1149 Map

 As I work on the Weasel War of 1149 (no release date yet––sorry) I have created a new era appropriate map for my own reference. Making maps for Mouse Guard is an enjoyable task where I not only get to make subtle differences with the cities listed, little adjustments in their placements, and shifting borders––I also get to play with a new aesthetic style, making sure this map is unique enough to justify making it instead of just digitally editing an older version. For this post, I'm sharing the results of that cartographic effort, but also in letting you all see the process to create it and an opportunity to own a print of the map even before the book is finished: https://mouseguard.bigcartel.com/product/map-of-the-mouse-territories-11x17-print

 The process starts with a digital version of a previous map where I then slightly alter the shoreline (an in-world factor of erosion and/or slight discrepancies with the survey or draftsmouseship of the cartographer). A new font is applied to all the city names as I also make adjustments to their placements (same reason as before). new pathways are digital drawn in and other aesthetics are considered, in this case the title treatment, scale key, and the compass rose. For the first time ever, I also mapped the waterways.

That digital layout version is then printed out and taped to the back of a sheet of Strathmore 300 series bristol. In this case, it's a rather large piece: 24" x 12". On my Huion lightpad I inked the piece trying to be as accurate to the printout as I can be seeing it through the bristol while also adding in some nuance of imperfection, dings, and scratches. I inked this all with a Copic Multiliner SP pen (the 0.7 nib). It's also in this stage where I made the decision to add some texture to the water area with stippling around the shoreline. It added some depth and made it feel more complete and authentic.

When the inks were finished I scanned them and started the coloring process known as flatting. That's where you paint in the main color areas and establish where they are, like a professional version of coloring-in-the-lines. However, the larger part of color flatting this map was establishing color holds. Those are areas I want the inklines to be a color other than black...and every line on this thing qualifies. There are separate color holds for: the text, the shorelines, the stippled water, the pathways, the rivers borders, the dots and symbols and plaque on the map, and two for the compass. 

On a map, the rendering is less taxing of a task than on a full illustration. Rather than adding light and shadow to make a form feel three dimensional, this is more about adding subtle lights and darks with a textured brush to make it all feel more like an old hand printed and tinted map rather than a digital output.

As I mentioned at the start of the post, a version of this map is available as an 17" x 11" print in my online store: https://mouseguard.bigcartel.com/product/map-of-the-mouse-territories-11x17-print