Hello to the community!

[Radaka]

Hello everyone!

My online handle is Radaka. I found this website while searching for cartography tutorials, and I was extremely impressed by the artwork and tutorials that this community had on display. I have been interested in learning to make nice-looking maps for some time now. I have been a GM for D&D/Pathfinder for almost a decade now, and I have no intention of stopping any time soon. In order to more finely hone my craft, I want to add to my repertoire the skill of cartography. I have made maps previously using a free vectorart program called Inkscape, but they inevitably turned out to be rather cartoonish. In order to help push my boundaries, I have purchased a year-long subscription to Photoshop CC.

All in all, I saw no better place to get involved than the Cartographer's Guild!

I'm glad to have the opportunity to join,

-Radaka


p.s. Here's the aforementioned "cartoonish" map drawn using Inkscape:
Aventine Region Map 6-26-16.jpg

[jbgibson]

Hi- welcome to the Guild! That's a perfectly serviceable map, and looks good to boot. Sure, you can improve on it/ we all can improve! - particularly if you are shooting for a different style. What direction do you want to go, from this good start?

In addition to the map itself, I'll give you a bit of rep for the boldness to start with a map in your first post. We *really* appreciate constructive contributions - there's never enough maps in the world!

[Radaka]

I'm not entirely sure what style that I want to go for, but I do know that I want to drop the cartoonish everything-has-a-black-outline look that is evident in the map I posted. I really like a number of the images in the 10-year cartographer's choice mosaic. For example, I may try aiming for one of the styles like those of -Max-, Viking, Auth, and Pasis, to name just a few.