The Isle of Cornad

[Aval Penworth]

I am having another go at a regional map in Photoshop. Not sure what this needs. It has potential but lacks the punch of the really good maps around here. I've got to the point where I am tinkering for half an hour but not getting it looking any better.

The dark patches are meant to be built up areas, but I am not sure if that is being conveyed.

[Diamond]

Wow, that's gorgeous. Really, the only thing bugging me is the merge between terrain types; it seems too abrupt. Maybe really break up the edges of the forests, add more 'jaggedness', put some clearings in, and some stand-alone small patches of woods. Also that swamp looks funky, but I'm sure you're not done working on the rivers etc. there.

[tilt]

what better way to celebrate my 2000th post than to critique my good friend Aval
One thing that springs to mind is that I feel the rivers are very wide, and those not going into the ocean end very abrupt. I think start the rivers with a 1 pixel radius and as they meet up add half the size of the joining river to the total width - that might be better, remember that rivers not only get wider - also deeper so that takes some of those water masses coming from the joining rivers. The ocean is a little flat, if you made it somewhat darker further out you'll get your island to "pop" some more
I'm unfortunatly not aware what Built-up area means - so can't critique you there ... but nice looking overall

[Diamond]

Built-up areas = cities & towns. I think those look pretty good, actually, although now that I look at it again, you might want to make the streets just a teensy bit of a lighter color to help make the cities pop a little.

And I agree with tilt about the rivers.

[landorl]

I agree with Diamond about the swamp. I think that it needs to have some fading on the edges, and also you might want to put a bunch of spidery waterways running through it. As it is now, it is just too abrupt.

The map is great overall though. The contours of the land are very well done!

[ravells]

It's a really nice map, Aval. Apart from what's already been mentioned, I'd consider losing the bevel / emboss effect on the roads, or at least making it much less obvious.

[Aval Penworth]

Okay thanks guys. I will work on those things tonight.

[Aval Penworth]

Made a few alterations.

Reduced the river..but have not textured them.
Reduced the green in the hills to give more variation.( this really changes the feel, hopefully for the better)
Darkened the ocean.
Removed the road bevel.
Roughed up the edges of the forests
Added some small forest.

Yet to do.
Enhance the city texture
The swamp
Ocean texture
Grid
Scale
Compass

WIP 2...

[Steel General]

This is progressing nicely.

[Wolf63]

It looks great and it's a lot better then I can do. BTW, what's the scale of the map if you dont mind me asking because those cities look kind of big