I think it is really nice! A drop-dead, gorgeous work!
...but... is it supposed to be a map, or a picture? (I know it is not finished, so this could be premature, so please don't take it wrong...)
I had a real hard time even noticing the double tower structure.
And not having looked at the earlier versions I didn't even realize the lake was a lake... I thought it was a building with a well in front:
2009-08-21_095503.jpg
Some of this may be cause you are posting in a reduced size, so detail has been lost. Also, after labeling, this may be a moot point, but to preach for a moment...(quoting from the "Principles of Cartographic Design")
"User first, user last. What does the user want from this map? What can the user get from this map?"
"Important things must look important, and the most important thing should look the most important."
"How much information can be gained from this map, at a glance?"
(OK, done preaching)
Again, don't take this the wrong way. I just don't have your vision of what the end product will be.
-Rob A>
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I'm not taking your critique wrong RobA, don't worry, especially when I understand your point. I’m a roleplayer by heart and I always design maps for certain playing purpose (in good and bad).
I have been away for the weekend, but now back again and I can start to add more details to the map and I’m sure it will make it more a map than a picture.
I'm working on to finish up the known side (northern side) of the world. Here is a smal sample, but I'll upload a bigger update later when I get things more finished.
The town seems a bit bright (compared to the rest of the image), is the sun shining directly on it?
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Actually it is a mistake. I had played with contrast and exposure and forgot the adjustment layer on. This will be fixed in the next releaseOriginally Posted by Steel General
Decided to work on the forgotten land side finalizing land shapes, textures and details. It's not finished yet, but enough for now before I get more done on the northern "known world" side.
Played also with the labeling to create something different that would fit to this map and I came up with 3d; ish look. I strengthened it by manually adding shadow that follows up the landscape by using “liquify” tool in Photoshop.
I hope this lightens up a bit what is coming up.
That is bloody amazing.
I love the way this is coming along, Very impressed!
I can't really offer any suggestions or criticisms, I'm spending way too much effort in enjoying the view
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"...sometimes the most efficient way to make something look drawn by hand is to simply draw it by hand..."
That is about ten kinds of bad-ass.
*bows down to Pasis*
It does indeed look stunning, especially the waterfalls. This is some impressing terrain and I like the labeling. Like RobA I have some difficulty adjusting to the view, though. It's mostly because of the waterfalls I think. They suggest a perspective look, but the mountains behind it are almost top-down.
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Gandwarf has fallen into shadow...
I'll second what Diamond said...all kinds of killer. I like the perspective labels because I've done them myself...just my kind of thing so I dig it. My fave part is the icons and runes...I'm gonna have to have a go at that myself. This is definitely a place that I'd like to walk around in and since that stirs the imagination I shall bonk thee with my +13 butter knife of reptitude.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
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