The creative part of the project was completed during 2009. The Haarlem map is the fruit of 6 months, or about 1.500 hours of creative work.
More specific:
1 MONTH scouting the field. That includes walking through the city (all 6 square km)from the biggest avenue to the smallest alley, taking pictures, videos and sketching on the spot of all the significant features of the city.
1 MONTH designing the prospective 3D model of the depicted area`s topographic map, in a handmade prototype size 0,80m x 1,10m. This is performed only with the use of a pencil and a grid with great emphasis in the topographic accuracy.
1 MONTH designing all the visual information that has been collected during the scouting process, on the 3D model. This is the part while the map gets its full illustration and it`s been performed also with pencil so as to be possible any correction or addition during the design process.
1 MONTH of applying the inks. During this process and after a cautious evaluation of the previous pencil design we start the inking procedure. It`s been performed handmade with the use of very fine and thin rapidographs of several kind of point diameters. It is a one of the most rafinate and elaborate part of the design process.
GALERY BLACK&WHITE
Haarlem Ink
1 MONTH of coloring. After the inks are finished, we remove carefully with a soft rubber any remaining trace of pencil and we are ready to start the colors. This is performed handmade with pencil watercolors and it is exactly the point when the map is actually getting alive!
1 MONTH of digital rafination and completion. After all the handmade design is finished the prototype is scanned in a tube scanner so as to create a digital form of it and prepare it for print. During this process we restore digitally any error that might escaped our attention in the previous stages of the design and we add all the helpful details that will give to our map its value of use, beyond its value as a piece of Art: the name plates of the streets, squares , park`s canals etc. which are not possible to be included in the handmade design, as well with the markation of all the significant buildings and area`s that our map signifies and promote to the reader.
