# Community Participation > Mapping Challenge Archive >  Aug/Sept '19 Lite Challenge: Homer's Odyssey

## ThomasR

Hi folks,

I've been working on a map for my wife for the last few days. She's a literature teacher and wanted a map of Odysseus' journey to decorate her classroom (she teaches Antique Literature to her 6th graders).

This afternoon, I realized I started the map on the 19th and the Odyssey is technically a song so, here I am  :Very Happy:  The challenge will help me wrap it up quicker. The map is set for a size A2 but it might get a little extension for the border as it'd be a shame to miss an opportunity to do a torn parchment border  :Wink: 

Here's the first WIP :
### Latest WIP ###


You can spot my borrowing of John's so evocative waves as it was a terrific match for the context.

More in the next few days, most likely some mountains  :Smile:

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## Bogie

Very nice start Thomas.  I did not know The Odyssey was a song,,,, Can you sing a few bars for us?  Just kidding!
Welcome to the Challenge!

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## Azélor

It's the kind of song that you start listening in the morning while going to work and it's still playing in the evening.

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## aeshnidae

> It's the kind of song that you start listening in the morning while going to work and it's still playing in the evening.


Oh, like Free Bird...  :Laughing:  

I love that your wife will use this to teach, and the map already had a great feel to it.

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## ThomasR

> Very nice start Thomas.  I did not know The Odyssey was a song,,,, Can you sing a few bars for us?  Just kidding!
> Welcome to the Challenge!


Thanks Bogie  :Smile: 




> It's the kind of song that you start listening in the morning while going to work and it's still playing in the evening.


I heard on the radio that this kind of sung poem is still practiced in some parts of Serbia.




> Oh, like Free Bird...  
> 
> I love that your wife will use this to teach, and the map already had a great feel to it.


Thanks Aeshnidae, hope I'll find time to further it before the deadline.

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## ThomasR

Slowly clawing my way through the mountains. I'm pretty sure the map won't be finished before the deadline because of the shading process itself but heck I like those bulky mountain chains ! And to say it's not even the primary focus of the map ...

### Latest WIP ###

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## Bogie

That's a lot of mountains to shade by hand!  Looks good though!

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## ThomasR

> That's a lot of mountains to shade by hand!  Looks good though!


Thanks Bogie  :Smile:  It is a lot, indeed and here come some more, though I think they're pretty much done. Gotta add some plateaus now.

### Latest WIP ###

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## Hardacre

This is going to be great the style just fits the theme so well. I've got a massive weakness for the classics, cant wait to wee more of this.

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## ThomasR

> This is going to be great the style just fits the theme so well. I've got a massive weakness for the classics, cant wait to wee more of this.


Thanks a lot Hardacre  :Very Happy: 

Here come some shading but it is a long process. This map is gonna take me a lot of time to get it where I want ...

### Latest WIP ###

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## Bogie

The mountains are looking better and better!

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## Marc

The creation of this map is an Odyssey by itself, fantastic work so far Thomas!

Mind if I borrow your wave style for my map of Thra? They look amazing and I’d like to try them out  :Smile:

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## DrWho42

great start! i dig the textures and colours  :Very Happy:

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## ThomasR

> The mountains are looking better and better!


Thanks Bogie  :Smile:  I hope they're done but I fear I'll have to adjust once I add the plateaus. Working from real geography and turning it fantasy is not as easy as I thought.




> The creation of this map is an Odyssey by itself, fantastic work so far Thomas!
> 
> Mind if I borrow your wave style for my map of Thra? They look amazing and I’d like to try them out


Thanks Mark  :Smile:  I do not mind but they're from J.Edward and I've seen your work on the Dark Crystal map and it's gorgeous (plus your twist on the waves works wonders !).




> great start! i dig the textures and colours


Thanks DrWho42  :Smile: 

As I said above, mountains are done, shaded and highlighted ... for now  :Smile:  I've also added most of the real rivers (sorry Spain, I removed a lot from the plateaus). I'll proceed with plateaus and coastal details next.

### Latest WIP ###


EDIT : if someone tells me that some parts of the river system don't make sense, don't blame me, blame Earth (actually blame me, it means I've not chosen my mountain placement well enough).

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## ThomasR

And a bit more. Still not sure how much time I'll have to finish so, canopy will be postponed for now. Forest placements are uncertain but I'm not sure I can do better without proper research and I haven't got the time.

### Latest WIP ###

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## fol2dol

Magnifique!!!
I love it!!!
With that map Odysseus would have find the road back to Ithaca so easely.

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## ThomasR

> Magnifique!!!
> I love it!!!
> With that map Odysseus would have find the road back to Ithaca so easely.


Merci Robin  :Smile:  I'm trying to use my last hours of map-time (ma petite rôde trop près des écrans) to chose what to add to have it finished enough (I won't have time to get it where I want it so, the map will change before it is posted in the Finished Maps subforum).

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## ThomasR

Maybe I'll have some more time tonight to add something and to explain a bit but it's not certain (my little girl is pretty demanding those days) so, here's a satisfying enough last version.

### Latest WIP ###


Any comment and critic are welcome but , once again, I'm not sure I'll have time to use them.

It was a fun ride  :Smile: 

EDIT : I have a few minutes to explain some tiny bits.

Each entry of the key in the bottom right corner sums up one part of the Odyssey, one song. The numbers are the ones used before 700 BC (the siege of Troy is supposed to happen during the bronze age) and I cheated on the weapons, they were most likely not iron but bronze.

The map is not where I wanted it so, it'll have some changes before I call it done but it is finished enough for me to call it done for the challenge.

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## Cédric H.

It looks amazing! 
I just think that the colors from the shield, the swords and maybe also the name are popping out a little too much, when I look at the map as a all, my eyes just want to go to that bottom left corner instead of focusing on the beautiful map.

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## ThomasR

> It looks amazing! 
> I just think that the colors from the shield, the swords and maybe also the name are popping out a little too much, when I look at the map as a all, my eyes just want to go to that bottom left corner instead of focusing on the beautiful map.


Thanks a lot Cédric for this precious feedback ! I've stolen a few minutes and here it is.

### Winner ###

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## Bogie

Looks wonderful, great advice from Cedric, the muted colors fit much better.

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