October 2017 Challenge: The Story of Golthra and Iriana

[Mouse]

This map just keeps getting better and better, I can't wait for the final result.

Thank you, QED

I'm currently waiting for GIMP to unfreeze after 45 minutes of it 'not responding', so you and me both

And it’ a good start ! I guess the « artist » way is just as good as the « digital way » and why should it be different ?

Thank you Jo

The main difference, as far as I can tell, is that cartographers using PS and GIMP usually draw all the linework first, and then do the shading and colouring. A painter starts with the paint equivalent of the shading and colouring, then closes in on the canvas for the final details - the line work. Its a complete reversal of the process - doing it backwards, from a cartographer's point of view.

I have a feeling the final effect will be a bit different and much more like a painting than a map, but I just couldn't seem to get the shape of the hills right by doing it the proper cartography way!

However, all this depends on whether the file I'm working on survives the current freeze up. I should have split the file in two about midday, but I just kept working on it, and now I'm paying for it.

I may update later on tonight... or I may not.

[QED42]

Thank you, QED

I'm currently waiting for GIMP to unfreeze after 45 minutes of it 'not responding', so you and me both

45 minutes is way more patience than I have but I guess it depends how much work you stand to lose.

[Mouse]

When I get going I can forget to save until close of play, which in this case is 6 hours worth.

Fortunately it just unfroze for me, so I'm saving it now and flattening what I can of the layers in the next version.

[tilt]

When I get going I can forget to save until close of play, which in this case is 6 hours worth.

Fortunately it just unfroze for me, so I'm saving it now and flattening what I can of the layers in the next version.

Lost lots of stuff that way back in the days. Luckily Adobe features autosave now. Not to mention layers and more than one undo, which it didn't have when I started using photoshop

[Mouse]

Well I've just discovered that when GIMP is really struggling to complete a task it has this new capability to crash something else instead of itself!

Its shut my browser down twice in 5 minutes as I save new versions of the file!

I was also in the middle of trying to make a comment on Straf's Lite Challenge thread as well...

[Mouse]

A few more layers for new things and a very big file. I've been working on the bottom of the map today.

Trees, settlements, roads, heath, fire and smoke.

(I decided to give the mountains a rest today)

### Latest WIP ###
Golthra and Iriana 19.jpg

[DanielHasenbos]

I haven't been following this thread Really, and it's already become too long to catch up Now, but I just wanted to say that it's looking great Mouse (: You're really doing a great job on the perspective view

[Mouse]

LOL! I'm sorry Daniel - I must be pretty famous/notorious already for some of the longest threads on the Guild

Thanks for the compliment

[- JO -]

Those islands south are gorgeous !!!! You might just consider making the "roofs" bigger ? The colors spots (red, brown and grey) are really well giving the "roof sensation", but they might just be a tiny bit too small regarding the scale, in my opinion ! I think a little bigger spots could just be perfect... but it's me being too picky

[Mouse]

Thank you Jo

I will see what I have time to do with the spots. In truth it was a quick and dirty solution to a problem. I filled a layer with orangey brown, added HSV noise to it, then enlarged it by 400% and used a layer mask to paint the lines of buildings.

One possible solution is to use the existing pattern as a mask and repaint the rooftops more carefully - but that would take some time, and we only have 8(?) days left now?

The downside of losing my job (I was crap at it, and reacted really badly to the air-con :/) is that the job centre and their various agencies are falling over backwards to retrain/reprogram me like a broken machine, so I now have a session every day of the next week for this or that, which I find to be a bit of a creative surge killer...