mapping project
This project required us to create a unique map with four overlays that could work both separately and together. The map needed to communicate a place that is historically significant, or represents a personal geography.
research & ideation
My research began by reading a book titled You Are Here by Katherine Harmon. The initial idea I had for this project was a representation of my own personal geography, which is why I chose this book as a means of research. This book is mainly a collection of unique maps from many different artists and cartographers across the world. There are a few essays detailing the process behind nontraditional mapmaking, which is what I drew the most inspiration from.
Midway through my ideation process, my mind began to explore other ideas that were more rooted in the real world, although I use that term loosely. Cryptids have always been a very big interest of mine since I was a child, and I thought that it would be interesting if I could create a map of their locations. My idea started out very big but gradually shrank until I was focused on one country.
Due to there being many, many instances of overlapping or unclear origins of certain cryptids and mythical creatures, it was much more difficult to sort them by location. Because of this, I ended up settling on Ireland as my only country to focus on. The mythical creatures in Irish/Celtic folklore have always piqued my interest, and it was very easy for me to become invested in the creation of this map.
base map and first two overlays from the first work in progress. pictured here are water-dwellers and animals.
My idea began with the entire continent of Europe but gradually shrank until I was focused on one country. Due to there being many, many instances of overlapping or unclear origins of certain cryptids and mythical creatures, it was much more difficult to sort them by location. Because of this, I ended up settling on Ireland as my only country to focus on. The mythical creatures in Irish/Celtic folklore have always piqued my interest, and it was very easy for me to become invested in the creation of this map
edited base map and last two overlays from the second work in progress. pictured here are creatures and ghosts.
I narrowed down the creatures to what seemed to be the most well-known. Then, I separated them into four categories: animals, creatures, ghosts, and water-dwellers. Each category then became its own overlay for the map. From there, I positioned each creature as close to the county they are most often seen in while still ensuring that it was aesthetically pleasing. Then, I drew each figure in a style reminiscent of cartoons or storybooks. Because of how many of these beings are seen as scary, I thought depicting them as cute or unassuming would provide a fun and interesting contrast.
close-ups
During critique, I was advised to adjust the kerning on the title of my map to better fit the letter 'T' that caused an unusual gap between the letters. I was also advised to add a black outline to the base map. Once I revised my work with these critiques in mind, I found that the end project looked much more cohesive.
It was a new and interesting challenge to work with printing materials I was unfamiliar with. Tangible works are not something I often deal with, so the need to go back and make small adjustments to ensure that it looked pleasing on the transparency sheets was a hurdle I had to overcome. In the future, I believe that I will have an easier time troubleshooting printing issues now that I have had this experience.
