First Map On These Boards

Hey y'all, I'm still not quite sure where this would go, but I've somehow found time in my hectic schedule to make a fantasy may using the excellent crystallization tut on these boards. Using only Paint.NET, this is about as far as I can get with my current skill.

Of course, the purpose of this post is to receive criticism (hopefully none too harsh though)!


Background info: There's a fantasy Roman-like empire in the west complete with faux-Latin and several Germanic-esque tribes to the east. Also, there's an Oriental-ish colony established on the big island. Basic history/fantasy mash-up.

I like it, interesting color scheme.

looks good - I wonder about the colors though - for instance, what does the orange represent?

The orange is simply reddened parts of the geography. If you notice, the entire empire is covered with a reddish-orange overlay, making it easier for the viewer to immediately tell where the boundaries of the empire are.

You've got some issues with contrast making it rather hard to read. It's hard to figure out where the coastline is, and what all the colours mean, or even if they mean anything or are just decorative. A lot of the text is also quite hard to read. Try lightening it up and putting a line along the coast. Be sure you have a clear idea of which features you want to present in your map and try to ensure that they are clear.

The straight borders don't feel very fantasy, you might be better off with squigglier borders following natural boundaries or just do away with borders entirely and just rely on the labels.

if the orange is part of the geography, then why is it cut of at the border - thats a very straight line for a geographical element. However, if you use the orange to show where the borders go - I'd rather make a soft glow on the inside of the border, all the way round - that would make it clearer :)