RPG Fan and aspiring artist

[swotavator]

Hey all, I have been trolling for about 6 months. Great site. I am artsy-fartsy, as people go, yet haven't done much digital. I am familiar with PSP and PS, but intend on using mapping to help learn these tools better.

Interests:
CRPG - mostly old Ultimas - such detailed worlds
WOT - Same - so much detail
Historic cartography - I intend to also create hand-made maps, eventually paint and calligraphy on parchment, to recreate some of the above worlds in true-historic fashion. This is something that I don't think I have really seen on the site yet. Here is an example of what I mean: http://www.mapsorama.com/maps/world/...einel_1504.jpg

Current Projects:
Hand made map on fake parchment made out of heavy watercolor stock, watercolor and calligraphy.
Ultima- Britannia heightmap, pieced together from DEM files. I intend on eventually using this in Terragen. It is totally not done yet, and not detailed enough, but I wonder why this community doens't crank out more heightmaps.
Here is a scaled down sample of rev.1 (actual is 8192x8192): See attached

I am more familiar with PSP, but want to work more on PS. I don't know much aout it, nad am not good at working with layers. In fact i don't know most of the basic features. Can anyone point to a thorough resource to help learn? Thanks for your help guys!

[Ascension]

Welcome to The Guild. Check the Tutorials section for all sorts of step by step things to learn from. That's a sweet heightmap. We don't do a lot of that here because, well, most of us are poor and the free stuff only goes so big. If they ever made Maya for about $100 then there'd be a ton of them I did run your heightmap through a lighting effects filter and a gradient map in PS just to see what it looked like. Pretty cool.

[su_liam]

I'm an HF guy myself. They're pretty difficult to build well, and if you're looking to build something that looks like a medieval parchment map found in a dragon's cess pool... it's not always a worthwhile effort. Now if you're more into mapping as a part of fullan worldbuilding, like I am, it's nice to be able to stick your map into bryce or tg and actually see your world.

Really nice job on the hf, there. Let's get this up on the WIPs page, eh?

[Pruneau]

I'm brand new here myself, but still welcome to the guild! Some great looking stuff you have there! Heightmaps i remember from when I used to make maps for Myth and Myth II. There they were needed or your map would not work. On most 2D maps I wouldn't use them, although I can definitely see the sense behind having them for large scale map relief.



That olde style map looks really authentic! Just the right amount of wear, and I love those compass lines, gives it that "jenesaisquoi"

[zenram]

Welcome to the guild, you can always search the tutorial for advie.

[Steel General]

Welcome Aboard!

[NeonKnight]

Welcome to the Guild!

[swotavator]

Thanks guys, That was sweet what you did with my map.
About the historical stuff, yeah, but I really want to make a vintage Britannia or WOT map and hang it on my wall. In real parchment (the stuff costs like 130 for a full hide). Some day.
I will definitely put this in WIP, or maybe it can be a community project. I like how it looks, but when it is put into world machine, it isn't scaled right. I was looking for like a 500 mile continent, and the resolution isn't good enough. Also, the islands i used to piece it together (indonesia, malaysia) had too much rain erosion and make the mountains too soft,low and tropical looking. Will continue to work on it though.

[töff]

want to make a vintage Britannia or WOT map and hang it on my wall. In real parchment

Hey GAMERPRINTER do you have that material on your shelf.

[Gamerprinter]

I have access to various fine art papers, water color papers, canvas, etc, but I'll have to see if I have can print to parchment on my printer - not sure. I'll check it out this afternoon.

GP