Noob: My first try - WIP

[andarta]

Hello, wonderful Cartographer's Guild!

This is my first post here. Like many others, I guess, I found this great forum searching for map making tools/software/tutorials. I use some of my free time to slowly build a world for a fantasy novel thingy I'm planning, and the time has come to start making some good maps of what's in my head. Drawing by hand isn't my greatest skill, therefore I sought to do it digitally instead.

The attached map is of a continent in the world I'm making, and it was made using Ascenion's "Atlas style map" tutorial ( http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=4084 - thanks a million Ascension! I really learned a lot!)

There aren't many placenames yet, and I haven't yet totally figured out how to easily add/remove features like mountains and hills, but it's getting close to my vision now. The western mountains should be more like a contiuous mountain range, but it doesn't quite look like that yet.

Also, some of the rivers are probably illogical, and there are too few lakes, but I'm slowly working on that. Geography's a bitch

Anyhow, this is my first serious attempt at a map like this, again huge thanks to Ascension! There's a lot to do yet, but some feedback from you inspiring and skillful folks would be appreciated

And it's made with Photoshop CS2 and a mouse.

Any ideas on how to easily add/edit terrain/mountains? Most of the mountains are made with (difference) clouds (see the tutorial), and are therefore somewhat random. The tutorial I used showed how to easily move mountains around, and that helped, but if anyone has better ideas, I'd be happy

Thanks!