Hello

[Bamboo]

Hello, you can call me Bamboo. I've been lurking for a few months, I finally took the plunge and made an account today.

I've been working on a world map in PS CS6 for a large story that I've been working on for years. I can't seem to get continent shapes that I love using the render cloud/hard mix method and when I draw something out it looks too thought out.

I love looking through the tutorials and suggestions given on others maps, I can't wait to see and learn more.

Bamboo

[Adversary]

Welcome, I am new here myself and have already been given a lot of great advice. I hope to see your work soon.

[Bamboo]

Thank you for the welcome Adversary. These are the two maps I've made so far.

This first one is the first map I attempted for my world. I'm not in love with the continent shape and the island placement doesn't look organic, though I do really like some of the island shapes

Map 1.png

This next map is my second attempt at a map, I'm still working on this one. I copied some of the shapes I liked, added a lot of new stuff, tried a few new techniques and really attempted to make everything look organic. I'm still not happy with the over all shape of the continent and one island so I'm trying work on it bit by bit.

Map WIP.png

P.S. Hopefully the pictures work *crosses fingers*

[Adversary]

I think both maps could work. They make me think of a world at a high water phase. Look at a map of North America during its Laurentia phase about 460 million years ago. Palaeos Paleozoic: Ordovician: The Middle Ordovician.

If you stretch out the south west islands into an arc like the Aleutian Islands or Japan they could be a volcanic arc around a subduction zone.

Continuing the mountain range on the north west island would suggest they are a continuation of the mountains on the continent.

The north east island reminds me of an eroded supervolcano, perhaps over a hotspot (think Yellowstone).

While they are placed at fairly even intervals around the main continent, I don't see a problem with that. It is your world and it could happen.

[Sadron82]

Hello,

I'm new too. I like your first map. If you're not happy with the shapes, I hope you find way to make it better.

[Gidde]

Hello and welcome! I've struggled with the same issues from time to time, and I find that grabbing a piece of paper and a PEN (not a pencil) lets me lay down the shape of a coastline without overthinking it (because you can't erase or undo). Give it a whirl

[jbgibson]

Welcome to the Guild, Bamboo. We appreciate folks jumping right in and contributing - doing so right in your first post is worth a bit of reputation by itself :-). You may protest "contribution? but I need help!" Well, y'see, every map that gets made in public - every one that gets shown and discussed - they all advance the art a bit. If you ask a question - ten or a hundred others were too shy to. If you ask a question that has already been asked* not to worry - a different set of folks will answer as would have last week, and we'll all learn something different.

*already asked... I dunno about you, but for me and a number of other complainants the search feature of the boards is not working well, so one really *can't* see what has been asked. Sorry about that - Robbie will figure out what is awry soon, no doubt. And if you wish to know something - just ask without worry - we're not the kind of folks to get upset about repetition or a so-called new mapper question. So called : because we're all noobs at something. :-)

I can give you a pointer right away - on that first map are some rivers doing unwaterlike things. Nations can stretch sea to shining sea. Rivers can't. Take a look at a most excellent thread called "How to get your rivers in the right place" right up near the top in the tutorial forum - it'll explain the basics.

Either map has promise. Both have a wealth of opportunity for seaborne commerce... or conflict. What's your map - and your world's - purpose, and equivalent era? Are you fitting map to story, or using the map to create story? I like to let a lot or randomness happen in devising landforms, but if I'm thinking sea rovers, corsairs, and flotillas, then I'll either reject the one-landmass choices, or I'll cut and paste till I get more islands and inlets. If I need a landmass big enough for inland deserts and months of travel between places, I'll take a too-fiddly shape and start erasing lakes and bays. You mention a render-clouds method - have you ever tried real clouds? I have gotten in the habit of snapping a shot or two of interesting skies whenever clouds catch my attention. We had a start-with-clouds contest a year or two ago - it was a fun way to get a starter shape. Gidde's "just draw it" method has a lot to commend it too. If I'm not mistaken she put up a tutorial titled something like mapping for the non-artist - have you taken a look at it? Ugh - the search thing must be limiting a lot of stuff - the tutorial forum only shows 14, when there should be hundreds :-b.... Never mind - Google has it indexed :-) http://www.cartographersguild.com/tu...hallenged.html Not to say you're not artistic - the tut is a good no matter what your bent. Duuuuuh, or it's right in her signature in the post above - sheesh; call me Captain Oblivious.

One thing that may be making you think an arrangement is unsatisfying, is that your two examples seem to be a chunk of flat-earth. If you're doing a whole world, expect to see distortion of some sort - most typically in the upper latitudes, but different projections warp a globe differently to a flat layout. One can either stick to a part of a world that's small enough to think of with a straight-down view and minimal distortion, or one can apply a bit of stretching and squishing to get "realistically wrong" shapes. First off - are you looking to create a 'true view' of your world, as best a modern satellite could see, or are you creating something that would have been penned by a period mapper? Which you choose can push you toward certain views of the planet.

Two under three, eh? I can remember quite a few maps & graphic projects done late at night with a wee one on my knee; wouldn't sleep, but content enough to be carto-cradled. Soon as you can safely do so, provide a globe ball, and/or a map-rug :-). All in the name of learning, of course.

[Bamboo]

Thank you all so much for such thoughtful replies. I wrote all of your suggestions on a print out of my first map.

Adversary, thank you for the link and the ideas for the islands and mountains. I'm not really familiar with all of earths phases so it was really fascinating to read about that and look up pictures of real world examples for inspiration.

Thank you Sardon.

I will try pen this weekend Gidde, thank you. I'm also still messing around with different styles to see what works for me best.

jbgibson, thank you for your response I'll try not to leave anything out. The search feature isn't working for me right now either and searching with Google is a bit wonky, I'm sure they'll do a wonderful job of figuring it out as soon as possible. Thank you for the pointer about my rivers, I have so many tabs open from the tutorial forum right now haha. Real cloud shapes is a fantastic idea!

I have a story I have been working on for eight years, it's a book style fantasy story set in a Medieval-esque time period, including spin-off books/story lines. The only things my world map has to have is at least four larger islands, room enough for four nations, with the biomes we have on earth and a large desert. In writing it out it might be that my needs are so open that I'm causing myself trouble.

I see what you mean about the view of the map, honestly I hadn't thought about it before you brought it up, I was looking to maps I liked the look of as inspiration. I do really like the aged map look, like the Lord of the Rings and Narnia maps. I'll have to research more about map views and styles before I continue artistically.

That's adorable! I actually have the baby on my lap right now, he's not asleep enough to move yet. A map rug would be amazing, my toddler would absolutely love that. I had a fabric globe ball as a child, I wonder if they still make them. *scurries off to Google*

Thank you again for all of your help!

[RobA]

The search feature isn't working for me right now either and searching with Google is a bit wonky, I'm sure they'll do a wonderful job of figuring it out as soon as possible.

Hi all-

Search has been (hopefully fixed for good). There was a known error in the init.d scripts that failed when starting the search server on a reboot, and would take admin action (ssh login, kill some processes, manually start it up again).

I've edited the init.d script so it should now restart the search properly when the server is restarted. I've kicked it manually over a half dozen times in the last half hour and it always seems to come back OK now.

Still looking at the vBForum_Item_SocialGroupMessage error at the top of the advanced search page (and the godaweful way that page looks) but at least search is working.

Sorry for the delay, real life, and all that...

-Rob A>