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The Sellsword Summer Mapping Contest

Posted on by Nate

Cartographers of the world unite!

Over the past year I’ve had the time of my life mapping fantasy worlds, learning new things, and sharing much of it with you. Likewise, many of you have shared your own maps with me, and I’ve loved seeing your work. I’m constantly inspired by what even the newest cartographers can accomplish. To that end, I want to encourage even more of you to pick up the pencil or drawing tablet and get mapping by holding a contest and giving away some prized for the winners.

If you accept this challenge, you will have one month to make a map based on the landmass I’ve created. You may say this hinders your creativity, but in mind creativity can often flourish within certain boundaries, and I think it will be awesome to see many different styles represented in a similar shape. (It also ensures that people aren’t submitting maps they’ve done in the past, or simply finding cool maps someone else made).

In recognition of their hard work, the top 3 map creators (based on public vote) will get prizes! The prizes will be:

First place will choose one of the above first, second choose next, third place gets what’s left.

Rules, Regulations, & Details

  • Map must closely follow the coastline template provided, though some creative liberty will be allowed (see examples in video). Don’t just use my outline directly. Draw it yourself, even if it is nearly identical.
  • Your map may be created on paper or by digital means, but don’t use Inkarnate or similar tools that do a lot of the art for you.
  • You have a lot of creative freedom. You choose the setting, flavor/style, settlements, geographical features, and other artistic elements.
  • Feel free to develop lore and other information, but the voters will only view the single image of your map.
  • To increase your chances of winning, submit a high quality image. If done on paper, scan it or take a well lit, high quality photo. Centered under a daylight window works well.
  • Send final entries to sellswordmaps at gmail dot com by 7/14/2016. JPG or PNG format is preferable.
  • International shipping is costly for me, so those outside the U.S. will likely be inelgible for the Micron pens.
  • VOTING will be open to the public and will take place in 2 rounds here on a new page I’ll make on wasd20.net, July 20-22, and July 23-25. The first round will be all maps, the second round will be between the top 2 or 3 maps from the first round.

Any other questions? Let me know in the comments below, or better yet, the video comments on YouTube.

8 Comments

  1. Oh yeah! Love this idea to have a contest based on a given shape. Am outside the states (Sweden for the moment) but may just give it a whirl anyhow. Luck to all entrants!

  2. I started just a few Days ago, but i think i can finish my map =)
    Even if i have no chance of an win 😉 Although i get under the top three, I Have the Map-Book , i dont need the other, and i amm in Germany …so, no pens XD

    But it is fun to make and im exited, to see how far i can get.
    Good luck everyone.

    P.S. hope my map is better the my english XD

      • Thanx 🙂

        I realized to late that i maybe coose a to Low resulution, i take the size of your teplate, and scaled a litte bigger. Now by lettering ans stuff its like pixelart XD.

    • The voting will not be password protected. It will begin at 6 am EDT and will be open to all. I think I accidentally posted it early, but you can’t see it yet. Stay tuned! Just 5 more hours.

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