First Real Map Project

[Secretarus]

I'm still new here and everything, but a couple months ago a friend from class noticed some of my map-doodling in my notebook and asked if I'd be interested in making a map for a D&D campaign he had in the works. I'd never actually made a map for someone else before. I wasn't sure how it would work, but I was excited to try. He gave me the parameters and ideas to work with, and over several correspondence and a couple drafts, I cranked out a solid continental map for him. My friend was really pleased with it, and that whole experience is pretty much what pushed me to start getting more into this whole map-making thing.

Some of the requested parameters were to have a big mountain range in the West and a desert near the center. I started drawing each mountain individually before realizing I could crop and copy, so that made things a little faster (and hopefully not too noticeable). For trees, I just sketched a few pixel types and started copy-pasting till I could drop entire forests. The hard part was placing them. For cities, I started drawing out each one in detail, adding some color to make them stand out. But pixel-art is not a skill I'm currently possessing. Some just looked awkward, others I just wasn't sure what to do with. I plopped down some city markers (colored squares) near the important settlements to compensate. While the original version had names, I edited them out for this post because the small text just didn't look good.

There's plenty that I know would improve the piece. Some paper-texture, decent looking text for names, something to spice up the oceans and lakes besides just being a darker shade of gray. I've just got no clue how to do any of that in MS Paint.

Now, I've got no idea how the resolution is gonna work out here, so hopefully it pulls through alright. Let me know what y'all think!

Thanks,
~Secretarus

[Bindusara]

fisrt, i like the global look of your work.

One of the main thing to do : we don't see your rivers. Use a darker blue. I had to zoom in to see it.
the same for swamps

You can soften your wind rose with a light blur filter on gimp

[Secretarus]

Hey Bindusara, thanks for the input! I'll see about darkening the rivers and making other features visible from the wide-picture. I'm learning how to use Gimp recently, so once I get used to it, I'll try freshen things up.

Is there an easy way to transfer an image like this into Gimp? Not sure how the layering would work, or maybe I should just use it to add some overlays, shading, and filters.

[Josiah VE]

Nice work!! I have to say, I'm very impressed for that being in MS paint, are you using a mouse too?
The compass rose and cities are good too!

My suggestion would be to try to get a hold of a drawing tablet if you don't have one yet, and a better drawing program (There are some good free ones, e.g. GIMP, Krita). Check out fantasticmaps.com for some great in depth digital mapping tutorials.You'll be working wonders in no time!

[Secretarus]

The encouragement is greatly appreciated Josiah VE! And yes, I draw with my mouse too It's definitely a pain sometimes, but it gets the job done. Hopefully my next update will feature this, redone in Gimp so its a bit more presentable and such.