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Thread: Known Lands of Aedra

  1. #1
    Guild Apprentice morikahn's Avatar
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    Post Known Lands of Aedra

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    Software: Photoshop
    Font: Kelmscott

    All art original except the compass at the bottom right.

    This is a map for my D&D campaign. Its meant to only show major geographical features such as coastlines and large mountain ranges and regional names. Most of the land is uncivilized with a plethora of small nations hugging oceans and rivers. Magic does not function in Zoa to the West and dominates the East. Magic fluctuates in the midland regions, with empires rising up in times of strong magic, then collapsing quickly when that magic fails (a.k.a. why there are so many ruins for the players to investigate). The idea is based of the sci-fi novel A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.

    Its not a very imposing map, but I was happy with natural feeling of the coastline; I wanted to avoid an earth like look with several large continents.

    The coast lines were penciled on paper, scanned, then inked in photoshop. Different paper textures were used for the water and land, and a slight color burn added for edge enhancement.

    The coastal ring effect was not done through multiple layers and stoke blending effects, but with a modified outer glow effect and custom contour. This made it very easy to create and adjust on the fly. If anyone is interested in how I did it, I can post a tutorial.

    If a mod could be so kind to change the thread name to Known Lands of Aedra (instead of Arda), I'd appreciate it before the LOTR fans murder me.
    Last edited by Diamond; 07-17-2015 at 07:11 PM.

  2. #2
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    Hello! Nice map! I've just started drawing maps on photoshop and yes, I'd be interested in your tutorial about the coastal ring effect
    Thanks and good luck with your campaign!

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by anthyna View Post
    Hello! Nice map! I've just started drawing maps on photoshop and yes, I'd be interested in your tutorial about the coastal ring effect
    There is a tutorial for Photoshop on making coastal ripples that I wrote here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ad.php?t=30388

    If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a private message, as well.

    Cheers,
    Cornelia

  4. #4
    Administrator Facebook Connected Diamond's Avatar
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    That is great work! Nice layout, good font and color choice, interesting backstory. Have some rep!

  5. #5
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected Meshon's Avatar
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    If you click "Edit Post" and then "Go Advanced" I think you will get the option to change your title.

    The map looks great! Are there more geographical details to come? I like the idea of a bunch of little city states along the coast, afraid of the great dark unknown inland. Have you ever heard of the Hanseatic League? Lots of interesting history there about how independent coastal powers might get along (or not get along).

    I hope to see more of this world.

    cheers,
    Meshon
    Last edited by Meshon; 07-17-2015 at 04:18 PM. Reason: Because spelling.

  6. #6
    Guild Apprentice morikahn's Avatar
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    @Meshon Naw, it doesn't change the thread title. I was tired and the name Arda stuck in my head for some reason. Later I realized I'd taken Tolkien's world name.

    Thanks for the link on the Hanseatic League, that is exactly what I'm going for in the middle of the continent. There are small civilized nations that compete for coastal territory along the interior ocean straight, with Goeths and Aechean pirates and sometime Baatar slavers raiding their coastlines. Some of the nations have formed a defensive commonwealth, where the player characters are located.

    I'm already starting on a close up region of that area which will include political boundaries and terrain. Hopefully it turns out well. If so, i'll post it here too.

    I'll make that tutorial on custom contours to simulate coastal rings. Its a much quicker way to get the effect the current methods and it has at least one neat variation you guys might find useful.

  7. #7
    Administrator Facebook Connected Diamond's Avatar
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    Hmm. I tried to edit it for you and it wouldn't let me do it either... which is strange.

  8. #8
    Community Leader Guild Sponsor - Max -'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamond View Post
    Hmm. I tried to edit it for you and it wouldn't let me do it either... which is strange.
    You need a higher accreditation level agent D. Done for ya On a more serious note, maybe you edited the post and not the thread?
    Last edited by - Max -; 07-18-2015 at 05:26 AM.

  9. #9
    Guild Apprentice morikahn's Avatar
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    I've created a tutorial showing how I made the concentric coastal ripple effect in the Tutorials forum here.

  10. #10
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    I really like this map. It looks simple and yet dashing

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