World Map WIP

[arsheesh]

Yes indeed, this is looking quite nice Yandor. I like the way the mountains turned out as well. Great job all around. Repped.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Yandor]

Sure thing Diamond:

All of this is done in Photoshop, so if you have gimp or something hopefully you can figure out how to convert it =D

3 layers are used, 2 with textures one a color augmenter.

1. Top layer is a fill color of 6f8463 Put on the layers blend mode to Hard light

2. Middle Layer is the actual Forest Texture of it all, use the Forest Texture Image (the darker green one Image #2). put a layer style on it with these clicked on Shadow Drop, Size & Distance 2 and opacity 100%. Bevel and Emboss 150 depth, size 4, highlight mode Soft Light 100% opacity, Shadow mode Overylay 100% opacity. a Contour, just left default, also a Texture using one of photoshops own patterns called Granite, I set scale to 30, depth +100% (that might be default...) And lastly a Color Overlay with a color of 3cb878 blend mode set to Color 80% opacity. Now set the layer blend mode to hard light

3. Bottom Layer, I use a texture called Ground Dry Moss I think Genetica produced it. Anyways I uploaded it here, called Under Forest, (Image #1) Now apply a layer style again, and this time just a Pattern Overlay blend mode Color Burn, opacity 50% and use the Granite Pattern again, set scale to 30%. Now set layers blend mode to soft light 80%

That should do it as for whats really needed. I use layer masks to create the middle layer, and just do a selection and go and color the same selection of the forest layer mask to the other 2 layers (above and below it) so in reality I'm just coloring on one layer mask and coping that same layer mask over to the other 2 layers.

As for how I actually "painted" them on, I used some old grundge brushes that are around 300px size, they were I think once called a "Dust Grundge Brush" cause its a very low pressure brush (meaning its a very low opacity brush as it is, with spotted 100% opacity areas in the brush)

Edit: I added an example of the kind of brush, heck can just use that brush. (its in a .psd file, all you have to do is add it to a brush preset) and added the granite texture

[Diamond]

Thanks very much! I've been trying to figure out a way to add good forests to maps made using Ascension's Atlas tut, and I think this might do the trick...

[Yandor]

ok another update, I really like how this all panned out., but needless to say I'm enjoying myself while making this, its super simple, and easily duplicated, so anyways tell me what you think of it all, and please answer these questions!!

Three questions arise....

1. Does the border/kingdom coloring work?
2. Should I add rivers?
3. How much should I really label?

[arsheesh]

I like the one on the right. The bright border coloring seemed a bit too jarring to me. Perhaps if the colors were more subdued. All in all though I really like this map.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Yandor]

I like the one on the right. The bright border coloring seemed a bit too jarring to me. Perhaps if the colors were more subdued. All in all though I really like this map.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

Thanks I tried to tone them down a bit, I'll post it up again when I get a little more done.

Anyways back to the questions, heres a VERY FAST (not well done) rivers, should I do them?

[Coyotemax]

They look good to me...

[Natai]

Very nice map. The forests are excellent, so much so that I'm thinking of trying out your method on my current project. (Though I woe to think of redoing the forests that I just got to the point of being acceptable.) The rivers look fine to me as well. Very nicely done.

[Yandor]

CM- Thanks, I'll be going through the map and adding in rivers

Arsheesh- heres another shot at the borders, and thanks again for the advice

Natai- Thanks for the comments, and it really is a simple method, once you get the layer styles in, all you do is paint really =D

Anyways, just tweaking some things here and there. I decided to add some names, and what not, somewhat of a smaller update, but I always was having issues with the mountains, why I don't know but I "retextured/colored" them and what not, so tell me what one you like better. And I'll be honest it just might be the crappy job of the snow on the mountains...

[Natai]

I think option a with the darker shadows fits the map better. At the same time it seems to make the map feel smaller in scale compared to the other option. It also makes the mountain ranges seem more foreboding/impassable. Basically, it depends on what sort of feel you want to establish for your world.