[Award Winner] A few tips

[Badger]

So i'm hoping I got all this right, I went and tried a little test map with some trees, a house and some rocks... nothing fancy, but I saved my layers to a png as well.... to make sure I got it all down.

I must say I like how you set up your layers ... but it does take a bit of getting used to.

schley_Test.jpgmenu.png

[Schley]

That's it. Now you can manipulate your color and shading layers independently. Adding subtle textures as layer styles to your base color layers can break up the monotony of flat color. Also, since they are layer styles you can make changes down the line if you want.

At this point you could also insert drop shadow layer styles to the independent base coloring layers and tweak them to match the objects that are casting them.

If you want more control of your shadows though you could either paint them in on a lower layer with a soft airbrush or start with the drop shadow layer style and edit it with an airbrush. The best way to do this is to create a layer beneath the art layer that's actually casting the shadow. Control-click the art thumbnail in your layers palette to create a selection outline that traces the edge of the art. Contract the outline by 1 pixel and fill with pure white. Since this is on a layer beneath the art you shouldn't be able to see the white, but just in case, set the layers blending mode to multiply. At this point you can use this layer to create a complex layer style drop shadow. Once you've got a drop shadow you like, create a new layer with nothing on it and merge the two. You'll have to reset the new layers blending mode to multiply but now you can erase and add to the drop shadow with your paint brushes like any other art layer. The idea here is to save time by using a layer style drop shadow but also to be able to manipulate it with brushes after you've got its basic form down. By working on a layer separate for the object casting the shadow you also don't have to worry about damaging the object while painting or erasing shadow details.

[Badger]

That's it. Now you can manipulate your color and shading layers independently. Adding subtle textures as layer styles to your base color layers can break up the monotony of flat color. Also, since they are layer styles you can make changes down the line if you want.

At this point you could also insert drop shadow layer styles to the independent base coloring layers and tweak them to match the objects that are casting them.

If you want more control of your shadows though you could either paint them in on a lower layer with a soft airbrush or start with the drop shadow layer style and edit it with an airbrush. The best way to do this is to create a layer beneath the art layer that's actually casting the shadow. Control-click the art thumbnail in your layers palette to create a selection outline that traces the edge of the art. Contract the outline by 1 pixel and fill with pure white. Since this is on a layer beneath the art you shouldn't be able to see the white, but just in case, set the layers blending mode to multiply. At this point you can use this layer to create a complex layer style drop shadow. Once you've got a drop shadow you like, create a new layer with nothing on it and merge the two. You'll have to reset the new layers blending mode to multiply but now you can erase and add to the drop shadow with your paint brushes like any other art layer. The idea here is to save time by using a layer style drop shadow but also to be able to manipulate it with brushes after you've got its basic form down. By working on a layer separate for the object casting the shadow you also don't have to worry about damaging the object while painting or erasing shadow details.

Ok... I'm honestly not trying to be retarded, I just happen to be learning challenged

You lost me a bit there. I've been working through it now for an hour or so, and I decided to post before i gave up

I've pretty much done what you said when it comes to shadows, but it still isn't working. How can you manipulate the layer shadow style and save it?

Ok, I've created selection, filled it in with white on a seperate layer, (created a command and hotkey just for this: contract by 1 pixel). set it to multiply. Created a layer style shadow (the first time I used a brush, then I understood) once i got my shadow, I created a newlayer, and merged them together.... from here.. it doesn't work too well....

for instance.. the shadow stays there regardless of multiply or not, I'm not sure how to edit it and save what I edit as a layer style... I'm just not sure where to go from there...

thanks for yer time sorry to be a pest about it...

[Schley]

Sorry I wasn't more clear. Don't merge the layers until you're finished with tweaking the layer-style attributes of the drop shadow. When you merge a layer with a layer-style active it will rasterize the layer. This means that it converts it from an algorithm driven layer, who's attributes you can edit in the layer-styles pallet, to a pixel mapping layer that is like any other painting layer. You only do this at the end if you want to edit the drop shadow with erasers or brushes.

I've included some screen shots for illustration.

Hope I made more sense this time.

[Badger]

No worries then ... I was actually doing it right, just wasn't clear on what 'Right" was exactly

I was finishing up a wip that I had going a couple months ago, decided to reorganize the layers and what not (I'm a notorious layer slob!) and OMG ... this is just a town map with about 19 total buildings... and I have a go zillion layers... I can't imagine what one of you larger city maps or even that corymyr map had in layers .... I gotta hand it too you brother, you got a knack for the tedious and gruelling chore of layers...

Can't rep ya cause I gotta spread it around first... but I'm giving this thread a five star

Anymore tips and tricks are most appreciated... You've moved to my top favorite cartographer

[Mr. Greengoat]

So a couple weeks ago I was scrutinizing the maps in Keep on the Shadowfell and I said to myself "I got to find out how Mike Schley does those cobblestone walls in the dungeon maps." And then I scrutinized your website but still couldn't figure the process out. And then I found this website and figured someone would have a good idea. And then I see you posting here.

So how are those neatly little outlined stone walls put in there? Some type of pattern applied to paths? Inked by hand? Trade secret?

Love the maps, very clear and flavorful at the same time.

Thanks Mike.

[Badger]

I'm guessing trade secret .... Just looked at when the last post was on this thread... which wasn't long after my last post on this thread...

Had to go through and find those tips in photoshop

This is a good read for anyone interested in Mike Schley's process...

Del