Halimrith

[Wolram]

Hi everyone,

This is my first ever attempt at cartography, I've spent quite a few hours on it now, I started drawing a coastline, and some mountains, and got a bit carried away! I'm worried that I am now going too far before I really have the basics down, so I would really appreciate some feedback at this point!

Cheers!

[Chick]

That's a really fine map, especially for a first one! I don't think you've gone too far at all! In fact, I hope you keep going for a long, long time!

My only comment would be to add a bit more texture to the Fields of Deornoth beige area, especially out in the eastern peninsula and island area.

Can't wait to see more!! Have some rep

[Wolram]

Hi Chick!

Thank you very much! Yes texture is definitely something I've been struggling with, I'll try and focus my attention there a bit more and stop avoiding it! Yes the coastline needs a lot more going on; I've been drawing the towns as little squares, but now I can't make my text small enough to label them and still be readable! Perhaps some more mountains

Will report back.

Wolram

[Galendae]

For a first map that is very good. Your upside is huge!

[Gamerprinter]

Perhaps keep the town labels the same size as the one shown with a castletown instead of a square - since that label is readable and you're claiming smaller text is unreadable. Since the castletown seems more important, you could give it a different color than black with an outline or halo shadow to differentiate it to your smaller square towns. I've already granted you REP in the new member forum.

[Pixie]

Excellent first map. You have a natural inclination for this, no doubt about it! This being your first exploration, I can imagine great things ahead
Moreover, you have a good understanding of geography - rivers are right, mountains have believable locations, the forest isn't randomly placed but in the rainy side of a mountainrange - it all looks natural.

My take on this particular map is that is lacks a focal point, or else, its focal point is the large mountains in the foreground, while the inhabited areas seem diminished. I don't know if this was intended, I guess not. Still, for a first map, awesome, really!

My suggestion to you is that you start paying attention to the monthly chalenges here agrowing as an artist.nd enter them. Your kind of cartography fits them very well and you'll find yourself

[ChickPea]

This is a great start and I really like what you have so far. Only thing I'd comment on is that some areas (mostly the Fields of Deornoth and the Garaban Desert) seem strangely flat. It's maybe just the contrast with the mountainous regions that makes it seem worse, but I think those areas could do with some shadows or texture. For instance, you have some subtle colour around the Steppe of Arovast and that looks really good. I think something similar in the other areas would work well. But otherwise, a fantastic start!

I second Pixie's comment above about joining in the monthly challenges. I started doing them a few months back and they're loads of fun and I feel I'm learning a lot. There's less than a week to go for this month's but I hope you might think about joining in with future challenges.

[Wolram]

Thanks for the feeback everyone, you've given me plenty to get on with, and some interesting ideas I must admit I hadn't thought about like focal points.

The monthly challenges look good fun! I'll see if I can get something submitted for the current one just to have a go.

[ChickPea]

The monthly challenges look good fun! I'll see if I can get something submitted for the current one just to have a go.

Excellent! See ya in the challenge thread.

[Gamerprinter]

Yes, I have found the Monthly Challenges as an excellent teaching tool, at least getting practice for mapping based on specific themes within a limited amount of time - of course it never took me more than a few days to complete any challenge.