Most of the time I use low-opacity brushes, but I paint over the same spot several times to slowly build up the shape. It takes a bit longer, but this way I have better control over the outcome.
Most of the time I use low-opacity brushes, but I paint over the same spot several times to slowly build up the shape. It takes a bit longer, but this way I have better control over the outcome.
Amazing tutorial for an amazing finished product. I ran a quick test map to see if I could replicate the effects and was incredibly happy with the results. Now, it's time to go back and do a full-scale version of some hand drawn maps that I have. I'm pretty well versed in PS (CS3) and have a tablet. Given that, I have a few questions:
1) I'm new at using a tablet (intous3) in PS. Generally, I just use it for animating in Flash. When using it in PS, I was kind of unhappy with the results. It almost seems like flow+opacity are controlled simultaneously with the pressure sensitivity. Is there a way to just isolate "opacity" for the pressure?
2) I'd really like to do a very large scale, full-world map at a large resolution so that I have the option of printing the entire map, or just cropping one continent/island and printing that at a respectable resolution (as opposed to redrawing each continent at a higher res) Do you have any suggestions on optimal resolution size for something like this? (Both physical size and resolution. IE: 2800x1400 @ 300dpi)
3) Given the above, are there any foreseeable problems in your tutorial? I know I'll have to adjust some of the scale/depth settings to accommodate for a larger map. Basically looking for any additional hints you could provide.
Again, thanks a bunch for this amazing tutorial. It was one of the reasons I signed up for the forums. I've always been interested in constructing better looking maps, or stared in awe at some that have been done in various books/publications, both indoor maps and expanse maps. I'm glad I happened upon here!
Thanks for the help!
Thank you for the kind words.Originally Posted by JohnnyKrysys
While this is more of a general Photoshop question, and not a tutorial question, I think you should certainly give your tablet some test runs with Photoshop before starting. Try different settings and see what they do. If you are familiar with the software you are using, it will be easier to introduce variations to the tutorial and in the end get down to your very own style.
300 dpi is usually used for high quality printing. That means you have to provide 300 pixels for every inch printed. So a width of 10 inches would need a width of 3000 pixels to make sure it is of crisp quality when printed in a book. A poster on a wall is usually not that demanding, though. It is viewed from a distance, so 200 dpi is usually enough. If your box is a bit on the weak side, you can go to 150 dpi, but I would not recommend going any lower.
Zooming in to show certain locations is an entirely different matter. If your original map is 300 dpi and you zoom in on an area with 200%, it will be effectively 150 dpi. It would be a good idea to determine what detail you need and what your box can handle beforehand.
Post a work in progress early and often. There are a lot of people here with a lot of experience. They will give you good advice.
Last edited by Tear; 02-10-2010 at 03:18 AM.
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