[Award Winner] Mosaic Tile Map in Photoshop (& GIMP)

[pyrandon]

Now I'll tile the border for my map. First I hide all the sea tiles that would overlap the border. I click the layer mask thumbnail in the "Sea" layer, then Marquee a rectangle around the edges of the land, followed by Select>Inverse. I fill this area with black, thus hiding the blue tiles. (Do not Deselect yet, though.)

Now I create a new layer on top of my stack entitled "Border". Of course, the possibilities for patterns and effects in the border are limitless. I'll start with a simple frame by (you guessed it) following the same tile fill procedure I've used for both land and sea. I first Select>Inverse so the land area is the selected area again. Then Select>Modify>Expand by just over half my tile size (I'm going to use big 30 px tiles for the border, so I expand by 17 px). Then I choose new tile colors and follow the procedure (Action) from before, expanding until my edges are filled.

As you can see from Image 1, I alternated colors for variety. You will also notice that the corners contain angled tiles; this is a result of the stroking process, and I like the effect for my ancient map. If you would like to avoid this, either erase the corner tiles by hand, or bypass the entire stroking of work paths system altogether by drawing the lines of tiles in by hand (click one end, then Shift-click the other is easiest.)

Now, you can stop there if you like or do any number of fancy-schmancy border patters. In Image 2 you can see I added some simple, triangular flourishes to my border. I did this by placing a layer mask revealing all over the Border later, then selecting a square marquee, Select>Transform Selection to rotate it 45%, placing it in the center of each side of the border and filling it with black to hide that triangle of border. Finally, I hand brushed in the new tiles in a newly-created layer called "Border Decor" & erased excess tiles. Pretty simple. The corner lines I created completely by hand, masking out the overlapping Border tiles as well.

NEXT UP: Land Details & Labels

[pyrandon]

I want to now finish up tiling the map. This could take either much time or be rather brief, depending upon how intricate I want my final image to appear. I think I will only insert borderlines and one mini picture on this map, but on your map you could go into great detail, inserting mountains, rivers, multiple images, etc. using the exact same methods.

First I use the Paint Bucket Tool to change the Background layer's white to a tan/taupe color to simulate grout. This will help make my white tiles stand out.

Then, I put a layer mask (revealing all) over my Land layer. I'll use this in a minute to hide overlaps.

Now I create a new layer on top called Borderlines, then switch to the Paths menu where I create a new work path. Using the Freeform Pen Tool I draw in my borderlines. Then I choose my tile brush and click contrasting foreground/background colors. I click "Stroke path with brush" and my borderlines are now tiled.

But I need to get rid of overlapping tiles. So I switch back to the layers window & ctl-click the thumb in my Borderlines layer, thereby selecting the tiles I just created. Now Select>Modify>Expand by 2 or so pixels. Finally, in the Land layer mask I fill the selection with black in the layer mask, thus hiding the land tiles and giving a grout line beside my borderlines. [see image 1]

I'll follow a similar process (simplified) for an inserted mosaic picture. I found a picture of a Roman ship from a simple web search, so I copy-pasted that into my PS document, but you could also draw free hand. In a new layer on top of all other layers I draw the ship with my tile brush, using various color combos and tile sizes. Then I delete the pattern pic, and in the layer mask for the sea I simply paint with a hard edged brush in black to blot out the overlapping tiles. It's as simple as that. [see Image 2]

[pyrandon]

Labeling a mosaic map may be completed in numerous manners. My method is straightforward and easy, but certainly not the only method.

So first I select foreground & background color (I chose light--almost whites), then I place all your text on top of all other layers using the Type Tool. (I used a font called Satyr--a free download here at Dafont.com.)

Make sure the text is spelled the way you wish, because after the next few clicks they will not be editable as type! Next, I ctrl-click all my text layers in the layers palette, click Layer>Rasterize>Type, and then Layer>Merge Layers. All text is now on one layer, which I rename "Text".

Now I ctrl-click the thumbnail in this Text layer, so each letter of text is surrounded by the marching ants. I hide Text, then create a new layer on top of the stack entitled "Text Tiles". Then with my tile brush set to tiles just barely wider than my text width, I draw in all text. [see Image 1]

Note that you don't need to be neat or careful here, since the selection will not allow tiles to stray outside the ant line. As you do this, remember three things:

• Because our brush settings tile are set to paint in the direction of the painting strokes, paint in the direction of your text lines, in smooth strokes.
• Ragged edges add to the authentic feel of the tiling we're creating, so don't worry about these
• If you do stray too far out of range, remember that ctrl-alt-Z (or Edit>Undo) is your friend!

