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Thread: Merrymeet

  1. #1

    Post Merrymeet

    This is Merrymeet, a halfling village located in Callie's Thicket in the Witchlight Strand, my original area of the Cooperative World Building Project.

    I was playing around in Photoshop 7 without the intention of doing any serious project when I hit upon a relatively simple technique with what I considered great results. When I discovered that I was able to duplicate the process with similar results, I shut myself in and went on a mapmaking frenzy. Four maps in I produced Merrymeet; I think it’s the best one yet, and the only one I’m confident enough to call “finished.”

    The process is a combination of the clouds, watercolor, and blur filters—not necessarily in that order. Layers of color blended, blurred, and smudged on top of more layers achieved the final result. In the WIP thread Ascension said something about it looking like it was on an easel in the corner of his room, so as a subtle joke I added the canvas texture to a grey overlay layer (thanks for that one, Torstan!). To say I was surprised by the “pop” from the texture would be an understatement, to say the least.

    My favorite part about this map, as well as the others in the series, is not the final result of the images, but of what I learned while creating them. It was as if everything I’ve read on the Cartographer’s Guild forums came back to me all at once, and it all just clicked. For the first time, I was able to use layer masks and work paths effectively; I used tools and filters that I never knew existed before, and I really feel like I know Photoshop more intimately than I ever have.

    More importantly, I feel like I have finally submitted a piece of work that is at least approaching the level of quality this site is known for, and I have you all to thank for it.

    And so I present to you Merrymeet, with a heartfelt Thank You.


    -IG
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  2. #2
    Guild Journeyer woekan's Avatar
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    I like it!

  3. #3
    Guild Artisan Hoel's Avatar
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    Nice. But I think your texture is repeating a bit too much.. or maybe that's a feature rather than a bug

  4. #4

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    the vegetation seens a bit floating to me.But it's not a problem.
    nice work afterall
    http://www.cartographersguild.com/signaturepics/sigpic3377_5.gif

  5. #5
    Community Leader Facebook Connected Ascension's Avatar
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    Needless to say, but, I love it. Dang, still gotta spread some love...remind me that I owe ya some.
    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

  6. #6

    Post

    Thanks for the comments. I only hope that I can repeat it for future maps. I think I'll work on something with a bit of snow next, or maybe something underground.

    Thanks again,

    -IG

  7. #7
    Guild Artisan Facebook Connected
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    I agree with the assessment that it looks like something painted, in this case by someone with a good grasp on landscapes.

    Very nice.
    I think, therefore I am a nerd.
    Cogito, ergo sum nerdem.

    Check out my blog: "The Undiscovered Author"
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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...

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