Richard Bell's Wild West Yorkshire nature diary
Friday, 23rd March, 2007
HERE’S
HOW things are going with my the maps for my walks; I’m using a Rotring
1.1 mm Calligraphy ArtPen for most of the drawing but for the dotted
line of the walk which is the first thing I put in, I’m using an Artline
3mm disposable Calligraphy Pen. The arrowheads are
added with an ArtPen with an extra fine sketch nib, as is the
smallest lettering.
All the rest is in Calligraphy ArtPen, including the boxed numbers, which I put in before I start drawing the landscape. It’s easier to adapt the organic lines of trees to fit around boxes than squeeze the squares into an existing map.
I like the clarity you can get by using bold calligraphic lines
and the stylistic consistency that comes from limiting the variety of media.
On some previous maps I’ve rubbed a black wax crayon over the paper with
sandpaper underneath to add a stippled texture to fields and woods. I’ve
also experimented with natural sponge to give an organic effect for foliage.
But, for clarity I prefer this stylised approach to making a picture map.