Vector Maps...What's your Vector, Victor?

This is a rough write-up of your assignment. I will refine it ASAP. 

Vector Maps...What's your Vector, Victor?

UT, Spring 2010, ART 2150

This assignment is meant to introduce you to vector graphics. You will be creating a personal map by creating a vector map and combining raster images with it.

Over break, record the routes that you go. Take photos along the way and at your destinations. Photos can be of anything that you want. Make them interesting though.

When you get back from break, you will use Map Quest, Google Maps, or Bing Maps to trace your route/routes. You will take a screen grab of the maps. You will bring that screen grab into Illustrator. You will then Trace parts of it depending on your grand vision. You will add in your photos to create a person map.

Assign names to memorable roads. Rather than name a street “Maple Street,” you can name it “Bumpiest Road in Toledo” or whatever.

Ultimately, prints of 16x20 or larger will made from your images. This requires a lot of detail to remain interesting at that scale.

On the first day back after break, I expect you to bring in enough work to spend the entire class period working on your map. If you are failing to come up with anything, look up maps and mappae mundi. Also consider going to the library and looking at the books on maps and actual maps they have there.

Maps are due in digital form ?. Due as prints on Monday the ?.

Below are a number of links. They also describe and illustrate some unconventional maps which may serve to inspire you.

Ohio maps from the department of transportation, you need a plug in to view some of them

Mental Map
http://geography.about.com/cs/culturalgeography/a/mentalmaps.htm
http://www.scribd.com/groups/view/12810-mind-map-art
http://progdrumblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/art-mind-map.html
http://zummi.deviantart.com/art/Retro-Mindmap-99419864
http://www.johnclapp.com/artw_pages/sketch_pages/sketch_eyeworks.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=Dm0SILERbOgC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=mappae+mundi&source=web&ots=De9xyVXTBX&sig=a0CW6oADesbpmNObJTOBoU9LFpc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA45,M1

Raster versus Vector
http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/webtech/CS2/unit_graphics1/gb_bitmap_id.htm



Excellent tutorials by Ken Hulsey, a real technical master of Illustrator


Awesome use of blend tool to make backgrounds
http://www.layersmagazine.com/blend-tool-revisited.html
Fancy vector techniques
http://www.webdesignerwall.com/tutorials/vector-polishing-techniques/
Tutorial on creating a roadmap- class tutorial was based on this
http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/creating-road-maps-in-adobe-illustrator

Different take on maps:
The ones I showed you
http://www.xkcd.com/256/ (world map of internet)
http://www.xkcd.com/195/ ( square map of internet )
http://www.xkcd.com/482/ (space)