Nivian Valley

[CartoGeo]

Here's a new version. I drew some more rivers, which should give a clearer contrast between the relatively fertile Nivian Valley and the barren lands surrounding it.

I found a way to save the filters and stuff I used in photoshop, so this is probably the last time I'll have to draw those creases and tears in the map. Huzzah!

I'm not sure about the photoshop effects I used this time, though. I used some faint lighting effects to give the canvas some depth, but I had to make sure everything remained legible. Tell me what you think.

Attachment 11289

I like specific things going on in your map, like for example the obvious river valley with raised land or slightly higher next to land that is a deeper greenish color that illustrates lower river valley land. IN my mind the forests could have been 'smooth' polygons in CC3 (i use it also) with more variation on the edges (undulation in areas), even. I really like the color choice as it seems very appropriate for this map. The sea/water body could have a lighter area near the shore and that would be easy to do in CC3. As for the mountains I think in my mind they might be more fractal polygons perhaps (emphasizing details at the edge) or smoothed polygons with undulations in the edges. Don't get me wrong, I like your map, but I just think you should explore the less straight edge approach.

[Lord Herman]

I've changed the compass and the ruler, as I thought the metallic look didn't really fit the style of the map.

Nivian Valley v4.jpg

I think I'll call this map finished, and go work on something else. I have a city map of Silverhelm in the works, and I've also been thinking of making a larger-scale map of the continent this valley is on.

[Kingbreaker]

I like it!

I particularly like the color choices combined with the finishing effects in photoshop. Very tasteful and tasty. Then again, I am colorblind so take that with a grain of road salt.

(Here's a guess - are you using FilterForge? Good stuff if so.)

Here is a workflow question rather than a question about the map itself.
What are the advantages of using CC? I ask because you have industry-standard vector and raster software and you clearly have a lot of knowledge about both.

I tried CC and the interface was so counter-intuitive that I tried about 1 map before thinking of alternatives. This is just my working style though - I am really curious about the advantages of CC because I own it and haven't really explored it.

[Lord Herman]

I don't know FilterForge; the effects I use are standard effects from Photoshop CS2, and some simple stuff with brushes and different types of transparency.

I'm relatively new to CC3 myself. I've used Adobe Illustrator extensively for other sorts of art, but so far, I find CC3 more suited for making maps. The different interface takes some getting used to, but I do like the fact that it's very easy to make your own tools to use and re-use. In Illustrator, I often ended up having to repeat several steps each time I want to make a certain map element, while CC3 can do most things in one step once you've made the tool you like.

I think raster software is great for applying effects to a map, but I wouldn't use it to draw the map itself. That's mostly because I like to tweak things after I've drawn them. I've seen some gorgeous maps made in Photoshop (pasis' maps, for instance), but you really have to decide in advance how you want your map to look, and it's hard to change anything afterwards.

[Kingbreaker]

Thank you! This was exactly the sort of thing I was wondering about.
Once I finish/get tired of my current maybe I will re-install CC and give it a whirl.

[Lord Herman]

Glad to be of help.

If you're going to try CC3 again, you might want to take a look at the tutorials on Profantasy.com. There's a video tutorial that explains the interface quite clearly, and walks you through the creation of a simple overland map. Linky!

[Flaterectomy]

(...)

I think raster software is great for applying effects to a map, but I wouldn't use it to draw the map itself. That's mostly because I like to tweak things after I've drawn them. I've seen some gorgeous maps made in Photoshop (pasis' maps, for instance), but you really have to decide in advance how you want your map to look, and it's hard to change anything afterwards.

This is true for many of the methods you can use in Photoshop, but there are ways to keep your options open. If you're interested you can check out these video tutorials, as they explain some of the ways in which you can keep things easily tweakable.

[Kingbreaker]

In terms of getting the most bang for the least software, I have always liked Fireworks. Vector shapes + raster effects and textures = win. Of course it's got the jack-of-all-trades problem, but for my amateurish work it's just fine.

It absolutely rocks for drawing heraldry too.

[Jykke]

I tried that same forest texture on one of my maps, but here it does seem to fit in much better than in my map. And I like the idea of the roads running along the river, it looks very natural.

[Lord Herman]

I've been working on a new map in the same style. This one is set in another part of my world; Tol Ajan, an island formerly inhabited by wizards of Bael Turath, and still filled with the results of their magical experiments.

The island is now inhabited by lizardfolk, which I've given an aztec-like culture, and the nearby mainland houses an arabic culture of humans and humanoids.

Tol Ajan.jpg