Real quick. let me get you opinions. I posted this in my welcome thread but then wondered if anyone would see it.

I am looking to make the antique looking maps much like the old Lord of the Rings stuff. I am a writer by nature and that is my passion. Although I LOVE what I see here I really do not want to spend a HUGE amount of time on my maps as I am using simple ones to illistrate my books. I do not need all the color and relief... What I need is something that I can do that will show readers what I am writing about. It will also help me to figure distances and help me as I expand.

I am using GIMP at the moment. I am working through the tutorials but I am already spending way too much time. I also already have CorelDraw and paint Shop Pro. I know I can do what I am looking to do in GIMP but is there an easier program out there for Antique Style maps? Something that is REALLYYYY easy? Again, I am not looking for the awesome quality as it will be on a single page or two of a book.

Also, it is wrong to ask people here to let me have their old GIMP maps so I can change them? I could use their antique backgrounds and their font styles. Or is this a big NO NO!