New member trying to learn some map making

[Anova]

Hello everyone!

I've always enjoyed world building but have always had some difficulty handling the map making portion of it. While planning and designing my world, I was advised to visit this site for inspiration on map making. The maps here are amazing and I was really surprised to find so many excellent tutorials. FYI, I just started using Photoshop CS2 for this project, so if anyone has advice or a specific recommendation for a tutorial suitable for a map making beginner, it would be much appreciated.

Cheers everyone!

[Wired]

Hey Anova, and welcome.

Sadly I doubt there's that one beginner tutorial, but I've always found Torstan's many small tutorials to be of great use to me. In the end, it all depends on what specifically you do want to learn, what type of map you are interested in working on.

[Chick]

Hi Anova, there is a great tutorial in the sticky section of Tutorials, called Quickstart Guide to Fantasy Mapping: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=4276

From there, go to Hand Drawn Mapping for the Artistically Challenged: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ad.php?t=10655

Once you have completed those two tutorials, you'll be well on your way!!

And by the way, Welcome to the Guild!!

[Korash]

Anova, Welcome to The Guild, the Mappiest Place on the Web

Yeah, Torstan's mini tuts are great to give you all sorts of techniques and stuff. A look through the Tutorial section will also give a LOT of tuts for Photoshop, as well as looking here for more specific things or questions. Yes the tutorials forum is quite large, but it is hard to give specific locations without specifics on what you are looking for. I would suggest looking at this thread if it info on how to START with mapping....

Seeing as how you have a program, look though the tuts, pick one and dive in, post up a thread as you start going through it. In that thread you can ask questions, point out problems, and ask for suggestions.

Like Wired said, it all depends on what you want to create....

**EDIT...

NINJA-ED!!!!!

[Anova]

Thanks everyone! At this point, I am taking a look at crafting a world map and devise a method to make an isometric map (like the bridge district or some of Max's work) in a feasible amount of time.

It's a tall order I'm sure, but I'm attempting to reach that point. I'm sure I'll have just as much fun learning how to get there as I'll have playing with it.