My first testing map, do you have any advice?

[Elros]

Hello from italy , before the explanations, exist on program that can help me calculate distances point to point of my maps, and the scale of my map?

Mappa 1.jpg

This is my first testing maps, i am aspirant writer, writing my book i discovered that it is much easier to describe a journey if you have a good map.
So i started to draw and i found this site, it was really helpful.

Before to draw my definitive maps to my book i have choose to draw one exercise map, just to undstand the mechanics.
I started drawing the map on paper, than i transferred it on photoshop.
I have used one tutorial here on Cartographer's Guild to make the map, whit the help of some brushes i have found on deviantart and here on this site.

My goal is to make a map for myself only, not to be published, for the map to be published i will contact an expert, if i finish the book clearly (that is the hard part for me )

[Jean-Abdel]

In biology class we used Mesurim (never thought I would use it again)

[Elros]

In biology class we used Mesurim (never thought I would use it again)

Thanks, I'll give it a look

[bkh1914]

Looks like a good start.

You might want to read this thread How to get your rivers in the right place

[Elros]

Looks like a good start.

You might want to read this thread How to get your rivers in the right place

Sounds interesting, thanks!
This will certainly be useful to me.

So my river is not in the right place?

[bkh1914]

So my river is not in the right place?

Well, I'm not sure where the 'right place' would be, but there are some questionable rivers:

The central lake appears to have two rivers running from it to the ocean, one going up and to the left, the other going down and to the left. Rather unusual.

The river feeding the central lake from the mountains below it splits in two about half way to the lake. Again, that is unusual. Perhaps the right branch could be a separate river coming from the mountains further to the right.

The lower lake also has a river feeding it that splits into two about half the way to the lake. And the river draining that lake into the ocean also splits in two about half way to the ocean. Both are rather unusual.

The river in the upper part of the map flows from the mountains on the right to the ocean on the left - why doesn't it flow to the nearby ocean? Is there some sort of barrier that isn't visible on the map?

[Elros]

Well, I'm not sure where the 'right place' would be, but there are some questionable rivers:

The central lake appears to have two rivers running from it to the ocean, one going up and to the left, the other going down and to the left. Rather unusual.

The river feeding the central lake from the mountains below it splits in two about half way to the lake. Again, that is unusual. Perhaps the right branch could be a separate river coming from the mountains further to the right.

The lower lake also has a river feeding it that splits into two about half the way to the lake. And the river draining that lake into the ocean also splits in two about half way to the ocean. Both are rather unusual.

The river in the upper part of the map flows from the mountains on the right to the ocean on the left - why doesn't it flow to the nearby ocean? Is there some sort of barrier that isn't visible on the map?

You're right about the rivers, I hadn't thought about it, I'll try to change the map so that it fits.

[Elros]

I add the names using a fantasy name generator on google .

Mappa 1 Project Copyright.jpg

Updated the rivers, thanks bkh1914.

Mappa 1 Project Copyright.jpg

[Falconius]

Looks pretty good to me. Although I think lightening up the landmass a bit might help the overall look a bit and the readability. (It depends whether or not that would make the stamps look odd though, if so you could do it with a selection mask and an overlay on a new layer.)

The second thing is the rhumb lines coming off the compass look a bit odd at the farthest reaches, like when the westline comes out on the other side of the island or the southline gets closer to the end of the island. I thought it was a graphical glich at first TBH.

And when you get ready to finish it off never underestimate the power of a border, it really makes an incredible difference.

[Elros]

Looks pretty good to me. Although I think lightening up the landmass a bit might help the overall look a bit and the readability. (It depends whether or not that would make the stamps look odd though, if so you could do it with a selection mask and an overlay on a new layer.)

Do you mean the brightness of the island?

The second thing is the rhumb lines coming off the compass look a bit odd at the farthest reaches, like when the westline comes out on the other side of the island or the southline gets closer to the end of the island. I thought it was a graphical glich at first TBH.

At first they all originated from the compass rose, only later did i delete the superfluous. So it can't be odd.
For odd you mean unequal? Or strange? Sorry my english is verry bad.

And when you get ready to finish it off never underestimate the power of a border, it really makes an incredible difference.

You mean the map border?

I dont know how to make that do you have any advice or tutorial?