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Thread: new member introduction

  1. #1
    Guild Applicant
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    Default new member introduction

    Hi,

    I'm Lajos, an occasional amateur "cartographer" living in Japan. I only make the kind of maps you find in most modern atlases, not fantasy maps and not city maps. (But I do make thematic maps every now and then.) You can find the map I'm currently working on here:
    http://www.geopoeia.net/wiki/File:Houtmanlandmap.png

  2. #2
    Guild Journeyer
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    Southern France, near Toulouse
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    Hi Lajos,

    Welcome home!

    I would be interested in knowing how you made this specific kind of map...

  3. #3
    Guild Applicant
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    I always use the Gimp for drawing maps, but perhaps that's not what you'd like to know. What specifically do you want to know?

  4. #4
    Guild Journeyer
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    Yes, I was just wondering how you made it, meaning what technique you used to get this atlas like feeling...

  5. #5
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    It's all pretty basic, I guess. Perhaps the main thing to achieve this "atlas" style is the colors. The drawing itself is just creating layer after layer for different heights / depths. In case of heights, I copied and merged those into another layer that I used to create the shaded relief (mostly by means of the 'bump map' filter). After that I added rivers, lakes, and marshes (the latter not shown on the version linked to above). There is no particular "technique" involved really, except the obvious use of lots of different layers in the Gimp (or Photoshop).

    Next stage will be the human geography: places, regions, etc. but that requires writing an historical outline first, and that in turn depends on some research for which I didn't have sufficient time yet.
    In case it wasn't clear from the map coordinates, this group of islands is supposed to be West of Australia. In reality this landmass is sunk; see the section on geological history here: http://www.geopoeia.net/wiki/Houtmanland

  6. #6

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    Welcome to the Guild! That is a fine map you have there. I hope that you will treat us to more of your work in the future.

    Cheers,
    -Arsheesh

  7. #7
    Community Leader Guild Sponsor Gidde's Avatar
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    Welcome aboard!

  8. #8
    Guild Journeyer
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by lajosb View Post
    It's all pretty basic, I guess. Perhaps the main thing to achieve this "atlas" style is the colors. The drawing itself is just creating layer after layer for different heights / depths. In case of heights, I copied and merged those into another layer that I used to create the shaded relief (mostly by means of the 'bump map' filter). After that I added rivers, lakes, and marshes (the latter not shown on the version linked to above). There is no particular "technique" involved really, except the obvious use of lots of different layers in the Gimp (or Photoshop).

    Next stage will be the human geography: places, regions, etc. but that requires writing an historical outline first, and that in turn depends on some research for which I didn't have sufficient time yet.
    In case it wasn't clear from the map coordinates, this group of islands is supposed to be West of Australia. In reality this landmass is sunk; see the section on geological history here: http://www.geopoeia.net/wiki/Houtmanland
    Ok, thanks for the info. I'll try to use your 'technique' some day.

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