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slyeagle — Equinox Map
Published: 2011-09-21 18:01:39 +0000 UTC; Views: 6110; Favourites: 100; Downloads: 110
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SAI and CS3: A little over 60 hours.This was a commission to do a map for an aquaintance's fantasy comic, and like all commissions a learning experience in what NOT to do when you take a commission. In this instance, when taking a commission to design a fantasy map, do NOT assume that you are designing a map for a world that the commissioner has already created when you take the first half of your payment.
Because I ended up, for only $200, creating a world for the fantasy comic to exist in, THEN designing a map for it. >_< Oh, sure, he had some vague ideas about what he wanted, and then later specific ones when he saw what I had done. But I still had to make up about 90% of this world AND name it. I ended up doing $600 of work for a third of that.
GawdIhatecommisiionswhydoIevertakethemohrightIneedmoneythat'swhyargh.
Actually, I really like how it came out. I know he's going to change stuff, but this is the version I like.
Also, ironic moment: He's an artist drawing a comic, but he wanted me to make the map in part because of my superior photoshop skills...and then I made most of it in SAI.
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Comments: 46
This is a very eye-catching map. I love the sea serpent!
And I feel your pain... I've accepted such commissions in the past. But you did well to make the best of it.
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I love this ! 
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Though it sounds like the comic book writer will do a much worse job making a story for it.
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Makes me want to read the comic set here...are the people representing different kingdoms?
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Nice. I especially like the dragon eating the compasshead.
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Whoa.. this is just pure gorgeousness! 
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Worth every penny I would say
I especially like how the map contains many layers, you have to focus on each to get all the details, but they are still visible as a whole...
Great job!
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wwwoooooow... you are a saint. O_O naming the things, holy shit beyond geographical minutia to fill in the writer's ideas (vague and i'm assuming large) is such a personal part of a story.
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Someone who understands! Yeah, he didn't understand why I was making such a big deal going "Are you sure you want me to just add three countries, a ton of towns and landmarks AND name it all?" He kept saying "you've got cool naming conventions."
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it's a compliment, but such a huuuuge duty!
it came out slammin', so if the guy's not happy he don't know his ass from a hole in the ground. take pride in that.
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The detail on this really shines. This is the kind of fantasy map I love to see, the details are fascinating and interesting, drawing one in and making them curious about the story's behind the place it depicts. Huzzah!
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Then I succeeded where the story fails!
Thank you.
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Wow it looks so professional and detailed. I especially love the serpent with the compass. It really brings to mind pirate maps and other old style maps. Really well done.
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Hee, I did the sea serpent because it seemed like a fun idea. It ended up taking a looong time to do, though. >.>
Thank you.
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Looks good! My guess the character are the Kingdom? or Countries?
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Yeah, they're the Kingdom/Country/Nation markers. Unfortunately, I don't think they worked out so well.
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I think I got the ideal. Interesting way to make the Kingdom Markings.
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Great map Sly-Eagle, have you considered showing it off at the Cartographers Guild?
Cheers,
-Arsheesh
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It was already in it by the time I saw this comment.
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the world beyond canyon/cliffs apparently are so trippy O_O
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Yeah. I misunderstood him the first time and made the cliffs dropping off the edge of the world. Then he told me the cliffs were supposed to go UP and you couldn't climb them. And I went...oh. o_0
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Did you ever think of saying to him, "Hey wait - I was commissioned to draw a map of the world you created, not create the world for you. If you want me to design the landscape from scratch I'm going to have to adjust my fee..." Because wow, I'd be a little irritated at being taken advantage of.
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1) It's a "you said"/"I meant" sort of situation.
2) When I hinted strongly that I had to put in a lot more work than I thought I had signed up for he said "you made it harder on yourself." (Because I did it in color, when he would have been happy with monotone. Which might have shaved 5-10 hours off, sure....)
I decided to suck it up and deal, because I needed the money so badly. So, yeah, I've yet to take a commission that wasn't a losing situation for me. =/
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Well... for all of the suffering on your end at least it came out really cool. Nice job.
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This is super awesome! 
Do you have any tips for map making? I'd like to give it a try for my comic and novel, but so far I've sucked hardcore.
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Tips off the bat? ...not so much. Map-making is pretty complicated. Maybe tonight or sometime soon on livestream we can pinpoint what exactly is giving you trouble and I can help with that.
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Ah, okay xD Though I'm not sure "exactly" what is giving me trouble. I'm not even sure where to begin, really.
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*big eyes* oh, how I wish I had moneys...... this is soooooo amazing. I've tried to map out the EH world, but I'm just so crap at it... even with looking up maps and trying to work out my own through refs much like this, it's just impossible... but this....
it's beautiful...
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Well, like I mentioned to Shae, maybe I could do a map-making workshop on livestream.
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