Drawing a Map

[MichaelTumey]

Working on the maps for my Haiku of Horror series idea for my Kaidan setting. This is the first of four floors, bathing area, for the Autumn Moon Bathhouse - it will be ghostly encounter...

[MichaelTumey]

Here's the second level of the bathhouse which serves primarily as a tearoom/restaurant, gambling/entertainment and at night time serves as communal sleeping quarters for larger groups, pilgrims to the nearby shrine - futons on the floor.

[alhoon]

How large are the areas MT? So we can set a grid?

[MichaelTumey]

When I'm finished, I will place a grid - grids are the last thing I put on any map. That said, actual dimensions is 22 inches by 16 inches (at 1 in = 5 ft scale) or 110' x 80'. I place the grid on the floor, beneath walls and furniture.

Once complete, I intend to create versions with 1" = 5' scale, 25 mm scale square grids and 1" high hex grid as well. You never know who needs a map and at what scale, so I create many possible versions for the most versatility. I also plan to create some map objects like furniture, food being served, some top down figures, some top down nudes, futon on floor ready to sleep, etc. - these can be placed using VTT software like MapTools.

I am currently drawing the roof pieces for the third level - over the moon viewing porch (top of second level map) and over the two corner rooms (bottom of second level map). I should finish the third floor by this evening.

Once I create all four floors, I intend to create some covered walkways reaching a stable area and a separated kitchen, with Japanese gardens and pines in between.

The final product will include both whole maps at scale for those printing on large format printers, and in sliced letter size so you can cut them out and tape together - or as gridless digital only for use in VTT (most VT apps use their own grid system.)

[MichaelTumey]

Level 3 of the bathhouse: staff communal quarters level, or if the bathhouse is owned by the yakuza, this is the kyodai common gang level. Note less square footage, as more area is replaced with roofed sections.

Working on final level next...

[MichaelTumey]

Here are all four floors with 1" square grids placed (1" = 5' scale).









Next bathhouse grounds and outbuildings.

[MichaelTumey]

Working on a map for a contest at the Cartographers' Guild - rules being "create a map with parts submerged under water and parts above the water." So I decided to do something unusual, creating a cross-section map of a pirate ship that is mostly submerged beneath the sea floor silt, but it's interior is exposed with a cross-section cut from the cliff, sea and sea floor. This isn't complete yet, as I plan to add a school of fish, a shark and a giant squid beneath the waves, a flock of gulls above the waves, a structure on the backside hill, and then a depth and distance gauge to the left and bottom. I may throw in a border when I'm complete.

Progress so far, though it is largely done.

Michael

[alhoon]

Very interesting but I find the change between sand and ... is that underwater, water? kinda confusing. It seems as if there are waves under the waves. I can't express it exactly.
What I want to say is mostly that the way the blue between sand and surface is drawn, between the submerged rocks, it's not clear that it's underwater. I would expect (personally) something more... trasparent, not waves under the waves if you get my meaning.

I hope you weren't offended. It's not that I don't like it and all, I just said an (uneducated) opinion.

[MichaelTumey]

Very interesting but I find the change between sand and ... is that underwater, water? kinda confusing. It seems as if there are waves under the waves. I can't express it exactly.
What I want to say is mostly that the way the blue between sand and surface is drawn, between the submerged rocks, it's not clear that it's underwater. I would expect (personally) something more... trasparent, not waves under the waves if you get my meaning.

I hope you weren't offended. It's not that I don't like it and all, I just said an (uneducated) opinion.

Actually I can understand where you're coming from, "waves under waves" is a comment that someone else mentioned looking at this cross-sectional map as well. The "waves below" is caused by the layering of silt as it washes off the shore onto the bottom. It is actually a realistic geological effect caused by erosion and sedimentary build up. That said, there might be some way to indicate that better.

I also intend to create a small top down map of the same area, on the final map adjacent to this illustration which might help. I plan to include a story box with the map legend to complete this project. The above is just a cross-sectional illustration to accompany the whole work.

[MichaelTumey]

Another way to understand a cross-sectional map, think of this select area as a fish tank. You're able to see everything in the tank up to the edge of the glass. Anything that is below the surface of the bottom media (gravel or sand) can be viewed if it is against the glass, though it is definitely below the waterline. A cross-sectional illustration is not an uncommon method of displaying this kind of information. Though I've never created a cross-sectional map before, this contest entry is my experiment in doing so. I'm usually experimenting on something when I enter a challenge. (I'm not in it for the 'win', as much as the trial of doing so, though I have won 4 such contests so far.)

[MichaelTumey]

Here's the final version of the previous map, and a link to the full size JPG.

Brigatine's Rest, Fool's Inlet

Michael

[alhoon]

Well, yes, that's more clear.

[MichaelTumey]

Working on updated maps for the islands of Kaidan. Here is the lower third of the main island of Anshu, with the outer isles of Ryuki and the Nawa isles. The reason this is being done in thirds is that each third is 40" wide. I can't print one sheet that includes all I need at the scale that I need. So working in thirds.

Update so far - this has yet to be labeled.

Michael

[MichaelTumey]

Central third of the Isle of Anshu, main island of Kaidan.

[alhoon]

What's the scale on those if I may ask?