Unnamed Regional Map (WIP) - Concept Test

[Wired]

I'm working on an A3 version of the map I'm basing my WIP tutorial on at the moment. The background idea for the project is threefold:

• training, of course,
• measuring how much time I actually need to do a map and
• trying out a new sales model, actually.

The simple truth of much of what I do is that I get better and more refined through repeating the same processes over and over again. As a bonus, training the basics often leads to some nice ideas on the side. So my fortieth mountains will look better than my fourth. Easy enough. But what I need to get a solid idea of is how much I actually need for a given map if I work on it without pause of distractions, mainly as a means to schedule my limited free time. Lastly, I'll end up doing a full color version of this map here in two versions: one with just the territory, another with locations and symbols added. I'm interested in figuring out if that kind of off the shelf map engenders any sort of interest from game masters or authors as the (geographic) setting - ie. the rough, cold North - is rather popular in many RPG and fantasy writing circles (see the Icewind Dale in the Forgotten Realms, for example).

Anyway, thought it was worth it letting you take part in my train of thought.

Here's what I've got so far. This took me ~3 hours, 40 minutes, but since I was working off a template a more realistic estimate is around 4 1/2 hours. Done so far: Landmass, Coastal Layers, Beach Layer, Ice Sheet, Rivers & Lakes Layer, Swamp Water Layer, Mountain Layer -- all just the lineart at 300dpi, A3. Enjoy.

Tutorial Map, Refined for Own Version.jpg

Up to date WIPs will follow in later posts, so check out the rest of the thread, please.

[Caenwyr]

Looks very promising; keep 'em coming! All those layers you talk about, are they already visible in the map? Because I'm having trouble finding evidence of the ice sheet, and the beaches seem to be just the coastline atm (which are supposed to be on the coastal layer). So: I'm already loving this map, but I'm still a bit confused about the accompanying text blurb.

[Wired]

Looks very promising; keep 'em coming! All those layers you talk about, are they already visible in the map? Because I'm having trouble finding evidence of the ice sheet,

Take a look at the northern edge of the map, just along the coast, the jagged sections in the ocean. I might extend them further westwards later, though.

and the beaches seem to be just the coastline atm (which are supposed to be on the coastal layer).

If you check out the actual coastline, there are little squiggly and scratchy lines along the land side of it. Problem is the image you have now is only 50% the resolution of my working image, so it#s easy to miss them...

[Caenwyr]

Take a look at the northern edge of the map, just along the coast, the jagged sections in the ocean. I might extend them further westwards later, though. If you check out the actual coastline, there are little squiggly and scratchy lines along the land side of it. Problem is the image you have now is only 50% the resolution of my working image, so it#s easy to miss them...

I need to stop making comments through the Tapatalk app. It's impossible to show the images at full resolution, so that's probably why I missed the little details you refer to... My bad!

Also, I love the idea of timing your work!

The hills are a nice addition. You put them in interesting places! 90 Minutes for some bumps that are essentially curly lines and little hatches... it's baffling. I'm sure I'm not doing it any faster, it's just... thinking about it this way is humbling. Great work!

[Wired]

I need to stop making comments through the Tapatalk app. It's impossible to show the images at full resolution, so that's probably why I missed the little details you refer to... My bad!

No problem. Looking at large images on small screens always is a bit problematic.

Also, I love the idea of timing your work!

I need to establish a solid idea with regards to how long a sort of standard task takes me because I usually have a somewhat lousy attention span. If, in the future, I can say with a good degree of certainty that Task X takes me around YZ hours that'll make it so much easier for me to schedule things.

The hills are a nice addition. You put them in interesting places! 90 Minutes for some bumps that are essentially curly lines and little hatches... it's baffling. I'm sure I'm not doing it any faster, it's just... thinking about it this way is humbling. Great work!

I'm certain they can be done faster, and there are faster cartographers here who still deliver, in my opinion, superior results *looks into Max's general direction*. One problem I encountered was that, unlike with the mountain linework, I had to constantly zoom in and out again while doing the hills. Using a tablet and a stylus, Photoshop has this weird problem that occasionally you'll get the program drawing full-size, full pressure lines even if you just tip the tablet lightly while using a hard round pressure size brush. But only when you're zoomed out!? It's weird. So I had to jump around between the different zoom ratios just for the linework. Let's say that it should be possible, with keeping these problems in mind, to do the same work steps in about 60 minutes or so.

[- Max -]

If you check out the actual coastline, there are little squiggly and scratchy lines along the land side of it. Problem is the image you have now is only 50% the resolution of my working image, so it#s easy to miss them...

You might want to think about it. Assuming you work at 300dpi, if you can't see stuff at 50% resolution, you won't it at print size neither.

[Wired]

You might want to think about it. Assuming you work at 300dpi, if you can't see stuff at 50% resolution, you won't it at print size neither.

Hmmm, that's true...

[Wired]

Tutorial Map, Refined for Own Version.jpg

Hills. Tried a new approach this time, lots of small brush strokes. 90 Minutes, which brings us to 6 hours.

[ChickPea]

Those mountains are fantastic!

[Josiah VE]

That's smart thinking.
The jumbo-sized mountains look awesome.
I noticed the ice sheet (though it is a bit small), and the squigglies along the coast. I also noticed the "Shallow Bay" on the west side by the mountains, but I see you got rid of it now.