Next I Select>Modify>Expand by a few pixels, and in my land &/or sea tiles layer masks I use the Paint Bucket Tool with black. This eliminates overlap of tiles. [see Image 2]

You can delete your old Text layer, but I usually keep it--no reason, but why not, just in case.

[pyrandon]

Okay, so now we're done laying the basic tiles. Set up is over, and the fun of taking this from 2D to 3D begins. First I save under a different name and work in that new PS file, for I'm now moving to using a destructive technique--meaning in a moment there's no easy going back and tweak. (Or, alternatively, press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+E. This makes a new layer out of the merged image, leaving others in tact.)

I Ctrl-click every layer that contains tiles (including those with layer masks, such as Land and Sea), then Layer>Merge Layers, thus combining all tiles into one layer that I rename "Tiles." So I now have only two visible layers: Tiles and the grout background color.

With the Tile layer selected I open the layer style box (Layer>Layer Style) and entered the settings as listed in Image 1 (or something akin). (I actually have this saved as a layer style, so for me it was only the press of a button to get these settings. Ahhh, technology...)

Next, to add a little color depth I add a Layer>New Fill Layer>Pattern on top of my layers stack, using the Molecular pattern dropped to 40% scale. In the layers palette, I set the blending mode to Soft Light and drop the opacity to 40%.

Finally, those cracks of exposed grout are a little flat, so let's add a Layer Style of texture, set to the Wrinkles pattern, with a scale of 20% and a depth of +60%.

Image 2 shows the results so far.

[pyrandon]

Okay, so now my anal-retentive side comes out, as I tweak ad nauseum to get this map up to snuff.

First in the Tiles layer I select the Eraser Tool and a medium sized (10 px), hard-edged brush, set to 10% flow, then trace around any hard, overly-crisp edges or other places I think could use some wear and tear. I then do this same with a larger brush and 20% fill, even tearing out a few spots to simulate ruin.

For some large scale erosion, I choose a fuzzy brush, a charcoal brush, or a splatter brush, and draw around with the Eraser Tool set to 10-20%. I usually do this is "sweeps" of light erasing, scraping away at the tiles, constantly zooming in and out to check both views so I don't get carried away in any one spot. [see Image 1]

Now when all the wear and tear is exactly how I like it, I save again under a different name, then Layer>Merge Visible. I then copy the layer with map twice by dragging it to the Create New Layer button at the bottom of the layers palette.

The middle map layer I switch to Multiply layer blending mode, play around with the Gaussian blur (about 2 px), then lower the opacity to taste (40% or so).

On the top map layer I run Filter>Render>Lighting Effects, and put wide, soft a spotlight on the upper left corner, playing with the settings as fits my eye. This layer I set to Soft Light blending mode.

Final tweaks are adding any Layer>New Adjustment Layers (such as color balance, brightness/contrast, and Hue/Saturation). I am a persistent fiddler, so this takes some time, and I won't tell you my settings because I have never been consistent at this point, choosing to leave things be only when the overall effect strikes my eye as correct. In general I can say I drop saturation and lightness down, since this seems more believable, and I do anything I can to kill neon colors.

I also added a few very light strokes of dark & light browns with various art brushes. Just for.

Image 2 contains my end result. I hope you found this tutorial was useful, interesting, or both. If you have any questions or refinements please go ahead and post them in this thread. Oh, and be sure to post your own mosaic maps here in the Guild so we can all admire your technique, too!

Take care!

[Redrobes]

Really awesome. I was convinced there would be a rendering stage as the tiles in the original had the nice shadows and an overall lighting hint from top left to bottom right. So if PS can do this without bump map info then that is quite impressive.

Its also worth noting that its your fiddling with it that converts it from interesting to almost real looking. I am sure that a lot of maps here look really good but with a little extra could take them that stage higher and its often difficult to know what to do to get them to that point.

I don't have PS but my lil ole program can drop icons on a path at random rotations following the mouse track but it does not color tint them, though I could make a color tint layer manually. If I get some time I will have to try and see and post something in the other thread.

Well done - I believe you now & you can keep the rep.. ha ha

[alucard339]

Really great Don,

Thanks a lot. I will be sure to use it and soon, cause My player are starting the Skinsaw murderer adventure and I think a little mosaic map in one of the catacomb could be good for future adventure.


I thought I would have been harder to do… Maybe I will also try my map into a mosaic.


Each day, I love our guild more and more.

Thanks again,
Alu.