Galaurien

[Chick]

Hi Everyone. This is a map that I made for practice, trying to get a few techniques down a little better. I've been attempting new styles, color combinations, and various graphics, fonts, and etc., to see what works well together. I really like the way the coloring came out on this one, so I decided to post it. It is intentional that I have no scale, icon legend, or roads.




I'm considering it finished, but even so comments are most welcome!

Cheers,
Cornelia

[Wingshaw]

You're right, the colours are nice on this map.

A few suggestions and opinions from me (I'm going to assume, since you mention this is practice, that these are suggestions for your future mapping adventures):
--I like the texture/colour of the seas: perhaps next time you could show a change in water where it approaches coastlines, and on rivers.
--the mountains currently seem to be stuck on top. I think part of the problem is the starkness of their black, and the other aspect is that the land 'beneath' them is the same green as elsewhere.
--additionally, I don't know if that style of mountains suits this kind of map. Mountains depicted as icons on an otherwise topographical-looking map seems disjointed. A better approach, in my opinion, would be if the mountains were shown as if from a satellite view.
--the marbled pattern of greens on the land looks good, but possibly also problematic. At the moment it looks like a painting (which is fine) but from a practical sense, what do the changes in tone mean: does it indicate more/less vegetation, higher/lower altitude? Maps are, fundamentally, about conveying information, and I think the marbled effect looks too random. What if you wanted to add farmland? different types of forest? hills? etc.
--this point actually kinda brings points 2 and 4 together: it is a bit too green. And its green-ness gets in the way of other types of terrain. I'm not sure how easy it would be to start adding deserts, steppes, scrub, or the mountains/farmland previously mentioned.
--there is a tendency towards darkness (especially around Goodley) which can obscure details, if you wanted to include them.
--I'm assuming, as a practice map, you weren't too worried about coastlines/rivers. Just in case, though, I think the rivers should taper as they move away from the coast, and the coastline should be more diverse and rough (the islands in the middle and SE especially look too regular in size, shape, and placement).
--some labels are a bit off: Byne Bay, Withal Bay, Derna Bay. It is probably just that the text is in too large a font. Smaller fonts will let you place the labels better within the feature, and not overlap the land. But then, I'm pretty rubbish at labels, so I can't be too judgemental.
--one last point, and this is a trivial one (and might just be my opinion): do the runes around the edge of the map suit the style/theme of this map? Runes to me suggest Norsemen, and hence wintery terrain; not green and lush, as this appears.

After all those negatives (hope it wasn't too harsh), let me repeat that this is a very nice map.

I also like the Max-esque symbol in the lower left. I've been thinking about trying that out, myself.

THW

[Deadshade]

The colors are really nice.
But like THW above, I Wonder about this mix of CC like mountains and rivers and salellite photo quality textures.

If the style should be a photorealistic map then it'd need also realistic rivers, mountains and fractal coasts.
If the style should bea CC like map then the textures look too random and little informative.

The world's name font, color and style is exceptionnaly fitting. Great !

[Chick]

Thanks for the comments. I guess the idea of using the natural color to identify the forests, grassland, and marshes (like at Goodley) didn't work. The runes are Tolkien dwarven. The signature symbol is like many I've seen on many different people's maps. The mountains, I don't know what to do about them, I haven't yet found out how one makes non-icon, non-line-drawn mountains.

[Deadshade]

. The mountains, I don't know what to do about them, I haven't yet found out how one makes non-icon, non-line-drawn mountains.

Well then 3 D software creating fractal height maps (like Wilbur) is already winking at you. Or simulation of height maps in GIMP.
But Wilbur has a pretty steep Learning curve but on the other hand it's free ....

[Chashio]

The mountains, I don't know what to do about them, I haven't yet found out how one makes non-icon, non-line-drawn mountains.

There are a bunch of different tutorials around that show different techniques for mountains. If you don't find what you want by searching there, I'd bet if you posted an example or two of what you'd like to learn how to do in the "How do I" forum section, someone would likely offer something useful. And your practice map does have a pleasing color palette, though I'm not sure I'd call it truly natural--it's a bit too dark and limited for that--but still nice.

[Redleg]

I like the script in the border.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

One suggestion I have is to make sure the color of the ocean does not extend beyond the border. It makes it look like your border is sort of just floating in the ocean, when really that is the edge of your map.

[Chick]

One suggestion I have is to make sure the color of the ocean does not extend beyond the border. It makes it look like your border is sort of just floating in the ocean, when really that is the edge of your map.

That is a very good observation, one that I had not thought about. Thank you!

[SteffenBrand]

Just stubled over this... brilliant work, chick! I really like the boldness you went for in terms of contrast! TheHoarseWhisperer already included everything I was going to mention anyways, so I don't repeat it. Do you mind sharing the texture? I somehow really like the overall feel of it... (did you use basically the same on the land masses and the sea?)