Map for a Novel

[Badger]

Wow... I could have sworn I mentioned that swamp before... but I reread what I had and so I must have dreamed it or something... huh

The swamp looks great... I can easily tell its a swamp and it looks good in black and white ... I say go with that...

I've been doing some tutorial research for Illustrator and found some that use it for inking... I can't wait to try it for inking a map... course... you watch a tutorial and they make it look easy... then you sit down to do it and phhhht.. so we'll see

[torstan]

The swamp looks great.

[Redrobes]

The way I might to stippling is to create a smaller image and hand stipple it and then keep that on file. Then when you come to a map just draw with the tablet the mask area and create a repeating version of the stipple and mask it into the main image. Sometimes you can see the repeat lines but if that is the case then mask in several versions of the stipple at different sized repeats. You might be able to get the PC to create some stippling for you with random noise too. So your only job is to draw the shape of where you want it.

[StillCypher]

I think the map is looking pretty darned terrific!

After reading some of the comments, I had to try my hand at coming up with a stippled effect in Photoshop, and I don't think it looks too shabby! Question is, does it work? (And no making fun of my goofy-looking hills. I drew them with my trackpad...)

[Baziron]

Looks good. I'm watching this closely since I am a "handdrawer" by nature, so anything that produces useful hills, mountains, forests etc. is of use to me.

[Badger]

I think the map is looking pretty darned terrific!

After reading some of the comments, I had to try my hand at coming up with a stippled effect in Photoshop, and I don't think it looks too shabby! Question is, does it work? (And no making fun of my goofy-looking hills. I drew them with my trackpad...)

That's pretty good stipple... I've played around a bit with stipples in PS and (IMO) to pull off a good handdrawn stipple effect you need at least a couple different stipple brushes... three is a normal for me. keep it heavy around the edges or where you are defining a section (be it swamp, water or whatever) and give it less towards the middle or center (unless you have objects to define in the center, IE an island) ... keep each stipple on a seperate layer and try turning the opacity down on the stipple that you want to keep light or shading from gray to white...

I hope that makes sense... cause if I read that back it probably won't make sense to me.. lol