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Thread: New Software/New Map - Help with my sub-continent

  1. #1
    Publisher Facebook Connected JPQuinn's Avatar
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    Wip New Software/New Map - Help with my sub-continent

    OK,

    So, I downloaded GIMP this morning and did some playing with it. I have no clue how I got this map to this point, but I like some of the elements of it. I took a look at Ascension's Atlas Style Guide tutorial for Photoshop and kinda played with that in GIMP.

    Anything I should be aiming towards to get it to look like a real map (rivers, lat/long lines, compass rose, mountains, towns, etc.)?

    What scale should I be going for on this (miles per inch)?

    Anything make this look wrong?

    -- Please Note: I have had GIMP for all of 5 hours or so. Please be gentle. --
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    JP Quinn
    Writer, Game Designer, Map Dabbler
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  2. #2
    Community Leader Gandwarf's Avatar
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    Not too shabby. Although the sea texture looks almost purple and is distracting me
    To make it look more like a map you will need to fill in the details. Mountains, forests, places of interest.

    I like the shape of the land.
    Check out my City Designer 3 tutorials. See my fantasy (city) maps in this thread.

    Gandwarf has fallen into shadow...

  3. #3
    Guild Member Flaterectomy's Avatar
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    An interesting shape, though you may want to fiddle with the coastlines a little because I see some parts on the sides of the image that are mirrorred bottom-to-top, so to speak. The symmetry kinda stands out there.

    The dropshadow effect makes it look like it's a flat piece of material lying on top of another flat surface. You should probably look at an outline (or stroke), and/or bevel & emboss, and/or outer glow instead.

    Good going so far though, looking forward to seeing you progress!
    Alas, my website features music, not maps. I do have a portfolio of some other things, though.

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    Publisher Facebook Connected JPQuinn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ravells View Post
    I don't understand! If you have photoshop, why go through the learning curve of Gimp?
    I'm always willing to learn something new. Even if it's close to something else (we all learned how to print and write in cursive, same word... different presentation). I have noticed that GIMP is much less resource heavy on my laptop than Photoshop and Corel X2.
    Last edited by JPQuinn; 08-17-2009 at 07:44 PM. Reason: poor spelling
    JP Quinn
    Writer, Game Designer, Map Dabbler
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  6. #6
    Guild Adept Notsonoble's Avatar
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    http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1142

    and

    http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=4335

    are really good places to start.

    Those two, combined with Ascension's Atlas Tut you've already mentioned is how I did my map... and it came out well...

    Aside from those two, I'd say your doing well, and your trouble now is more choosing things than figuring how to do things... (like where to put the mountains and rivers)
    My D&D/Roleplaying Blog Making a new effort to update every two weeks!
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