The Map Project

I signed up for the Map Project hosted by the Art House Co-op (the same people who host the Sketchbook Project). For this project, we have to illustrate a map with whatever media we choose, as long as it can be folded down to 4x6 inches. I love maps & often make a map of my day in my sketchbooks, so this challenge was right up my alley. I don't exactly need another project on my hands, but this one sounded like a lot of fun & it was free. It was also filling up really fast (there are only 1000 spots) so I jumped right in.

One of the deciding factors was that I already had a map sketched out!

This map of the fictional Republic of Krez is one I drew for a story about a month or so ago. I love writing - I always have some notebooks lying around so that I can jot down a scene or two. It isn't anything serious; these small excerpts rarely go anywhere, but it's a fun way to unwind creatively. Recently, I was inspired by George R.R. Martin to start a new story in a fictional world. But first, I had to have an idea what that world looked like.

Naturally, the easiest thing to do was to use this prototype for my Map Project. So yesterday, I pulled out a piece of 11x17" charcoal paper & went to work.

I'm not sure if this is the version I'm going to send. I love how it turned out, except that the words (written with a purple Sharpie) aren't very clear through the pencil crayon. So I'm going to sit on it for a while, flesh out some more details (making up landmarks is one of the best parts) & figure out how I want to fold it. I want the back of the piece to be interesting as well, so that as you unfold the piece, different details are revealed.... we'll see. I have until April 30th to mail it, but I don't want to wait until the last minute.

Anyway, here are some of the details:

What do you think of my map?