New Member Intro

[Juggernaut1981]

Hey All,
I'm Juggernaut1981. The username is just another one of those brought from BBS to BBS to BBS that I've never bothered to really change.

I've got a long background in D&D. Co-developed a campaign setting, ran a monthly-convention-style (25+ players) game for about 5 years with a friend and have been tinkering in my own CS's maps, drawing and the like for a long time.

I suppose that from my Science/Maths background, I have a very "function over form" kind of tendency... plus I haven't done a lot of sketching so sometime those "just draw in a XYZ" is something of a nightmare for me.

I've done some work with GamerPrinter on his Kaidan Setting and associated developments, and will hopefully turn into a long spiralling involving body of work...

In the meantime, I'm just looking to improve the skills I have. "Brush Up" so to speak on my map drawing and similar skills.

I have as my funky tool-set a Fujitsu Lifebook Tablet Laptop w/ a Big TV and an RGB input. GIMP + AutoREALM are my current tools, but after a few of the tutorials I might relegate AutoREALM to the "Behind the DM Screen" Maps.

[Ascension]

Welcome aboard.

[Steel General]

Welcome Aboard Juggie!

[NeonKnight]

Welcome to the Guild!

[Gamerprinter]

Glad to see you here as a member, Juggernaut!

This guy is an excellent writer, dependable and takes direction well. While he is in fact providing the bulk of the written parts, based on outlines and story ideas, I've got a persnickity publisher who likes a collegiate level in his writing standards, so to keep everyone happy - I give direction, Juggernaut turns it into prose and then the publisher gets to tweak and throw in some $3 words, then I make final adjustments to useability. Its complicated and time consuming, but I think the work will justify itself.

While I have "some" talent in writing, I really lack the ability to put in the RP crunch, and Juggie has the experience for that, more so than I and I really appreciate that particular skill, damn glad really.

Juggernaut, you indeed do have some mapping talent, and I think the Guild will definitely give you a "leg up" and seriously improve your skill. I look forward into seeing what you create.

Again, welcome to the Guild!

GP

[Juggernaut1981]

Yeah, I suspect it will... but I think my "map as a functional device" and a distaste for "photo-realistic type" digital artwork may end up making me an enemy of RobA... just went through his extended "4,000,000 layers of map-making" tutorial. Nice and clear... results = waaaaaaay up the other end of the style spectrum from me... *shrug*.

For those of you who know some tricks to really get that "ink & watercolours" kind of artwork, I'm more than curious... hopefully it doesn't require weeks of hand drawing...

[Gamerprinter]

Not everybody makes "artistic" maps here - there's more than one way to skin a cat. And artistic, but simpler coloration is common as well. Most don't do any hand-drawing at all, only a relatively small percentage of us in that regard.

You need to tell us specifically the kind of map style you want to develop and we'll guide you in that direction.

All my maps are created in Xara Xtreme Pro, which is primarily a vector based drawing program, I use special filters as fill color to emulate the water-color look in my maps. I used to use Painter, but am unsure how to replicate that water color feel in GIMP, unfortunately, other than to "paint it that way."

Besides, RobA is nice guy, it's difficult to make "an enemy out of him!"

GP

[Gidde]

I've had good luck getting a watercolor-ish look with gimp by running a blur, then a filter called gimpressionist that simulates brush strokes, then *just* enough blur to get rid of the actual brush lines. At least one of the people I showed a map to said "hey, that looks like you used watercolors!"

One tactic to try, anyhow.

[Korash]

You can also use the brushes that people have posted around this forum (Wag and Star Raven have done a few) to make a more hand drawn map. And just to confuse you a bit RobA also has a few brushes in his sig that you might want to look at

To follow up on GPs suggestion about more info on the style you are looking for, I think the best way to discribe it would be to show it in a map. Post a WIP and use the suggestions that will follow to help refine the style. I am quite sure that you will recieve enough C&C to get you there, along with some techniques on how to do it as well.

An Welcome to the CG

[Juggernaut1981]

Here are some that I've found. It is in general a very classical style. Possibly even earlier style than this as well. I might see what I can find from earlier periods...

1500s era map of Hungary
http://www.stockmapagency.com/zoomif...HUNG-16CEN-ANT

Other examples
http://www.floridahistory.com/us@1544.html
http://www.worldmapsonline.com/histo...-jerusalem.htm **This one is close, I'm not so keen on the quasi-isometric view, but that sort of thing**

(A bit too old, and I don't think I would be good at the tapestry-figures)
http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/LMwebpages/235E.html