As I sit here on the eve of the first day of Spring, watching the snow fall, I’m reflecting on the choice of this year’s maps.  As the dregs of winter provide some of my most productive periods of sustained

To Market, to Market—So a given map is “finished”.  Now what?  Photograph it.  Create a digital record file.  Copyright it.  Decide the final production sizes.  Choose materials such as art paper, canvas or other.  Sample color separations, shades and transparencies,

Once things are drawn and painted, what remains to finish up the maps is the words and symbols that complete peoples’ expectations.  The labels, graphics and type fonts that help viewers orient themselves and understand the areas depicted are critical

There is no way to get around the fact that any map is partly judged by how it fits into the long history of mapmaking.   People really like maps because of this history and to pretend that it is not

  As previously discussed, as each map is more fully drawn, it takes on a life of its own.  The backgrounds give way to more detail.  The details require more research and careful consideration and this often leads to further areas

Once I’ve been able to settle on correct and accurate data, which often includes personally walking the sites to verify certain details, it’s time to actually begin drawing the backgrounds of the main elements.  This very tactile experience really begins