Thread/Tutorial/Tips for a specific map style?

[Preypacer]

Hi all,

Haven't posted here in a bit; the last time was to introduce a map in progress for a game project. I continued trying to plug away at it for a time, but was getting frustrated with the results and so decided to step away from it for a while, and work on other things. Had a computer crash in there, too... which is always "fun".

I'm back to working on it again, however, and in seeking "inspiration" for the 'style' of it. I've found exactly the style I would like to emulate for my map... and it's the one used in this one here:


I absolutely love the hand-drawn style and have decided that's the way I'm going to go. I've tried the route of "pre-made mountain and hill icons" and have never been happy with the results. The same is true of the photoshop/gimp "bevel and emboss" approach.

I really love the hand-drawn look, and that map there demonstrates perfectly what I'm after.

I have PS. I have a Wacom tablet and I have the basis for my map in place. I've given it a go on my own and can not seem to get that same clarity in my lines and such that the map has, though. I'm wondering if there's a thread for that map's WIP, etc ... where perhaps its creator shares insights to their process that I might be able to use as reference? I'm not looking to copy their style, just to understand the process they used and apply it.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Edit: I've since found a thread for the map, 'Mechanol' by Ramah that's also very close in style to what I'm looking to create, so I'll definitely be studying his work/style as well. I really dig the hand-drawn/detailed mountains, cliffs, etc.