WIP First Map

[sansos]

After free handing a bunch of maps in the margins of my notes I finally decided to sit down and learn how to use GIMP for mapping. Based off of the Atlas Tutorial by Ascension, translated into GIMP by Giide.
[Untitled].jpg
The rivers aren't done yet but any advice on how to improve my map. Map based on a fantasy planet that's just got out of an ice age, imagine earth circa 10000 BC.
A couple of questions the desert areas are super washed out any tips on how to improve this?
The continental shelf is bothering me particularly around the massive bay in the upper right hand side of the main continental mass, any tips on how to improve this?
Any other suggestions and tips are welcome. Thank you.

[nwisth]

Hi! Looks like a good start to me. I'm not familiar with the tutorial, so I'm unsure how you made your height map - but that's what I'd edit to fix continental shelf issues. I'd mask out the sea region, then start adding various Screen layers of transparent gray, tossing it into Wilbur and doing some erosion until I got a result i was happy with. There's loads of bathymetric maps out there to be inspired by. NASA even has real-world height maps available for you to cut and paste from. https://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=73963

I assume the washed out desert color is on its own layer. To make it less washed out, you can use Levels, Curves or Hue/Saturation (or all three) to tweak it until you get a color you like.

I can recommend Mbartlesm's mountain tutorial as well, to add some valleys to your mountains.

-Niels