Chester Zoo My Map of Chester Zoo

[amur leopard]

Hello all,

Recently I began a project to make my own version of the Chester Zoo map in a completely different style to the current one. Mine will have more numerous and (hopefully) more realistic illustrations of the animals, along with more features to recognise enclosures and buildings with, as well as not have different-coloured areas to the zoo but rather drawing the enclosures as they are.

You may have already seen the Grevy's zebra posted recently - unfortunately that has been lost along with its exhibit due to a software glitch so I have started from scratch again. I will post updates of the exhibits as I go along on here as well as a few pics in the gallery.

This may be an idea I hope to continue with other zoos so I am open to ideas on which zoo I should do next, although of course I am nowhere near finished this first one .

Thanks,

AL

 

[amur leopard]

Here is the first installment, starting with the Spectacled bear exhibit. The tapir exhibit next door is also in progress, so that will be next up.

 

[Daubentoniidae]

This looks amazing! Such great detail.

 

[TNT]

Wow, looks great! What software are you using?

 

[Fallax]

This looks really great but I must add if it is meant to up-to-date, the zoo no longer holds coatis

 

[amur leopard]

This looks amazing! Such great detail.

Thank you! I try to include as much as possible

Wow, looks great! What software are you using?

It is called Corel Painter Essentials 6. While it is quite useful on the whole it is prone to glitches and isn’t really compatible with anything so can be a bit of a pain

This looks really great but I must add if it is meant to up-to-date, the zoo no longer holds coatis

Oh thanks for pointing that out
I will change it asap.

 

[Daubentoniidae]

I can't wait to see the Tropical Realm area with added Aye-Ayes!

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

This looks really cool!

I've always wanted to make a map for my zoo on Planet Zoo, would this be a good way to do it?

 

[amur leopard]

This looks really cool!

I've always wanted to make a map for my zoo on Planet Zoo, would this be a good way to do it?

Well there are multiple softwares which are better, but I got this one as part of a purchase of a drawing tablet (Wacom Intuos) so I use it instead. I would thoroughly recommend using a drawing tablet if you do make a map of your zoo since it makes it so much easier and Corel (the software I am using) is good for my purposes but has multiple problems and glitches which can be frustrating at times.

What kind of style would you make your map?

 

[Fallax]

A very good free art software is Medibang, I use it with my drawing tablet.

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

Well there are multiple softwares which are better, but I got this one as part of a purchase of a drawing tablet (Wacom Intuos) so I use it instead. I would thoroughly recommend using a drawing tablet if you do make a map of your zoo since it makes it so much easier and Corel (the software I am using) is good for my purposes but has multiple problems and glitches which can be frustrating at times.

What kind of style would you make your map?

I don't actually own a drawing tablet, is that really the easiest way of doing it?

I like maps that are clear so it probably wouldn't have to be really detailed but then again detailed maps are also really good. Or did you mean If I had zoo maps in mind?

 

[SHAVINGTONZOO]

This looks really great but I must add if it is meant to up-to-date, the zoo no longer holds coatis

I think the coati should be a binturong.

 

[littleRedPanda]

I think the coati should be a binturong.

they are with the sun bear

 

[TNT]

they are with the sun bear

Beary easy mistake to make

(Please excuse the awful pun)

 

[SHAVINGTONZOO]

they are with the sun bear

Of course they are! Doh!

 

[amur leopard]

Here is the entire South American area near the Spectacled bears etc, including Miniature monkeys, the tapirs, anteaters and capybaras and of course the bears themselves.






Which area should I do next? Preferably something next to the area just covered, so either Fruit Bat Forest, the whole African grassland complex or Islands.

 

[GiraffeJack10]

It looks great. I especially like the tapir design. I would love to see Islands next because there are so many interesting species there.

 

[PicanBird]

The african grassland area would be interesting!

 

[Zia]

This looks really good so far - nice job

I think Islands would be good, and challenging too!

 

[amur leopard]

Here is the progress made on Islands - hope you like it

Monsoon Forest was a real problem because I had to choose how I was going to display it. There were several choices to be made:

• Should I even draw the inside or just show it how it is on the outside?
• Should I draw in the primate indoor exhibits?
• Should I draw in the gharial or hornbill?
• Should I draw in the primates in their indoors?
• How can I evoke the fact that the whole thing is indoors?

I decided to draw the inside because it is such a large building and so it might be confusing to see such a large, relatively blank space. I also decided to draw the primate indoor exhibits because they are such a large component of the building and therefore kind of needed to be there. I decided not to draw in any animals because they would be too small to be seen and the density of foliage in the building might obstruct them from view. And finally I decided to draw the entire building on a much lighter background to show that there was a difference between the outdoors and indoors, as well as drawing curving lines over it to evoke a roof. Hopefully it does remind you of Monsoon Forest and look all right - spent a long time on the at times really warped perspectives on the macaque indoor in particular, so hopefully that looks all right as well.

To me, this is probably the hardest part of Islands, so to get it over and done with is a relief. I may have problems with drawing in areas that are less documented online and in the gallery like Bali, but we'll see how it goes I guess .




Next up will be the macaque and orangutan outdoor exhibits, and then the anoas, and then I'll start to move upwards hopefully.