Hi Llannagh.

I just wanted to say, I know how you feel, sort of.

I look at all the amazing work here, and I think "I want to do THIS, like THAT!" and so I keep starting new pictures, hoping they will be maps, and then either *rigidly* sticking to the two things I know how to do... which doesn't make for good results, digitally, or trying out every new thing I see here on my latest project... which ends up looking like I've mangled a bunch of stuff together!

And I keep *hoping* to find my own "style" and fiddling with, as you said, different brushes and layers and ways of doing things... and just.. getting no where. Or at least, not where I want to be... and not any time soon

And I'm not doing well at it

Your post struck a chord with me, so I went back and took a look at your first posted WIP/Map.
...

First let me say that you started with more skill/talent/determination than I'll probably have in about 5 years. Second.. you've made VAST improvements in a very short time.

Finally - (although you've been here longer than me) you're still quite new to this. It's normal not to have "found your style" yet, and it's normal to still be experimenting with different features of your .. uh.. "equipment" for lack of a better word, in making these maps.

I don't know what to tell you to do to feel less frustrated... cause I can't even handle my own frustration level. I can tell you that from where I'm sitting, you're doing really well, and there's no need to be frustrated.

I've also, JUST NOW, lol, devised a plan. First of all... I don't need to find my style. Just like when I started painting... it will find me, when I've put enough marks on the canvas.

Second.. don't compare the progress of my latest post to the post right before it I'm going to not look back until I'm close to finished, so I can see how far I've come.

Finally... I'm going to stop trying to work on my "masterpiece" until I've learned as much as I can store in my tiny little brain. I'm expecting some AWFUL missteps soon, and lots of them. Right now I've just filled a canvas with a mosaic-filter-thingy from GIMP cause I just found it. My goal? Make that a map of.. something Not a good map. Just a map. Till I learn everything I can about THAT filter and how to use it.

And so on. I had to learn what effects I could create with actual paintbrushes too, yeah?

Anyway... that's my basic game plan. I hope it works, and I hope you find something that works too.



And for what it's worth... I think your maps are lovely.