Hello All,
Here is the completed version of my map, the original WIP thread can be found here:
http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...8ish%29-Style!
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who helped me along in this process. This was my first attempt at fantasy cartography, and I knew absolutely nothing about the software I used to make this map (GIMP) before finding this site. The tutorials by Rob A, and his many helpful Gimp plug-ins were of huge help to me. Rob, you are the "PIMP of GIMP" man! Also, as alluded to in the title, this map was done in general style of Ascension's Atlas Style, which is absolutely fantastic. As good as his tutorials are however, I would not have taken on the task of attempting his Atlas Style were it not for the wonderful tutorial by Gidde, who translated Ascension's Photoshop instructions into GIMP. Thank you both. Also, I was really encouraged by all of you (you know who you are) who visited my post, offered constructive feedback, and helped me through a few tight spots, y'all are a great bunch!
Alright, that said, there's not allot to tell about the process of making this map that isn't already covered in the Ascension/Gidde tutorials. I did deviate a bit though, so here's a quick recap of those:
The Ocean: I added more texture to the ocean floor by creating clouds, using a smudge tool on them, and then embossing them.
The Map Symbols: these were essentially done the same way as discussed by Rob A in his tut on GIMP-made regional maps, except that rather than adding a shadow to the symbols, I bevel & embossed them.
The Borders: After creating the map, I enlarged the canvass by 75px and added a black border layer surrounding the map. I then enlarged the canvass by another 50px, and added a gold colored border layer. I then bevel-and-embossed it, added a texture overlay, and satin style, and voila (not nearly as amazing as CoyoteMax's gold technique, but it's the best I could do with my limited knowledge of GIMP).
Well, that about wraps it up, hope you enjoy, and thanks again for all of your help and encouragement.
Cheers,
-Arsheesh