Cartography

• Beeldende vorming
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 2

LESSON 1 – look for inspiration

Find yourself (5-10) examples of maps you like (realistic or fantasy, old maps or contemporary illustrations, anything goes).
Tip: Search for: ‘art cartography’ ‘modern illustration maps’ ‘hand-drawn maps’, ‘amazing illustration maps’, ‘medieval illustrated map’, ‘old hand-drawn map’, and so on. You will use these maps as inspiration for your own work.

It is important you do your research, because it does count for your mark, as part of your process!

Inspiration: Grayson Perry

To make Map of an Englishman, Grayson Perry borrowed the style and lettering of 16th- and 17th-century cartography.

But instead of locations, his map depicts behaviors and psychological states, including bodies of water named Psychopath and Delirium and landmarks named Happiness, Cliché, Spit, and Bad Manners.

Its central landforms resemble the left and right halves of the brain. Perry explained that he “tended to put the darker, more subconscious things on the bottom right, because that’s where they are in the brain.”

In "The Island of bad Art" Grayson Perry takes a swipe at the art establishment.

His map depicts an ‘island of bad art’ resembling Venice, home to the celebrated contemporary art biennale.

Why do you think Perry wanted to "take a swipe"
at the art establishment? What has the Biennale have to do with this, you think?

YOUR TURN!

Find yourself (5-10) examples of maps you like (realistic or fantasy, old maps or contemporary illustrations, anything goes).
Tip: Search for: ‘art cartography’ ‘modern illustration maps’ ‘hand-drawn maps’, ‘amazing illustration maps’, ‘medieval illustrated map’, ‘old hand-drawn map’, and so on. You will use these maps as inspiration for your own work.

It is important you do your research, because it does count for your mark, as part of your process!

Ready? Upload your document with examples in:

ELO - inlevermap lesson 1

LAST WEEK:

Find yourself (5-10) examples of maps you like (realistic or fantasy, old maps or contemporary illustrations, anything goes).
Tip: Search for: ‘art cartography’ ‘modern illustration maps’ ‘hand-drawn maps’, ‘amazing illustration maps’, ‘medieval illustrated map’, ‘old hand-drawn map’, and so on. You will use these maps as inspiration for your own work.

It is important you do your research, because it does count for your mark, as part of your process!

THIS WEEK: DESIGN A SHAPE

1 The first thing you need is a main shape for your islands. Design a shape yourself, instead of just copying one! Start sketching and make sure you have a minimum of 3 different sketches.

Cut out the shape you like most.

Important: you only need the outline, not the details inside!

2 Get yourself a drawing paper (A3 if you have. Preferably no printing paper but thicker sketch paper).

3 Trace the outline of your shape 3,5 or 7 times with a grey pencil. These combined shapes become the main island on your map.

4 Decide if you want more little islands around your main area. Keep them small, so no bigger than

the main land.

The stencils may overlap slightly if this fits the

shape you want to create.

(Leave some space for the sea though!)

Your map should be well underway by now!
Final steps to take:

1 - experiment with seas! Try at least two different techniques.
Like: fineliner, ecoline, waterpaints, sponging etc.

2 - choose the technique you prefer, and create those seas!

3 - Last but not least: finish your islands. Add colour and / or use fineliner. Are you using familiar techniques or something you haven’t tried yet…?