First map, be gentle.

[Deadshade]

What do you think? This is also my fourth of fifth time coloring anything so... it sucks. lol But I will be adding tree lines at the bottom and much more detail in the grasslands bellow.

Are the peaks too low looking to have snow cover?

There is no rule about the number and form of the détails. In any case you don't need to bother about it yet. Few détails at the right places is better than many on wrong places. Actually the détails are supposed to enhance a feature you SEE. If you see Nothing then there is no detail. So if you see a rock slab going down a slope with a cliff on the left side then you add just a slab with a cliff. Etc.
Learn in that order : overal range shape -> individual mountain Inside the range -> shading on individual mountains -> détails -> coloring

When yo go through the whole process untill the last point you get Something like that :

Colors.png

But as you are between stage 1 and 2 right now, I wouldn't suggest to jump to the last. The results risk to be disappointing. I know that what all adviced you here may seem like repeating the same thing all the time. But it is REALLY the Truth - nobody gets anywhere without training. Once you do correct B&W shaded mountain ranges you may try attacking colors but this last stage is quite difficult and takes a lot of time time to get it at least half right.

[Barek333]

Deadshade, while I agree with your general message I would have to say that in my personal experience it helped to color my first BW mountains to see how colors work together with linework. Before I always added way too much lines(still do ) than necessary and only when I did a first few tutorials by Max and others I saw that I dont need as much lines and I think i started having a better sense now how my BW linework should look.

So basically I think it isnt necessary to perfect each step before moving to the other but actually doing all the steps once with the basic skills helps to see the whole picture.

[Deadshade]

Deadshade, while I agree with your general message I would have to say that in my personal experience it helped to color my first BW mountains to see how colors work together with linework. Before I always added way too much lines(still do ) than necessary and only when I did a first few tutorials by Max and others I saw that I dont need as much lines and I think i started having a better sense now how my BW linework should look.

.

This is right and you will notice that one the 3D map extract I joined to my previous post ( done only with a mouse) there is exactly zero line
However doing both shadows and fitting colors is the most complex problem in art to which many books were dedicated. It is one thing to use a single color (or at most 2) with varying opacity/luminosity and it is quite another thing to use many colors on a 3D object.
There are only very few maps here that really use several colors on a mountain and that for a simple reason - it is difficult.
That's why I do not suggest to Attack colors as long as the right shadowing (e.g B&W) is not understood.
If you say that coloring helped you it is almost sure that you already knew before how the light and shadows (e.g direct and diffuse light) had to be done.
Somebody who would master and understand 3D coloring right off the bat in the first few attempts would be an artistic Genius and those are pretty rare

In any case my suggestion to Robert was mostly to save him time and frustration - else everybody is free to walk any road he wants, in art there is no standard 100% sure road to a result.

[Robert Boucher]

Slow coming, but after a nap my brain clicked and I tried to make a circular canyon to test it. How does it look? As you can see, I have a 'mountain of mountains' to clean up. lol

mapadvice7.jpg

[Deadshade]

Slow coming, but after a nap my brain clicked and I tried to make a circular canyon to test it. How does it look? As you can see, I have a 'mountain of mountains' to clean up. lol

Nice ! You did yourself a partial volcano
And yes, you do. Best is to erase all of them and start anew with real ranges. I think you are fit to fly alone now .

[Robert Boucher]

Nice ! You did yourself a partial volcano
And yes, you do. Best is to erase all of them and start anew with real ranges. I think you are fit to fly alone now .

Thanks, couldn't have done it without the help. Here's a progress pic for good measure.

mapadvice9.jpg

I donated some $ to the guild for appreciation!

[snodsy]

Nice! especially like the Brigands Breach

[Robert Boucher]

Nice! especially like the Brigands Breach

Thank you! ^_^ Took me a while to get the multi directional mountains idea. lol

Anyone got suggestions on how I should do my forests? Not sure if I should stick with the method style I have for them.

[snodsy]

Thank you! ^_^ Took me a while to get the multi directional mountains idea. lol

Anyone got suggestions on how I should do my forests? Not sure if I should stick with the method style I have for them.

One of the best things about this guild is seeing how others handle elements, go to FORUM / COMMUNITY / MEMBERS / click on reputation this will bring up the top artists here on the guild, you might want to click on JEdwards and look at his portfolio of maps, some of the best forest examples, there are many others that do good forest as well

[Deadshade]

Thank you! ^_^ Took me a while to get the multi directional mountains idea. lol

Anyone got suggestions on how I should do my forests? Not sure if I should stick with the method style I have for them.

There are still some mountains that are not part of the range (e.g non connected) especially in the left corner. Also don't forget that a range has not only a front side but also a hind side. As the representation is perspective, you are bound to see parts of the hind side too. To figure out which and where may be a bit tricky but every time you see a mountain that looks too flat and 2D, it is because you should see Something from the hind side yet you don't.

As for the forests I did a tutorial with the target to compile ALL possible forest styles in cartography.
So if you want to take your pick and use a style that is best adapted to the style of your map, just read the tutorial (link below).