Drawing on the computer
Okay, I have no tablets, nor do I have a scanner at my home in Montreal. This means that I will be working on the computer for maps! Anyone has a good free program suggestion I could relatively learn easily for cartography?
I did learn about Gimp but never was good with it. Basically I only used it for labeling...
We all wish to create, but do we really create?
What we draw and what we write is part of us.
No we do not create, we simply discover who we are.
**My maps have copyrights**
Free usually means Gimp, Krita or Inkscape for vector. Krita is better than Gimp for drawing but it might be trickier without a tablet. But, I think it would be your best bet.
https://krita.org/en/
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"
Hahaha,.. that monthly challenge will be sooooo funny! XD
We all wish to create, but do we really create?
What we draw and what we write is part of us.
No we do not create, we simply discover who we are.
**My maps have copyrights**
Chickpea, is it longer to make a map on the computer or by hand?
We all wish to create, but do we really create?
What we draw and what we write is part of us.
No we do not create, we simply discover who we are.
**My maps have copyrights**
I think that entirely depends on what style of map and what resources you are using.Originally Posted by Elterio Delgard
A simple hand drawn B&W map will certainly be quicker than a large detailed colour map done on the computer.
Doing anything 'hand drawn' with a mouse on the computer is very difficult and takes a long time.
There are programs that make use of icons that are simply placed on a map (e.g. campaign cartographer), but generally I don't think results are quite as good as hand drawn (on paper or with tablet).
If you're planning to make maps completely from scratch on the computer, fantasticmaps.com has some of my favorite tutorials. (http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2015/02/how-to-draw-a-map/)
Good luck!
yeah, sure hope I won't have to withdraw because of university... Fingers crossed!
We all wish to create, but do we really create?
What we draw and what we write is part of us.
No we do not create, we simply discover who we are.
**My maps have copyrights**
Sorry for belated response, but yeah, what Josiah said. It's a 'how long is a piece of string' question, all dependent on your skill, experience and the amount of detail you want to include. There can't be a definitive answer because there are so many variables.
I hope you'll give digital mapping a go anyway, and look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Last edited by ChickPea; 01-06-2018 at 06:17 PM. Reason: I can't type
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"
One option might be to draw a physical map, take close-up pictures using your phone (or other camera) and then edit those on the computer.
Selden
There are many advantages in using the computer. Some of them:
You can use several layers.
Add effects and patterns, built-in or custom. It can save a lot of time.
Use of brushes.
Scripts and automation.
It's easier to edit the map.
I don't draw a lot with pen and paper because of the reasons above.
Using a tablet is the best for working on the computer.
It's not exactly the same as drawing (as far as I'm aware) but it's pretty good when you get used to it. Which dosn't take that long if you try hard enough.
My Deviantart: https://vincent--l.deviantart.com/
I'll have to concur with Azelor; as much as I admire people who do traditional art, I myself wouldn't even dream of making maps in any other than digital form. No matter what I do, there's always a chance to tweak, to move something just a tad or make it a bit smaller, try out different colors to see what works best... the list for the pros, as far as I see it, is endless. It's so much more forgiving, if you're not that great at drawing (which I'm not).
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