Raspberries.

I got outside and took photos of raspberries, blackberries, blueberry plants, and mushrooms in our backyard.  Creating a digital watercolor of the raspberries is a way to practice mapping.  In addition, I’ve spent time immersing myself in drawings by Obi Kaufmann and Gary Trudeau.

As I work in Photoshop, I think of the weight of a digital pen stroke, the gradients of a shadow, the contrast, the detail or lack thereof, and the use of color.  I’ve tended to focus most of my mapping in Illustrator with a little bit of photoshop.  But now I’m creating finished maps in Photoshop instead.  The maps look more organic even if they aren’t more practical.

Whether I’m working on a digital painting of raspberries or a watercolor map, the purpose is to discover, connect, solve problems, and create something I like to look at.