April 2025 - This is a map of a recent cruise I took in the Caribbean aboard the NCL Escape. I decided to make a map of it in the style of Herman Moll. In QGIS I created a custom map projection centered on the midpoint between Miami and Harvest Caye and used a Lambert Conformal Conic projection.

The aesthetics were mostly done with Procreate on my ipad. I tried to mimi the maps of Herman Moll from the 18th century. There are archaic spellings scattered around the map as part of this style. 

I used ChatGPT to craft text copy in an archaic style. It sounds way more elegant than anything I could come up with.

[ 2025-02-28 17:59:07 ]

April 2025 - On August 12th, 2026, a total solar eclipse will cast a sweeping shadow across northern Spain. For most, it will be a fleeting spectacle. For me, it became the starting point for a map that blends scientific precision with historical style and a touch of poetic license.

I used the Lambert Conformal Conic projection, centered on Soria, to trace the path of totality from the Atlantic coast to the Balearic Sea. But rather than produce a purely technical diagram, I wanted something richer. I’ve long been fascinated by 18th and 19th-century cartography, when maps were drawn with a sense of drama and often accompanied by ornate details. Herman Moll was a particular inspiration.

I built the base in QGIS, overlaying the eclipse centerline, the boundaries of totality, and major landmarks. Then came the narrative layer. I wrote descriptive text in English, and with the help of ChatGPT, translated it into Spanish in the style of Cervantes. I do not speak Spanish fluently, so I treated the translation process as part of the artistic challenge. Capturing tone and cadence became as important as accuracy.

The final product is a hybrid of science and story. It is part astronomical diagram, part literary map, and part historical pastiche. My goal was not just to chart the eclipse, but to make something that feels timeless, as if it belonged in an old atlas beside a navigator’s tools.

In an era of minimalist digital maps, I wanted to create something with character. A map that invites lingering. A map that makes the viewer feel the passage of time, not just the shadow of the moon.

Better image quality on my Reddit post: https://redd.it/1k09nmy 

[ 2025-04-16 13:48:15 ]