Lands of Fagacea

[jfrazierjr]

Dunno what you mean with smudge, if is using the Photoshop toll or give this effec is like a smudge coz i used only stokes, a lots of ehhehe.
Thank you very much for the feed back i appreciate it.

Now get back to work, and i have some progress with the map. Some advance in the map and the possible cartouche with the font that i will use.
Time to say something

For this map(nice start by the way!), I would suggest using some blur on the mountains/towns. The sharp lines stand out in contrast to the very muted lines on the land shapes. Either that, or sharpen up the details on the land shape, but IMHO, that would ruin the effect on the coastline(which looks REALLY nice) that I assume are intended to indicate waves...

[aquarits]

The "smudge" tool(I use GIMP, but I believe PS using the same term). It's a way to "drag" a color and is typically used for blending two different elements.

Right, i understood now, but i not used the tool, was a lots of brushes, till get the resulta that i liked. I tryed some times here (after you say) but guess with brushes and eraser i can get a better control.

For this map(nice start by the way!), I would suggest using some blur on the mountains/towns. The sharp lines stand out in contrast to the very muted lines on the land shapes. Either that, or sharpen up the details on the land shape, but IMHO, that would ruin the effect on the coastline(which looks REALLY nice) that I assume are intended to indicate waves...

i tried some blur, but guess i not understood wut you said right. You mean just fot the contour lines? like giving some transparency?

I will try more things after some more feed back.
For now, i send some more progress. I started to see how the Legend will be and tried some dark trees, that i gave up using in a big forest.

[aquarits]

Here some more progress.
Finished all the shape and mountains position, made the big forests and worked with rivers. Still working in the finishing texture, but showing here waiting for some opinions. I got the border and a started legend ( what need more information and typos correction, i believe) and testing the labels ( what i really want some feed back).

The pictures are the shields, that i am developing something to use in the future maps (wut put me in the wall to ask about some heraldic techniques, need to learn how it work and is a bit hard to find a proper information) and the current advance in the map.

still not clear wut "jfrazierjr" said to me, but set more black lines to avoid the only icons and mountains details.

[Ilanthar]

I like a lot this last one!

Very nice job on the forests, colors and presentation!
I think your shields could be improved by a layer effect or by working colors/lights.

[Chashio]

Yes, that last one is fabulous! I love all the details you've added, in the map and in the legends. The info is all very intriguing

[aquarits]

Ilanthar, you are absolutely right about the shields. I tried some more effects, but got a problem changing the size of the shield. When i make it small, guess losing some resolution and the shield got completely messed. That is why i avoid the effects to get it better in the legend.

Some more progress.
I guess that almost got what i really wanted to draw since i joined in the CG, i am really happy with this map, at last i found a style that i can just work to improve (if check this thread and my albums will see that i tried a lots). Dunno if i am silly, but i liked a lots the compass with the globe, wut probly will be the mark of my maps from Egos (uploaded the symbol).

For this update applied the last elements, labeled everything (i guess).
The tracks still in progress. I have Roads, Trails, Fight tracks and Railroads... omg they are overlapping the way. I put it in the update waiting for critiques. Ty.

BTW just checked my rep and i saw:

"aquarits is just really nice (354)"

ehhehe, nice!

[Ilanthar]

Posted by aquarits
I tried some more effects, but got a problem changing the size of the shield. When i make it small, guess losing some resolution and the shield got completely messed.

Do you apply the effect before or after resizing? Sometimes, the result is quite different. And did you try different resizing (bilinear, bicubic, number of pixels...)?

Posted by aquarits
That is why i avoid the effects to get it better in the legend.

Anyhow, I really understand and agree with that, and the map is already nice!

[aquarits]

Guess it is done, can you check and give me the last words?

Ilanthar: i applied the effects before re-size. doing it in the final size, you right, i can get better results, but, check the size of the shields in the legend, do you believe that i need apply more effects at this size? (i am asking coz i will use a tons of shields in my next job)

[Ilanthar]

Well, I think it's a question of personal taste!

A large part of your effects on the shields are the shadows, right? I tend to use the paper texture if I want a "old" or "drawn" result and often merge the layers with this kind of effects (quick try from your own work) :
test1.jpg
test2.jpg
Otherwise, I apply three or four layer for each shield/flag (bottom up) : the background (shield or flag, properly), sometimes an aging/stained pattern, the colors and drawings, the shadows (for the shields).

[aquarits]

Brother, in my case too far to decide what is the personal taste
I want to know what is right and the best, still a long way to understand what is the best w.o orientation. You opened my eyes to apply the effects after i resize, wut helped a lots and the shields not get messed like i did before.
I appreciate all observations, thank you very much spending time editing my images making samples, it helped me a lots

i tried some effects like you said, using the background as base for they. In the image 1 i have the original idea in high resolution and the others, one mixing "multiply" plus a hatch texture and other with "overlay".
I made a lots of tries... still liking more the "no effect", liked the sample 2 too. Creepy doubt heheh!