Not sure if this would be overkill but what about adding a lil wiggle into that "stitching"? Would probably make it look like waves on a beach but maybe it might work...just a thought. Looks amazing nonetheless.
Not sure if this would be overkill but what about adding a lil wiggle into that "stitching"? Would probably make it look like waves on a beach but maybe it might work...just a thought. Looks amazing nonetheless.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
I'd have to think about getting in a wiggle... possibly using a distort map...but for now I'll tell you the secret of getting a nice random non-uniform stroke like it has. It was a pretty clever idea I had, if I do say so myself!
1) Create a gradient composed of (somewhat) randomly spaced black and transparent areas. The plan it to check the "use gradient" check when stroking, so this will make up the dashes of the line. I filled a dummy image with black and transparent bands, then made a snaking path around this, then used my sample a gradient along a path script to build the gradient.
2) select the land mass (I grabbed it from a channel I had saved)
3) Toggle quickmask mode.
4) Gaussian blur the quickmask, using a horizontal value twice the size as the vertical value.
5) Threshold the quickmask, setting the black level to 1. This enlarges the selection to the outer edge of the blur.
6) Toggle quickmask off
7) Convert the selection to a path (this smooths it out a bit) and clear the selection.
8 ) Stroke the path using the paintbrush tool, hard edged brush, slight jitter, with "use gradient" checked. Changing the "length" in the use gradient will adjust the dash spacing.
9) repeat from 2 blurring different amounts and different brush scales and gradient length.
-Rob A>
Last edited by RobA; 02-27-2009 at 11:26 AM.
My tutorials: Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional Map ~ All My Tutorials
My GIMP Scripts: Rotating Brush ~ Gradient from Image ~ Mosaic Tile Helper ~ Random Density Map ~ Subterranean Map Prettier ~ Tapered Stroke Path ~ Random Rotate Floating Layer ~ Batch Image to Pattern ~ Better Seamless Tiles ~ Tile Shuffle ~ Scale Pattern ~ Grid of Guides ~ Fractalize path ~ Label Points
My Maps: Finished Maps ~ Challenge Entries ~ My Portfolio: www.cartocopia.com
So how did you get it to spread wider E-W than N-S? By using a left right motion blur on your quick mask before using threshold?
In gimp you can specify different horizontal and vertical blur amounts in the gausian blur dialog.
-Rob A>
My tutorials: Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional Map ~ All My Tutorials
My GIMP Scripts: Rotating Brush ~ Gradient from Image ~ Mosaic Tile Helper ~ Random Density Map ~ Subterranean Map Prettier ~ Tapered Stroke Path ~ Random Rotate Floating Layer ~ Batch Image to Pattern ~ Better Seamless Tiles ~ Tile Shuffle ~ Scale Pattern ~ Grid of Guides ~ Fractalize path ~ Label Points
My Maps: Finished Maps ~ Challenge Entries ~ My Portfolio: www.cartocopia.com
Of course. I just never do. Thanks for pointing out the obvious! (and for the excellent tips on the coastline strokes)
My tutorials: Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional Map ~ All My Tutorials
My GIMP Scripts: Rotating Brush ~ Gradient from Image ~ Mosaic Tile Helper ~ Random Density Map ~ Subterranean Map Prettier ~ Tapered Stroke Path ~ Random Rotate Floating Layer ~ Batch Image to Pattern ~ Better Seamless Tiles ~ Tile Shuffle ~ Scale Pattern ~ Grid of Guides ~ Fractalize path ~ Label Points
My Maps: Finished Maps ~ Challenge Entries ~ My Portfolio: www.cartocopia.com
Oh yeah, the ocean is tons better this way!
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Pimping my worldmap here. Still WIP... long way to go, but I'm pretty proud of what I've done so far...
I like it but I'd go finer grained with the mask - at the moment it looks a little like you have mountain range sized super waves!