WIP - Yis Shannal

[tripfeet]

Here's a map in progress of Yis Shannal, a world I have been planning on writing about for years now. I drew first maps of the world with MS Paint, pixel by pixel, when I was 14 to 15 years of age. Unfortunately, those maps have been lost for good, now.

Anyways, since this is my first proper "large" project when it comes to Photoshop and drawing, I'd like some C&C on how to advance. I'm pretty much liking the textures (although they need some work (see the ocean in the upper right part of the map)), myself, but am having trouble especially with the map markings, and on how to do rivers properly. I know they're... curvacious, but that's about it.



Also "Hi guys."

[mmmmmpig]

how you want to do rivers really depends upon what level of detail you want to mimic. Currently you have a nicely stylized map that could either head down the realistic road or a more stylized path. Rivers are the element that will determine that.

Water takes the singular easiest path from the uplands to some body of water. That is why there are a great many cries to the heavens and gnashes of teeth when people draw rivers that split and join back and other such stuff. Often settlements pop up around water features, so that might help determine riverine placement as well. Anyway... give it a go and have some fun.

Welcome, by the way...

[Will Phillips]

First off, welcome to the Guild!

Here are a quick three thoughts I've got about the map:

1. I really like the forest texture. A lot. You could tone down the bur on their edges, but apart from that, it's nice. The fields and desert are great, too.

2. Your brown areas - I assume they are mountains - look way too much like an autumn/drought version of your forest. They could use a more angular look, and there are plenty of tutorials and examples here to draw from.

3. The ocean, in my opinion, has waaaaay too much texture. It could really be toned down a few notches. Lower the opacity or blur the image.

[jfrazierjr]

First off, welcome to the Guild!

Here are a quick three thoughts I've got about the map:

1. I really like the forest texture. A lot. You could tone down the bur on their edges, but apart from that, it's nice. The fields and desert are great, too.

2. Your brown areas - I assume they are mountains - look way too much like an autumn/drought version of your forest. They could use a more angular look, and there are plenty of tutorials and examples here to draw from.

3. The ocean, in my opinion, has waaaaay too much texture. It could really be toned down a few notches. Lower the opacity or blur the image.

What he said. I am thinking the forest color might be lightened up a bit (perhaps 2-3 layers of color applied randomly with an airbrush grundge brush for some variaty????) Texture seems to be good though but it's a bit hard to tell as dark as it is.

Pretty much everything else I with TheImperial on. What are the tan textured areas? Hills? And... um whats with the lines going into the oceans? At first, I thought it was some type of defensive wall around Banyan built into the sea...until I saw another one cutting the continent in half. I assume this is some type of political border? Don't get me wrong, I don't not like it, but I assume some type of legend will come along later to explain what it is.

And before Del comes along and gives ya heck, it is really helpful for us to know scale to be able to provide better feedback.

[jfrazierjr]

Oh.. if your using a texture as your ocean, you need to make sure you find or create a seamless version... there is a really nasty seam artifact going right straight down the left 1/3 of the map on the ocean.

[tripfeet]

I did some work on the water and the mountains, and began adding some variation on the plains. Am seriously considering working on the forests next. jfrazierjr's suggestion sounds worth trying, at least.


The tan areas are indeed desert/foothills. And yeah, both a legend of some sorts and a proper scale marking (The continent is about the same size as Australia in my mind, at least for now. The map has evolved so many times thoughout the years...) will appear at some point. But meanwhile, I'll just confirm that the golden lines do mark borders between countries.

[jfrazierjr]

I did some work on the water and the mountains, and began adding some variation on the plains. Am seriously considering working on the forests next. jfrazierjr's suggestion sounds worth trying, at least.


The tan areas are indeed desert/foothills. And yeah, both a legend of some sorts and a proper scale marking (The continent is about the same size as Australia in my mind, at least for now. The map has evolved so many times thoughout the years...) will appear at some point. But meanwhile, I'll just confirm that the golden lines do mark borders between countries.

Ok.. the mountains have more texture to them. Like I said with the forests, perhaps several tonal color variations in the mountain colors would help it pop a bit more. Unfortunatly, I have no used PS in 8 years and forgot everything, so I can't give you anything specific on how to do stuff.

The bumpiness you have on the lighter green is actually not to bad for hills based on the scale of the map. You should thing about playing those up a bite more in close to the mountains (perhaps with a subtle color shift/blur from the mountain colors to the green grassy color in places) and in some places blur/flatten those bumps out to signify flat grasslands...

The map definitely has lot's of potential. Another cool thing you might want to think about (though don't have to) is using a layer to throw down some colors and blur them. This was something I found from Jeremy Elford's online portfolio and I like the technique quite a bit.


Still have to get the hard line off your ocean texture though!

[tripfeet]

The forests and the mountain ranges have been given variation in color, the hard line still remains, sadly, and I need to sleep.

[jfrazierjr]

The forests and the mountain ranges have been given variation in color, the hard line still remains, sadly, and I need to sleep.

Mountains is mo betta. Forests could use some more IMO. They are just so dark dark to start with. Now.. "i" tend to like several shades more further a part... not sure if thats what your lookin for or now though...