Thread: Hello :D

Well hello Obliro, welcome to the Guild! You have come to the right place. The people here are both knowledgeable and friendly, so feel free to ask questions with impunity. Do you have any map-making software of your own yet, or have your previous maps been hand drawn? Most of the members of the Guild make their maps using some form of software or another, but there are a few that draw them by hand. You can find a great beginners introduction to map-making here (this is really the place to start):

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...antasy-Mapping

You can also find all sorts of great map-making walk throughs in the tutorials sub-forum. In fact, regarding your worries about rivers, here are a couple of good threads on getting rivers in the right spot:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...es-for-mapping

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...he-right-place

Of course the best and fastest way learn (or to improve) fantasy map-making is simply to do it. So I encourage you to check out Ravells "Quickstart guide," peruse the tutorials section to find a style that you like, acquire the software needed to make the map, and get to work! Also, when you do this, feel free to post your fledgling work-in-progress map in the appropriate forum and you'll get all sorts of helpful feedback from the Guild. Happy map-making.

Cheers,

-Arsheesh

Welcome Aboard!

Do you have any map-making software of your own yet, or have your previous maps been hand drawn?

I have Photoshop, but I hand draw my maps (with a tablet) anyway. The first map (well, not first, but it was the first I made the last few years) I made was vector-like planetary map. I kind of like the look rather than more digital-painterly style. Then there was a time I render maps in sketchbooks in pencils and fixative.
.. well, seeing how pretty digitally crafted maps here though, I'll have to try that too.

I'd like to eventually hand paint my maps. Maybe the classic ink and watercolors, or acrylics. Obviously after I have enough skill/ knowledge not to mess the laws of physics and geology too much. xD

Thank you for the links, I've read them and they're very informative.

Steel General : Thank you!

Welcome to the Guild!

NeonKnight : Hello

I was curious about the apparent lack of females when looking around the guild, searched and found melissah's intro thread...
.. so, including me, 7 out of 18k members and 2k active members? Maybe 10s?

Okay.

Don't worry about the sausage fest, we're here for maps. You'll fit right in and the issue will not even raise its head.

Thank you, but I wasn't implying that it would, really. I'm in a few writing communities and the majority of the populations are female, many of them writing fantasy. It sort of surprised me that there's so few in a mapping community.

Welcome, Obliro!

I've been to a few of those writing communities, and you're right, the majority of their members are women. While several female members here are gamers as well, the majority of gamers (Dungeons & Dragons, and the like) are male. While there is certainly a corps of hopeful novelists looking to create their own maps for their work. Most members here are Roleplaying Gamers - which as said is mostly men. To help explain the disparity between the sexes here.

But don't worry about that - we want to help you create your novel's masterpiece in cartography. We can certainly help you do that!

Again, welcome!

GP

Men use maps. Women ask for directions. ;-)