I second that. ::nodnod:: Very nice, elegant artwork.
This is looking really beautiful. I love the undestated colours and the big glow around the landmass. The forests, hills and mountains work really well with each other too.
I second that. ::nodnod:: Very nice, elegant artwork.
-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷
“It is not down in any map; true places never are.” (Herman Melville)
“A good map is both a useful tool and a magic carpet to far away places." (unknown)
I just love to sit and look at this map! It is a piece of art!
A new update.
This will maybe look more dodgy than previous postings but I've left the colours kinda bright to show political borders. They will be removed/toned-down-a-hell-of-a-lot for the next update. The colours have no bearing on what the climate of the countries are like, they are just shades I picked arbitrarily while I was working on them. I still need to put in some border lines where the borders have no natural boundaries so the joins will be hard to see in some cases, especially in the SW area where I was testing what it will look like with various shades of green together.
It may look like I've not done much since the last update but I cannot believe how much time I have wasted just trying to get the borders to a state where I'm reasonably happy with them. :s I've had to add two countries into the mix in order to keep the few cast iron facts I required from the layout still ringing true. I'm sure some of them will change before I sign off on it but for now I will leave them as is so I can get on with something else.
I also changed the compass rose, which I was rather proud of when I did it, but that was three or four days ago and the agonising over those damn borders have sucked any delight I had right out of me. Hehe.
Umm... not a lot else has changed apart from the usual - added a shedload more rivers and a few forests, a bunch more labels.
Things still to do (in something like the order I will tackle them).
Country border lines.
Finish labels, including extra icons for various places such as ruins and smaller towns.
Redraw the hills and try to move some so they make more sense with certain borders.
Scale bar and a basic cartouche.
Finishing touches (making the labels more legibile by editing the background etc.)
So... now I have a to do list I feel that I'm finally on the home stretch with this.
Vaniya10.jpg
Last edited by Ramah; 04-23-2009 at 07:38 PM.
I like the colors but maybe turn down the opacity a bit. I really like how you're fitting the countries into the terrain (going around mountains and rivers). Real nice stuff and yes, it looks like you're on the backstretch now...can't wait for the final version.
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)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
Yeah, the colours are a tad bright. Maybe also drop the saturation a bit. Otherwise, looking good asyusual.
Small update.
Things done:
Border lines are now sorted, apart from one which kind of gets lost under a forest which I may increase visibility on.
Country colours have been adjusted and I'm pretty happy with them finally.
Map border adjusted slightly to make it a little less like a framed print.
A couple of extra icons done for the key but I guess I still need to add one for a keep or tower, ostensibly to use on the Grey Watch part of Aronbor.
Adjusted a few labels.
Things to do:
Finish labels
Redraw hills
Scale bar and cartouche
Finishing touches - legibilty, major roads etc.
Vaniya11.jpg
Thank the lords... you got rid of the bright colors
The version of the map you posted yesterday... well, I thought the world had gone insane
And I know you said you would tone down the colors, but I was very afraid you were taking a wrong turn.
Anyway, it's a very, very beautiful map!
Have some more rep for encouragement.
Check out my City Designer 3 tutorials. See my fantasy (city) maps in this thread.
Gandwarf has fallen into shadow...
This is outstanding! The differing shades of green for the countries is spot-on perfect and lets the elements come through more clearly (trees, hills, etc.). Excellent job and I'll certainly snag a copy for my Inspiration Folder when done.
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)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
I think you could do with a little colour there with no problem. i have trouble seeing borders.