try to keep it as direct and legible as possible so as not to confuse or clutter the resource.

I like the "feathered" look that absorbant paper causes, and I try to use it on lower-detail maps that need an artistic, "rustic" quality. My style uses a lot of intricate (close) detail most of the time, and I usually use either Bristol board or Vellum to matain the line quality. For precision I use Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph Technical pens. The Micron pens are an excellent choice for what you describe doing, and I wouldn't mind seeing a sample of your work! Sounds fantastic!

 

[Buttercup]

I would buy this in a heartbeat! I love maps just for their own sake, but also I like to look at them when I'm fishing for inspiration.

I really like the idea of having two versions of each map--one with labels and one without.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Kinds of maps I'd like to see, and would buy books of:

-sensibly designed, sizeable dungeons - not the crazy patchwork of halls and rooms most mega-dungeons have.
-castles and fortresses
-unusual buildings - theaters, temples, governmental complexes, cloud castles, etc
-relatively small-scale locality maps - an island, or a small section of a kingdom that can be dropped into a campaign without needing to drastically alter existing physical maps.
-town and city maps that make sense
-maps of districts in cities - drawn to a higher level of detail than an overall city map would be.

One of my pet peeves about most D&D maps is the lack of logic entailed. Rooms 100 ft by 100 ft with a 10 foot ceiling and no support columns, things like that. I've visited a lot of actual castles, and they're a lot smaller than most people think - even the very big ones.

What I've seen of your stuff seems to mesh very well with my sensibilities.

 

[psyekl]

Just a couple more samples...