The Leonis Archipelago - WIP

[fifty]

Right, started a new map for a game I'm running this year.

It's a swashbuckling sort of game based initially in a long island chain. You know lots of sweaty pirates and corrupt governors, etc..

Anyway here's what I started with:

LeonisA1.jpg

So I started off doing it in satellite style - because that's what I've done before) and got so far...

LeonisA6.jpg

...but then I realised this didn't really sit with what I wanted for my game this year.

So after a bit of reading of the tuts on this site I'm now on the 'antique' map style.

LeonisA7.jpg

I'm just working on some pen-drawn mountains at the moment, and I think I'm OK with making creases, but can anyone point me at a tut to do the ragged / torn edges please?

[Viking]

Looks promising. Do you plan to add colouration somewhere? Maybe in only the land? I don't know any such tutorials alas.

[fifty]

Hi Chashio, Good link thanks!

Yeah I know what you mean about the islands getting lost, I'm gonna try to do either a woodcut ripple effect around the edges or have those little concentric wave lines surrounding the coasts to highlight them, but I'll certainly take a look at toning down the parchment variation too.

[Chashio]

I don't know of any offhand here, but you'll get a lot of results if you search the web with terms such as ' how to make torn paper edges in photoshop ' etc etc. One of the results that popped up was this video tutorial on youtube: Photoshop: How to Make TORN or RIPPED PAPER Effect from Scratch. - YouTube which looks like it takes you through the steps to make a specifically positioned edge via selection, layer masking, and photoshop filters, etc. Another way I can think of which would give unique results and might work okay is tearing and scanning a piece of paper and using that as a brush/eraser or layer mask... It's a bit more involved though.

If I could make a small suggestion per your map parchment? With small islands dotted about everywhere, it's a lot better to use a background with only subtle variation in color and texture so that a) the piece doesn't become too busy to look at and, b) so the small bits of land don't get lost in the shuffle. That's said from experience :\ and a bit of regret. You might also consider giving more border space around the edge of your mapped area, with a neat line to contain the islands if you think it's appropriate for the look you're going for. Those are my thoughts anyway. Carry on. It does look promising.

[fifty]

Hi Viking,

Not sure.. I'm trying for a map that looks like it was drawn with pen and ink and has been 'used at sea', so lots of staining and battered looking.

I don't know if colouring will fit this?
I guess there could be a bit of watercolour or something used if you had a particularly artistic ships navigator!

[Chashio]

I'm trying for a map that looks like it was drawn with pen and ink and has been 'used at sea', so lots of staining and battered looking.

Just for fun, why not try doing it all by hand if that's the look you're going for? There are a lot of tutorials on the web for doing antiquing and wear and tear effects via traditional means as well as digital. Plus, any iffy marks on the charts can be chalked up as rough seas or interruption by cannon fire

That last update does look pretty nice with the ripples and mountains added.

[fifty]

New WIP:
LeonisA10.jpg

[Ilanthar]

I like your wave effect along the coastline!

Did you used a pattern (home made and drawn perhaps?)?

[fifty]

Hi Ilanthar, Well tbh I'm standing on shoulders as always by modifying moutarde's method.

But basically I start off with the 4x1px pattern and then make a new pattern fill layer at an increased scale then add a ripple filter and feather/delete the bits I don't want...

hmm.. hang on, I'll stick the step by step method in a new thread...

[Ilanthar]

Thanks, I'll have a look on moutarde's method!

And I would gladly read yours if you put it in a new thread (that's two chances for me to works it out for me ).