I’m a map artist, making custom, unique imagery for print or pixel, usually delivered as a PDF. I specialize in map illustrations for publications and locations. I also make my own worldbuilding and map art projects. Check out examples of each below.
Keirtography for publications helps authors convey their stories or articles with a visually compelling, easy-to-understand reference map graphic.
I have decades of publication layout design experience (magazines, annual reports, research journals, self-published novels, and more), so I understand how these image assets will be used, either by the author themselves, their layout designer, or their print vendor—and I can optimize these maps for any physical or digital format.
Below are five recent examples of my map illustration for publications, as well as a sixth that’s quite old but was an important professional milestone for me.
I’m stretching the word “location” here to mean many things, from wayfinding at campuses, facilities, and events to hospitality and tourism, to promotion and education by nonprofits and neighborhood associations. Maps for any of these purposes must be intuitive and accessible reference tools, created to help users find out what they need to know and get where they need to go as quickly and easily as possible. I love to create stylish and beautiful digital map illustrations—branded to match a client’s visual identity guidelines—that invite viewers to visit and experience the places those maps depict.
Below are examples for hotels (hospitality promotion and wayfinding), nonprofit associations (used in branding, collateral, and fundraising campaigns), county fairgrounds (event promotion and wayfinding), college campuses (used as both online reference and physical wayfinding), and local commercial promotion (a realty welcome package; a proposed business association).
Worldbuilding and Artwork
Some of my most creative cartography work in the past decade has been for passion projects. Making these pieces helped me set the stage for what Keirtography has become today, and keep my creativity sharp for more conventional paid client work.
I love helping authors and game designers bring their imaginations to life with cartographic worldbuilding. The mutual inspiration loop that creates is infectious and wonderful. I’ve been smitten with fantasy maps since childhood, whether hand-drawn from classic sword and sorcery and historical fiction novels or equally-classic 8-bit home video game digital overworlds. Taking the next step to create my own (with a unique process) and help others do the same has been some of the most fulfilling creative work I’ve ever done.
That recent worldbuilding work was put in motion by earlier explorations of visual map art inspired by both real-world cartography and digitally-distorted programming effects, creating found-texture pieces, mixed-media pieces, even hand-drawn doodles—all enhanced by smartphone or laptop design tools used in ways they weren’t intended to be used. Several of these inter-related passion projects are included below.
