I enjoyed working on this hand lettered map of the desert planet of Arrakis, inspired by the classic science fiction book series, Dune, written by Frank Herbert.
Hand Lettered and Illustrated Map of Arrakis, from Dune by Frank Herbert
Hand Lettered and Illustrated Map of Arrakis, from Dune by Frank Herbert: Detail
Having read the novels decades ago, the recent films created a mesmerising vision of the story, which encouraged me to create a map which captures the atmosphere of the world, while still including the places mentioned in the story.
An essential part of this epic are the awe-inspiring giant worms which inhabit the planet, I have included one looming forward with gaping mouth in the background of the map.
Map of Arrakis: Detail with Legend
Map of Arrakis: Detail with Chakobsa-inspired Hand Lettering
I was fascinated by the Chakobsa language of the Fremen, created by talented language creators David and Jessie Peterson for the films, Dune and Dune: Part Two. Taking this as my starting point, I explored how the symbols could be produced with large dip pens, to familiarise myself with the shapes.
I then created an English hand lettered alphabet with a smaller broad-edged nib, which reflects some characteristics of the written Chakobsa language. By necessity, I restrained these elements to retain legibility, particularly as it would be read on a textured background but it was a fascinating exercise, which I feel adds an extra layer of interest to the illustrated map.
Calligraphic Worksheets: Studying Chakobsa Characteristics
Calligraphic Worksheets: Large Watercolour Chakobsa Characters
I have been lucky enough to work on science fiction and fantasy languages before, most notably for Doctor Who. If you are interested you can find my hand lettered Gallifreyan titles for the limited edition, Fourth Doctor Who Time Capsule, for the BBC in my TV & Film folder.
If you’d like to see more of my hand lettered and illustrated maps, you can find them in the Maps folder, or you may be interested in seeing my Illustrated Fantasy Map of Narnia with its medieval-inspired decorative titling.
