Visited the old map room at the Boston library and saw something that made me rethink my coastlines

They had a real 17th century portolan chart on display, and the way the cartographer drew the waves and shoals was totally different from how we do it now. The depth lines weren't just dots, they were these intricate little curls that actually showed current direction. I've been doing my digital maps with the same basic wavy line for years. It made me realize my fantasy coastlines look flat and fake because I'm not thinking about the water's movement, just the land. Has anyone else looked at real historical maps and had to change a core part of their style?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia90519d ago

Ever try sketching the water first, then adding the land around it? Forces you to think about flow.

harper90819d ago

Actually got the opposite take from old maps. Those charts were made by sailors who needed to not crash, so they drew the scary parts really well. For fantasy, I want my coast to feel like a place you'd want to explore, not just navigate safely. Maybe flat and fake is okay if it makes the viewer dream about what's inland instead of worrying about the tides. Isn't the point of a map to sell the feeling of the place, not just copy how water moves?