Cars

cartographic perspectives 51 Number 43, Fall 2002 phy to become a harmonious part of the landscape (Figure 7). The key to achieving aquafication is to remember that lines are seldom found in nature—therefore, all casings are removed from oceans, lakes, and double- line rivers. Drainages are made to appear more natural by tapering widths based on their relative size and direction of flow—a tedious technique that is a throwback to our pen and ink cartographic forebears. However, it is relatively easy to taper drainages in a program like Adobe Illustrator by using custom brushes. A library of custom brushes can be built to repre- sent various thin-to-thick tapering progressions, which are easily applied to stream vectors (Nelson, 2001). In the aquafication process, all hydrographic features, including water bodies and tapered drainages, should be assigned the same color (avoid using pure cyan) and rasterized as a single layer in Photoshop. Once in Photoshop, subtle adjustments can be applied to give the hydrography a more realistic appearance. By adjusting the opacity, blending mode, and color of the layer, hydrography can be given just the right amount of prominence compared to other physical landscape elements. As a final touch, sun glints (a form of modulation) can be added to water bodies and rivers by applying light tone with the airbrush tool and a big soft brush. As a general rule, water bodies are blank space on maps. They are a convenient dumping ground for legends, text notes, and photographs that pertain to terrestrial areas, usually the prime focus of the map. The secondary status of water bodies on maps, and their constantly changing appearance in nature, also provides cartographers with a blank canvas for applying realistic special effects not applicable to terrestrial areas where conflicts with primary information are a concern. Special effects on water surfaces are more than artistic embellishments. They can improve map communication. For example, a sun glint strategically placed near a shore- line park visitor center can be used to subconsciously draw the reader's attention to that area. Other special effects can imply environmental phenomena. By showing a wave pattern only on the choppier windward shore, the leeward and windward shores of a tropical island can be dif- ferentiated (Figure 8). More precise mapping is possible with artistic embellishments on wa- ter. For example, a partially submerged reef can be mapped, albeit indi- rectly, by showing its effect on water—breaking surf—by transferring an image of the surf from a registered aerial photograph. The NPS has used a similar technique to map rapids on the Potomac River at Great Falls Park, Virginia. "Drainages are made to appear more natural by tapering widths based on their relative size and direction of flow—a tedious technique that is a throwback to our pen and ink cartographic forebears." "Special effects on water surfaces are more than artistic embellishments. They can improve map communication." Figure 7. Grand Teton National Park. Hydrography harmoniously integrated into the cartographic landscape.

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