Exercise: Giving Instructions

I’ve just moved to the middle of the countryside to house sit for a friend for a couple of weeks and my internet connection is very, very slow so I’ve been exploring his bookshelves for research.

I’ve decided to illustrate how to get to the house I’m staying in...

I found some maps in travel guides, which are a bit dull:

And tourist information leaflets, I like the 3D effect of the perspective drawings on these:

and on this map showing how to get to the Earth Sciences College of Bristol University http://www.google.es/imgres?start=186&hl=es&sa=X&rlz=1C1AVSA_enES462&biw=1600&bih=785&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=vIVINuOMZUtzdM:&imgrefurl=http://www.gly.bris.ac.uk/about/directions.html&docid=Gwt7OST4Z-UiLM&imgurl=http://www.gly.bris.ac.uk/about/wills.jpg&w=560&h=480&ei=_XKtT9CgKcLa8AOX4o3j

I also like the style of the hand drawn maps on these two websites by Alden Olmsted https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-017cgVe2v8vstX7keegugzi_oXPsoxb6VWvncspWcRt_DB2yjh-lU5xo5Bzt97838MhFSSGOr_O7DBq51iydrmDmABUsF0VHYC94LmroooGY7irM0eKMsk2vs9NudiqAXo32dYwZ-o0/s400/SF+Map+Card+copy.jpg and Michael Hill http://www.michaelahill.com/index.htm

This map on an invitation is very clear and simple:

Another friend makes maps of this region, which are clear, sweet and very detailed http://www.facebook.com/Mapaluz

And I like the hand drawn quality of the map for this zoo http://www.zoopraha.cz/en/before-visit/how-to-get-there#lang

And these murals by Alasdair Gray have a directional element to them.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/oct/23/alasdair-gray-my-life-in-pictures

But by far the most inspiring thing I’ve come across is this book of old board games ‘Great Board Games 1895-1955’ compiled by Brian Love and published by Ebury Press in 1979. Some of the games are set out like maps and have strong diagrammatic qualities. I also love the colours- faded fifties hues, soft and dull.

I went out a couple of times to take photos and make sketches of the route

And tried different layouts,

deciding that although the route is long and in pretty much one direction it will work best as a one line map with dashed marks to cut down long sections between important landmarks,  emphasised with a border, like the stages in a board game or the drawings in a cartoon . 

The arrows add to the board game theme.

At this stage I showed one of the neighbours my layouts and he agreed with my choice.

Having drawn the sections I decided to fill the space around them with a smaller scale ‘locating’ map of the region using this one for reference

 http://cadizbeach.com/s/cc_images/cache_2415249580.jpg?t=1316710380

and some more little drawings to emphasis the rural feel.

I needed to label some of the landmarks but I tried to keep this to minimum.

I showed the outline to three friends, two are neighbours and the other had just arrived at the house for the first time following written instructions I’d sent in an email.

They all really liked the map aesthetically and practically but pointed out that I had not included the name of the village on the small scale locating map, which I remedied. The first time visitor also said that the position of the house is not immediately apparent when you enter the gate, either in reality or on the map and suggested that I could add more arrows or colour the house to make it stand out. The neighbours thought that the map works very well as an outline but agreed that adding colour would enhance it.

I chose to add touches of colour in guache so that the effect would be subtle and not detract from the simplicity of the outline. I was influenced by this board game in my colour choice.

And this is the finished map.

I showed it to two more friends; a couple who live just outside the confines of the map. He liked everything about it and said that the beach, cactus and country scene gave a very strong sense of the place. She loved the writing, the boxes, the hills, the cactus, details like the gate to the horse field and also the small scale map, although she found that part confusing. She also disputed the exact position of the ‘Arzocaire’ gate and said that she didn’t like the angles of the buildings, I’ve twisted them slightly in the hope that the map can be read more easily from one view point.

Overall I’m very pleased, it took me a long time since I’ve experienced a bit of a block recently, but plodding through it got it done. My block is probably a reaction to storming through part 2 so quickly and also to having looked at so many outstanding artists’ work recently, which precipitated a bit of a crisis of confidence (again).  

Next time I would take more time to make the title a bit neater, I wanted a hand-made quality but it’s a bit too irregular.

Morgan´s back now and loves the map.