Nice map! One point you could improve: the coastal lines. Distort them a little bit, at the moment they look too much like path-created lines.
A friend of mine asked me to redo his map that he's been using for the past 30 years in his D&D campaigns, I happily obliged him having spent many a night enjoying the campaign as a player. I've posted his original and then posted the work in progress.
I've really enjoyed digging around the site and seeing all the work here, picked up a few tricks and now I'm experimenting with them on this particular map. I used Midgardsormor's clone technique for my mountains, hills, trees. RobA's weathered paper tutorial to spice up my background. I'm so planning on trying the fields surrounding the towns like JammyMatt's unnamed.
I'd really like some input if anyone willing to throw in their 2c.
Here's a list of some of the things I'm still working on.
- maze lands and bile fens areas
- cities still need to be put in and labeled
- small labels need some work to blend in better
- soften the hard edge between the mountains and surrounding landscape
- more work on the hills
- draw in some grass
- snow and snow caps
He's aware that a couple of the rivers violate river rules, but they are going to stay as is. I believe the one runs in a massive cavern under the plains of devastation and connects up on the side.
-boslok
Last edited by Boslok; 04-14-2010 at 07:48 PM.
Nice map! One point you could improve: the coastal lines. Distort them a little bit, at the moment they look too much like path-created lines.
I really like it . This forum is full of talented people.
I have a little advice. I think it could look better if you would add some dirt or gradient color under mountains and hills. In m opinion they are too much separated from the background.
Awesome indeed. Nothing to complain about here
Yesterday today was tomorrow.
My deviantart: http://darkaiz.deviantart.com/
A good start!
You'll probably find it easier to add legible labels, if you lighten up the outline color of your details: hills, mountains, and forests, as well as the fill color of at least the mountains
Very nice map. Love the trees especially. I agree with Raskat though: the hills seem to float above the terrain at the moment.
Check out my City Designer 3 tutorials. See my fantasy (city) maps in this thread.
Gandwarf has fallen into shadow...
Really liking this map. Very nice style indeed.
I have to agree with Raskat and Gandwarf though about the hills and the mountains. You've used a drop shadow which automatically, by it's nature makes an element float above the image. You've also possibly used one on your trees but you've added a shadow manually stretching out from their trunks which ties them back down to your image and the shadowy area around the trees looks great because of it.
Add some manual shadows to your hills and mountains and this will look awesome.
Royal: I'm very sorry for your loss, your mother was a terribly attractive woman.
My Cartographer's Guild maps: Finished Maps
More maps viewable at my DeviantArt page: Ramah-Palmer DeviantArt
Many thanks
I'm going to ditch the old style radiating coastline and go with a simpler/cleaner style and i might add a beach or two. I agree with everyone else about the hills and mountains, I was using a drop shadow and it's just not working. For the trees i did just use one of photoshops wet brushes and painted, I'm going to do the same hills and mountains, as Ramah suggested.
Quick update
I'm much happier with the new shadows under the mountains, thanks for the suggestions. Currently only the southern mountains have been fixed. Fixed many of the labels, a few still need work. Added a few snow caps on the mountains. Added some marshy areas. Removed the radiating coastline and added the City of Todes Grube crest.
As always any thoughts, suggestions are welcome.
-boslok
Here's 2 versions of the crest. I'm not sure which one I prefer.