Evrach Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hi guys.A friend of me, Quemish juste finished an absolutly amazing project. Make a giant map of Westeros. I translate you his review from La Garde de Nuit because he don't speak english and is a little shy :The MaterialFirst, I wondered about the final result I wanted, which effect I wanted to give to this map.One of the most important things for me was to use a noble material and not just paper.I quickly forgot stone and wood to leather.Leather provides a better choice of textures and flexibility.The first obstacle was to find a leather piece big enough and with a good quality to let me work easily on it. I consulted a specialist of leather & parchment treatment. After an hour learning a lot of things about leather work, I choose a piece of nubuck, very soft and clear.http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/7750/cuir.jpg+ : leather is beautiful- : leather is fucking expensive, I'd rather not fail.The ToolsEverything seemed good, I choosed ink rather than pyrography because more precise and quick.Of course, before starting with the ink, I had to use a wood pencil. unfortunaly, classic wood pencil doesn't mark on leather. So, as unflappable as the Wall in front of the Wildlings, I seek for a pencil that could write on leather. I finaly found a "dark stone pencil" that can be erased like pencil if you don't press like a Gregor.Rest of the tools is simple, ink pen of diferent sizes and colours.http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/271/matosk.jpg+ : this pen is wonderful- : it requires a water-dancer dexterity to be sharpCoasts, Lakes and riversFirst, I obviously drew the coasts. My pattern was smaller that what I wanted to draw, so I doubled all the measures. method was simple and complex at the same time. I picked a lot of points, and placed it one by one, verifying their coordinates. It's very long and meticulous.Here is the result after 4 hours of work :http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/449/27255183.jpgTime for all the outline : 25 ~ 30 hours+ : the pleasure to see Westeros taking shape- : it's so loooooong ; and the Fingers were a nightmare to draw.Cities and fortressNow it's time to build cities ! I feel like Brandon the Builder.I decided to place cities before ink in the coasts in order to write names astride ground and sea.Time : 5 ~ 6 hours+ : A very good moment because not repetitive- : the amount of cities south of the Neck make me regret the big deserts of the NorthInk in the coastsOk ! so now the map just look like... nothingOf course, every lines are the same color and size. So it's time to ink in coasts with a black ink gel pen. The ink pen is fluent, but Nubuck's texture forced me to make several coats.Time : 3 jours+ : The map starts looknig somerthing !- : I can't erase ink... so fail is clearly forbidden !Ink in the riversSame thing as the coasts but with a blue pen. I askedmy father to write the names of all the rivers because I wanted a different writing between the city names and the rivers names. he aslo wrote names of mountains, seas, forests...At this time, all the names are on the map.Time : 4 ~ 5 hours+ : the end is near !- : the map still looks empty...Mountains and treesAll is wrote but the map still looks very empty. So I decided to draw the mountains. hundreds and hundreds of little tiny cones partialy colored. Very very very long work. And the map begin to become dangerous ! ink can run, and can't be erased.Alleluia ! it's over ! now... same for the trees -____- hundred and hundred of little tiny green trees. It's time to turn off brain, turn on robot's mode and draw trees...Time : 8 ~ 10 hours+ : very beautiful ! and colors give another dimension to the map- : very very very repetitiveDetailsit was the most interesting part, because never repetitve. I add the compass rose, and the major houses arms. For the arms, I took the arms of La Garde de Nuit's wiki and I transfered them. Have you ever transfer on leather ? it's just f***ing hard >_< I had to realease the Clegane in me. i wanted to add sea monsters, but the size of the map didn't fit very well with that idea.Time : 3 hoursAnd a little pic : http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/1635/continent.jpg+ : never repetitivesober arms- : nothingThe seaOne of the last thing was to mark the difference between the sea and the coasts. I made a lot of tests but finaly decided to use pastel blue. The result sets the continent off well. Now the map is readable at the first sight ! Now my fingers are the enemy ! Pastel is very dirty and I can ruin the map if I don't pay attention.Time : 1 hours+ : Set the continent off well, especialy sharped areas like the fingers (in the Vale)- : Dirty for the fingers (mine !)The FramePastel and pen rub out with time.So i must varnish the leather. i used a fixative for pastel painting. 3 coats.Now it's time to cut the map and put it in the frame. I had to stick the leather on the wood with a few amount of glue, and then nail it up.Here is the final result. The blue of the sea doesn't pass very well on camera, it loonks like fluo but is in fact less shiny :http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/9598/ombresansclous.jpghttp://img194.imageshack.us/img194/6678/ombreclous.jpghttp://img820.imageshack.us/img820/2011/soleilclous.jpgEDIT : Some close-ups :http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/591/dscn2820w.jpghttp://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2548/dscn2821l.jpghttp://img849.imageshack.us/img849/485/dscn2822i.jpgIt was an amazing experience to do this, finished just in time for the ASOIAF Live action role playing game of this week were the map were part of the decor. Now the map is hanged in my room :)A few numbers :- map is 150 cm / 75 cm- it costs ~ 160€- it takes ~ 60 hours of workHope you will like it.edit : I don't manage to put images :/ you'll have to lick on the links... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Amazing! That's dedication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottle cap Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 brilliant! could we get close ups of the detail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf2375 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 habooah. Wow, that is very impressive work. :bowdown: :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaR Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Amazing work.I'd love to see some high res shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evrach Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hi res shots & details are like Winter. They're coming ;) Soon I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evrach Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 A Few close-ups added :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celandine Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Wonderfully brilliant! I am in awe of your talent and the dedication it took to painstakingly make this. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySansa Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 That's really cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L’Age d’or Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Impressive thing is, if you manage to provide some whole body high-res photos of it, we could use it as a reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stego Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I don't like it, I LOVE it. Amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy89 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Sick, 60 hours of work makes that thing worth several thousand euros.I'd be very proud to have that hanging in my room.Now he only has to make the wooden table from all of Westeros that stand in Dragonstone! :P :bowdown:Mail GRRM about it, this should definitely be on his blog :PIf only it were in english :(I'm of a mind to make one myself, might be able to find the time in the summer, cuz I ont have near enough time currently to put 60 hours into it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronn Stone Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Job Snow is right. George will love this as much as we do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Sun Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 This is so very impressive. :bowdown: to your friend. What diligence and patience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marwyn the Mage Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Magnificent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quemish Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Thank you everybody ! ^_^ This map was a great challenge for me and it makes me happy that you love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince of the North Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Absolutely beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy89 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Thank you everybody ! ^_^ This map was a great challenge for me and it makes me happy that you love it.Did you already send GRRM a mail? You should definitely do that!How feasible is it to make one yourself if you have practically no experience in working with leather etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottle cap Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 gotta say chateau noir does not sound quite as impressive as castle black ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L’Age d’or Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Thank you everybody ! ^_^ This map was a great challenge for me and it makes me happy that you love it.You are my hero man :bowdown: :bowdown:As I mentioned earlier post some whole map badass resolution photos and it will be the new ASOIAF official reference map for everyone.ETA: C'est maginifique mon ami! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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