Tristan da Cunha - Part 8 - First Color

This is the eighth in a series of installments that describe my process in creating a Paradise Travel Map. This is a map of Tristan da Cunha, a small little-known island in the South Atlantic Ocean that supports a population in one village of under 300. It is considered the most remote inhabited island on earth.

Now that the ink line is finished I have begun applying the color in Photoshop, by way of a Wacom Cintiq. The ocean water color is now flat, but there will be a lot of tonal variation and rendering in the ocean as the color progresses. The descriptive banner to the right also has flat color at this point.

The title banner is finished. You can see that I rendered on top of the flat color to give the banner to "age" it and give it more authenticity and flavor. I also did a lot of toning and tuning and shading in the color letters. All of the lettering on the map is done freehand. I taught myself to do freehand lettering when I was in eighth grade. I'm eternally grateful for learning that skill. It has benefited me almost daily for my entire life.

Have you seen my other blog, The Trowbridge Chronicles?