What do you see when you look at the picture below? My wife said it looked like an amoeba. What it is, is a topographical map I drew of part of a world I’m creating. Here’s what I see:
- It’s a valley with steep mountains around it.
- This map was originally 16 pixels to a mile, so it’s about 35 miles across.
- Each elevation line is 1000′, so the highest peaks are about 16,000 feet off the valley floor.
- The darker areas are the mountains. The green areas in the middle are depressions in the valley floor.
- There are 137 mountain peaks, ranging from 3250′ to 16,340′ tall.
- The circular area on the right is a deep lake with high mountains all around it. There is a waterfall falling off the northern face.
This is why I love drawing topographical maps. I can look at them and see the places in my head. To some people, it may just be a bunch of lines, but for me, it’s truly inspiring.
The Green-Walled Tower 
October 28th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Wow, I think I see an amoeba. Ha ha. You’re multi-talented, David, to be able to draw as well. It’s a cool map!
October 28th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Thanks. 🙂 I don’t know if this counts as drawing; not like the pictures that Sharmishtha does, at least.
October 28th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
I think it counts. You wouldn’t want to see my doodling. I can’t even call it drawing. I’ve never seen Sharmishtha’s pictures. I’ll have to check them out!
October 28th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
The darker areas look like cats are roosting. It’s beautiful and calm looking. I can see islands instead of the mountain floor. 🙂
October 28th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Well, they could be islands. It all depends on the water level. 🙂 In this one, I’ve determined the water level is around -500 feet, since the ground is porous, so there are three small lakes in it. I do love islands though.
October 28th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
My first impression is something tropical below extreme heights. Then I think of something like the alps with crystal clear waters. Then I’m back to something like the center of a volcanic island like Hawaii or something like that. Looks like it’d be a real chore to get into that place!
October 29th, 2012 at 1:34 am
My first thought was islands surrounded by mountain ranges — but that’s because I live among a group of islands surrounded by mountain ranges! Are you sure those aren’t the Olympics in the upper left? 🙂
October 29th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
it looks like something viewed through microscope. my opinion will resemble your wife’s opinion 🙂
October 30th, 2012 at 3:16 am
It’d be a very peculiar valley. The central peak speaks to a crater impact, or volcanic caldera.
October 30th, 2012 at 9:29 am
Yeah, it’s not necessarily a very realistic place, if it were naturally occurring, except under special circumstances, like you said. In the world it is set in, the mountains are artificially made to serve as a aviary, so it has a lot of high cliffs and mountains for birds to nest in. The middle of the valley is jungle.
November 2nd, 2012 at 12:01 pm
I see Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants. What does that say about me?
November 2nd, 2012 at 12:12 pm
I guess topograpical maps can be like inkblots. I’m not sure what that says though 🙂
December 4th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
There is an abstract quality to it. Also my eye was drawn to a speck of red in the bottom left corner and my first thought was dragon. Are there any dragons in your story? (lol)
December 4th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Good eye, the red is hard to see on this version. It’s the final elevation color, so those are the highest peaks. There aren’t dragons per se in this world, but a lot of huge creatures that could be considered dragon-ish. So far it’s just a world, but I would love to write a series of novels set there.
February 13th, 2013 at 12:02 am
[…] Right now, I’m creating a huge and detailed world, probably to set stories in later (I posted a map of one tiny section of it before). When making up completely new creatures, it is possible to […]
August 16th, 2013 at 9:04 am
I like your world, David. There is great drama in this form of map. A concert of highs and lows. Keep up the cartography!