Meet Richard Thomson: the man behind the maps!

For box nr. 10 of our Advent Calendar we asked mapmaker Richard Thomson - the creator of the stunning Centrefold with Greek colonies for issue 38 of Ancient History Magazine - to tell us and our readers a bit more about himself:

What have you contributed to Ancient History/Ancient Warfare

I produce quite a few of the maps for Ancient History and Ancient Warfare magazines – everything from a double page spread to the size of a small postcard; from the shores of the Atlantic to the Indian subcontinent. I love the range of subject matter – it’s always something different!

What is your preferred art style, e.g., traditional, digital, or hybrid?

There’s often a quick sketching phase by hand at the very beginning, but most of my work is ultimately created digitally (often with my dog at my feet, doing her best to distract me). I really appreciate the aesthetic and feel of traditional painting and always try to bring a bit of that ‘look’ to my pieces.

What is your research process like?

I always love opening the brief for the first time and reading around the topic I’m going to be illustrating. It’s like a little history lesson every time! Having long been fascinated by history, I have quite a few books at home to consult, though the internet is of course a great tool to have for reference too. Then I really enjoy getting stuck in to the challenge of trying to convey what I’ve learned as clearly as possible – particularly so with historical illustrations where accuracy and attention to detail is so important. Sometimes I begin sketching out ideas while researching if the subject matter is particularly complicated. Sometimes if it’s is a little simpler or if I know the subject matter quite well, it’s a case of first research, then cracking on with the illustration itself.

Do you have a particular favourite ancient historical period or type of event you like to illustrate, e.g., ancient Greece, battles, or architectural reconstructions?

I’m a keen sailor and ships and the sea have long been a fascination of mine, so I particularly enjoy working on illustrations and maps if they have some relation to the sea. I’ve maybe got a bit of a romantic streak, so I also love stories of exploration, adventure, and early colonisation. There is, of course, lots of this in the ancient world, and there have been some wonderful briefs I’ve been very fortunate to receive. The map of the Greek Colonies in the Archaic period was really fascinating to work on for that reason, as I learned many of the founding stories associated with them. It was also pretty challenging and very much a labour of love – your image researcher Lauren knows what I’m talking about – but I think we were both pleased with how we got it to work in the end. If the opportunity arose at some point, I would also love to illustrate some of the ships of the ancient world for Karwansaray Publishers – let’s see!