Hi all!

[stoneprophet]

Hey guys! New to this, looking to learn how all you guys make sweet looking maps. Tired of making crappy hand-drawn ones, need some tips on what programs you guys use, the process, etc. I am currently editing my first book, a high-fantasy novel set in a faux-Medieval world, and working on a second piece based in a completely different setting. I plan on making this new project a shared world with a few other writers I know, and would love to get input/ ideas on it once it is up and running in wiki form.

Anyways, look forward to reading all your tips and advice!

SP

[arsheesh]

Hi there Stoneprophet, welcome to the Guild! Well I wouldn't disparage hand drawn maps, some of the best I've seen have been had drawn. However, if you are looking for tips on to do digital (fantasy) cartography, you've come to the right place. Here's what you should do. First, read Ravells sticky Quickstart to Fantasy Mapping. It covers allot of the basic things you need to consider when you are just starting out. Then I'd go spend an hour or two browsing through tutorials to see (a) what kind of maps you'd like to try making, and (b) what software is required. Probably the two most popular forms of software used here are Photoshop and the GIMP (an open source graphics program that has many of the same capabilities of Photoshop). Hope that helps, and good luck.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Gidde]

Welcome to the Guild!