Thanks for your advice and for welcoming me to the forum Diamond.

I have an artistic eye, but music is my main art. I've always loved fantasy maps and play D&D. I was contemplating a story and thought I'd create the map first. I have Photoshop CS3 and have gone through two entire video tutorials so far with some encouraging results. I think I might be able to figure out a forest texture with the clouds filter.

However as far as the actual hand drawing; I haven't drawn since I was young so I don't think I'd be able to draw as well as that. I'm very amateur at drawing. I think I have it in me but it will take time to unlock. I have tried some trees but they aren't as good. I'll keep practicing and see what I come up with. I did find some nice free clipart ones that can be used freely. I thought there might be a fantasy art depository or something of that sort somewhere I didn't know about. Something like symbol catalogs.

I searched the tree thing and found this tool which I tried. It's pretty neat:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...9-forest-maker