Since my website went down over Xmas I’ve been starting to rebuild the content, looking through lots of illustrations, some of which I made years ago.
Sometime in 2014 I was working freelance for the Clearmapping Company and was asked to design some pictorial maps in black and white for Hougun Estate Manor. Here are the results. I added in the blue for the water later – it wasn’t required by the client, who just wanted some printouts for guests, but I think it looks nice. You can click on the images to see the detailed versions.
The first is a general location map of Coniston water with an aerial perspective. There are details such as Brantwood house and the village of Torver. The wooded areas reflect actual forestry mixes as marked on Ordnance Survey maps. I’ve included heights and contour lines, so it’s cartographically accurate but I still tried to keep it really lighthearted and pictorial.
The second image is a closer view, turned so you are looking at Hougun Manor from the west. I put a bird of prey at the top, a buzzard in this case, which has become a theme in this style.
The third map is for Pimhill Barn, a wedding venue near Shrewsbury. It was printed on a card to help guests find their way. The last time I checked they were still using it on their website. I really loved the convoluted meandering of the river Severn, which lends the map a strong graphic dynamic.
The last map in this series was made for Graig Wen, a glamping site in Wales. Lots of little details again, and this time a red kite as the key bird. Their logo also features some birds, and I was told off for tweaking them a bit to fly off into the illustration. This client is also still using the map on their website, although they have altered it, I guess to reflect some changes to the campsite as it was made in 2016.
All of these maps were made while I was freelancing for the Clear Mapping Company, based in Penryn, Cornwall. It was run by Caroline Robinson. I lost touch with them when I was caring for my dad and had to reduce my illustration workload. Unfortunately, since the pandemic, the company seems to have closed. Caroline did some good work.
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