Fictional Maps ... one more time

And I'm certain this will not be the last.  I've posted at least three times on making maps for created worlds (see links below), one on the different kinds of maps I like to make, and two focused on how I make maps with watercolors and pencils.  The map on the left is one that I've been adding to over five years.  I had this idea for a roughly pentagon-walled city on the Atlantic's floor in 2003, and tonight I scanned--in two sections--my original 11x17 pencil drawing of the Nine-cities, Enneapolis, the Great City of the Seaborn--actually made up of nine cities inside massive walls, gates, protective shields, and a bunch of other stuff.

I love maps, love making them.  Click the pic for the large view.

http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2007/07/fictional-maps-.html
http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2005/10/fictional_maps.html
http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2006/06/fictional_map_m.html

Comments

[William Gerke]

Sadly, some of us lack your artistic skills. I've fiddled some with using Fractal Terrains and Campaign Cartographer--two world and map-generating programs--for maps.

However, I find that it takes a long time to make a map I'm happy with. I suppose it would go faster if I spent more time fiddling with the program, but I'd rather spend that time writing. So I'm stuck with some really poor, vague pencil outlines.

[Chris Howard]

Hi Bill! Let's talk about this at Boskone--never used Campaign Cartographer, but I always want to hear what others are using to make maps. Have you tried taking real maps that sort of fit the terrain you're making up--from satellite imagery, Google earth, other mapping tools?