Hello!!!
Hello to all!
My name is Giancarlo, and I have used the gianky1 nickname now for a good eighteen years. For years, I have indulged in the creation of stories and many of these have some sort of mental map to them, so it was only natural that I would sit down and draw them. Needless to say, the first few tries came out to look like scribbles, but with patience I managed to make a few decent maps. I also discovered the ability to create detailed buildings, fortresses, and vehicles. What I cannot do is draw people, panoramas, animals, or plant life.
Recently I self published a short story that acts as the base for a larger saga that I am writing. Everything is set up in a world that I created, paying close attention to even the tiniest details like the tides, seasons, minerals, vegetation, etc.
I know it sounds like a little too much, but it is my baby and I want it as perfect as I can make it. It is only natural that a map accompanies the full novel (even the short one could have used one), and for a long time I have worked to make one. The attempts have been hand-drawn, and it is my preferred method to create an initial map.
Photoshop is a mess, and most of what I know is geared to making a book cover (I offered this to a few friends but everyone had an excuse not to help). Corel, I do not like. And Paint, well, it is what it is. Add to this I have limited time to sit down and write, much less draw a map, so it all felt destined to fail. Thankfully, I found the guild, and found a community of people who love to make maps. I thank you all for the many tutorials, and suggestions, many of which I have incorporated into my map designs. I can now make decent maps, quickly and efficiently, to serve as visual guides for story narratives. With more time, I have managed to customize GIMP with symbols and patterns that suit my maps, giving them a distinctive look in the process. And now I have completed the world map, with all coastlines and continents in place!
I am happy and glad to have found this community and look forward to the future.
Happy map making and Hello!
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Originally Posted by Korash
