In a world defined by readily accessible digital maps, Anton Thomas proves that traditional cartography isn’t a lost art form after all. In 2014, the self-taught artist based in Melbourne, Australia challenged himself to hand draw the entire North American continent. The endeavor resulted in an almost five-year-long passion project that culminated in a resplendently animated pictorial map, measuring 4x5 feet, titled North America: Portrait of a Continent. The cartouche, or emblem of the map is pictured above.

Thomas was 21-years-old when he left his native New Zealand for the first time to embark on a two-year long backpacking expedition throughout North America. He was astonished at its sheer magnificent size – 40,000 miles of coastline and 10 million square miles of diverse geography from mountain ranges to prairies, tropical, evergreen and deciduous forests to deserts and the Arctic tundras of Canada.

‘I had never left New Zealand before, and the grand scale of the continent was profoundly inspiring,’ he said in a press release announcing the forthcoming sale of prints from his project. 'I marveled at the size and diversity of the place.’

He set out to tell a visual story of the continent through all its vast diversities in terrain, culture, climate, animal life, landmarks, fauna and population. The finished product contained 600 individual city skylines and tens of thousands of illustrations of star constellations, land animals and sea life of all varieties from boats and ships to tropical fish and arctic whales illustrated throughout the map.

The cartouche, which sits above Cuba in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is a masterpiece on its own. It features 50 different critters intricately drawn amongst various flags, iconic buildings and natural wonders jammed packed in what Thomas calls a ‘cornucopia of North America’ framing a miniature ‘deconstructed version of the main map.’