Current project in GIMP

[Faide]

Having given myself a fairly crash course in GIMP I can say that after a few tutorials and a bit of experimenting you can achieve very satisfying results fairly easily and in very little time. In addition none of the software cost me any money so all I've really spent so far is a small fortune on printer ink.

I've ordered myself a graphics tablet which everyone advises as the next step if I want to do this a bit more seriously and so I'm looking forward to playing with that.

Any advice or comments on the maps?
The last two are both works in progress so any ideas and input is welcome.

[NeonKnight]

Very Nice. I like the "advance a few thousand years" aspect to prepare for the 4E release of D&D.

[Robbie]

Looks pretty cool to me...I really like the forethought you put into the flooding...thats very cool, and it worked out very realistically considering.

My only crit of your map is the aliasing...You've built perfectly functional maps, but now that you've got the function down its time to start working on the art side. I always consider mapping or cartography as an artform...if you smooth out the lines and do some layer effects and fill styles it would take the map to the next level.

Note though, I'm not complaining about it at all...I'm just saying that there is another level, and those things would take it up to that level...its a very well done functional map though.

[Faide]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys.

What does aliasing mean?
How could I smooth out the lines?
What do you mean by layer effects and fill styles?

Could you give me examples or point to tutorials.
I'm here to learn and I'm not going to take it badly if people have suggestions for me.

[Robbie]

Here's a look at anti-aliasing: http://lunaloca.com/tutorials/antialiasing/

Layer effects and fill styles are something you'll have to wait for one of our regular GIMP experts to step in on. I use Photoshop so I can't quite relate yet...

[RPMiller]

I actually prefer the second map over the others. It is much more stylish and still has function. If you could combine, that map with the others I think you would definitely be onto something. I also liked the flooding approach you took and will have to add that to "tricks to remember". Thanks for sharing!

[RobA]

I believe the comment on antialiasing is directed to the rivers and coastlines (and contour lines) They display the "jaggies". How did you draw them?

If freehand, use the paintbrush tool rather than the pencil tool. This will give smoother lines. Alternately, create them as paths (either in GIMP directly or in Inkscape then imported into GIMP) then stroke the paths.

For the contour lines, again, I don't know how you created them... stroked selections should not look as jagged as your do.

Overall, however, nice work, with a decent colour palette choice. I, too like the B/W map, but there are two issues I see - no roads/trails are clearly shown, and the river seem to get lost in the Fell Grave.

-Rob A>

[ravells]

I'm going to pinch that anti-aliasing tutorial and pop it onto the tutorials section - very useful! And I love the way your map is coming on Faide, nothing to add to what the others have said (which I'm sure will keep you pretty busy)!

Ravs

[Faide]

Originally, every line was drawn by mouse with pencil line. Which is why it had the "jaggies". (which I never noticed until it was pointed out)

I've redone the layers by dint of much stroking and the lines are definitely smoother now.

But, is it just me, or does it all look somehow more cartoony?

Perhaps I now need to fade the colours down a bit?

Thanks for all the feedback. It's set me thinking about the different kind of maps you need as a DM and want as a player handout.

Possibly more art, less function for a players map? I dunno.

Karl

[ravells]

It's been a while since I've seen that contour style used. In fact I think this is the first time I've seen it used on these boards. It gives the maps a really detailed feel. If the map looks cartoony, it's only because of the black outlines and the colour fills.
Try this:
1. Make the strokes of the contour lines thinner and play with shades of grey rather than black. (Although black works for me with this map).
2. Do a search on 'Hypsometric colour (or color) - for those of use who don't use the superflous 'u' (or should that be a superfos 'u'? ), it should bring up a couple of threads on colour choices for this style of map. Generally to show height you want the higher altitudes to fade to white and the lower altitutudes to be a deep green. BUT (and here's the problem) If you have say, desert, at low altitudes, using a green suggests vegetation, so you need to make some compromises there. Looking at the colours of atlases should help here.