First Village Map

[Coreyartus]

So I needed a map for my D&D campaign (I'm the DM) and couldn't find anything that would substitute for what I wanted. So I just made one--my first "village map", using the award winning tutorial written by Larb that can be found here. <Thank-you, Larb!!> Since it was written for CS3, I had to adapt a bit--some of the tools he mentions are not in the same place as they were before, and my understanding of how to use the Line tool in Photoshop left a LOT to work on, so I sorta muddled through using his tutorial as inspiration when I couldn't figure out how to do what he was instructing...

I think, given the opportunity, I may go back and "fix" the water somehow--it doesn't feel right to me... And I think I need to watch some vids on the Line and Shape tools, but it is what it is for now.

I think there are some compositional errors that I need to address as well--I really don't need so much "green space" around the town, and suggesting the fields and pond may be enough instead of completely encompassing them.

I learned a lot--I used my initial signature to create the compass rose, and tried my first "Neatline" even though I know it's not quite right (don't look too closely). I also learned how to make some brushes specific to my needs on each project, so that's good to know!!

Let me know if you all see anything else that sticks out as odd--I may get back to this project sometime soon, but I need the map tomorrow so I'm gonna have to use it as is for right now.

This is intended to be a very small, cow ranch village, without a lot of the niceties that a larger village might have. There is an inn--a large one that has received many additions over time, a general mercantile, a butcher, a blacksmith/cartwright, some barns, a mill on the pond, and some large cattle barns. The residents of this town keep it bucolic and somewhat unrealistically "safe" from harm, as their well known adventuring pasts keep any baddies at bay. It's mostly a watering spot for cattle drivers now, as it has a large shallow pond in close proximity. Travelers come and go, as there isn't much here to keep anyone except idyllic and uneventful retirement.

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