Tesset Gallí

[ThomasR]

Hi Caenwyr.

First, I'd like to say that I'm really amazed by your map. From the colors to the subtle shading (your riverbanks are the best I've ever seen!), it's almost as if the relief jumps out of the picture ! I'd like to be able to do that and for this goal, your work will be very inspirational. I'd like to ask you one question that's a bit odd. It's about the background you used for the texture. Did you find it somewhere or did you do it yourself ? If you made it, could you share how ?

I'm looking for that kind of grainy feeling but without success. I tried vellum, parchment, woven paper, canvas, canson, car stock, crafts, I can't find this feel.
Hope you can help me.

Thanks for your work, it makes me want to better mine. As soon as I can, I'll rep you for it.

Thomas

[Caenwyr]

Alright! After a week-long skiing trip, I'm happy to announce I'm back to mapping, and glad to be! (although the skiing trip was a helluva lotta fun!!)

First of all my sincerest thanks for all your comments, questions, repping and suggestions. I have learned a lot over the course of this project already, and I'm sure I'm still a long way off anything actually decent... But learning is basically that: accepting that you're not there yet, and taking strength from that realisation to get better. If famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson's expression is at all applicable to mapmaking, I'd say "your first 10,000 maps are your worst." Ten thousand. Whew-ee. Well, I better get going then!

Since this map is a learning experience, I decided to leave any non-horrible mistakes alone. As inspiration for the future, so to say. So I won't be working on the microterrain squigglies anymore, but I do have noted all you guys' remarks and I will certainly apply them to the next maps. Thanks for all your suggestions!

Regarding Thomrey's question:

It's about the background you used for the texture. Did you find it somewhere or did you do it yourself ? If you made it, could you share how ?

I'm looking for that kind of grainy feeling but without success. I tried vellum, parchment, woven paper, canvas, canson, car stock, crafts, I can't find this feel.

Hi Thomas, the texture you're seeing here is actually a mix of all sorts of different parchment and old paper images I found online (freeware, obviously!). Just type in "parchment texture" or "paper texture" in Google Images, be sure to filter them by size (you don't want to be limited to, say, a 1MP background) and pick the ones you like. Then import all of them in Photoshop and blend and play with them until you end up with something you like.

I usually start with a base layer depicting a parchment-y texture without much colour variation (this tutorial is old, but very helpful), and keep adding paper layers with coffee stains and some wear and tear until it feels rough and rustic enough. You'll find a few nice examples of stained paper here, but Google Images is still the best source. Just try to keep an open mind and know that you can just magic unwanted parts away with the flick of a switch. Finally, I also like to apply a vignette to my images, to make sure my corners are nice and dark, so they don't distract from the main object of focus.

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Okay, that was that! I hope I've answered your question, Thomas, and if not, be sure to let me know!

Now that I've taken care of everything that you guys posted over the past week, I'd like to present my newest update, in two variations no less! I've been working on the labeling of the map, but I'm not entirely sure about the colouring scheme. Should I go for one colour for everything, as below?

Teset Gari 19_monocolor.jpg

Or do you guys think it's better to separate the kingdoms from the cities, by using two different colours? One for the borders and the kingdom labels, and one for the city icons and the city labels?

Teset Gari 19_multicolor.jpg

I think I personally like the monocolour version best, but what about you guys?

Next up: framing!

[ThomasR]

First, accept my most grateful thanks for taking the time to explain. I've already raided google image and some deviant art accounts for texture, so my trunk is full. I already tried something like you describe but I did it on a map I already drew. Working on the background before is definitely a great idea. I'll work on that. The vignette is also a great idea I might borrow.

Concerning your map, I cannot stress enough how much I'm amazed by your work ! And in my opinion, choosing two colors for the labeling is a great idea but I would have chosen something brighter than black for the cities.

Can't wait for the frame !

[DanielHasenbos]

I tend toward the two colour version. Maybe it would work better if the city icons/city labels where a near-black red colour. That way you still have a sort of unity, and different colors for different labels. Not sure how it would look, but you could give it a try.

-Dan

[AntonioFrade]

Hi,

I you allow me to throw my opinion I think the two-color version grant a inmediatly focus on the kingdom names, so (using a web design metaphore) is more usable.

Apart from this topic let me say that I hope to create maps like yours when I grow up ;D

Antonio

[Josiah VE]

I must say, this looks amazing. Stunning and inspirational, now a favorite of mine.

As for the text, I can't decide which one looks better, they both look good. Very much deserving of rep!

[Lingon]

Welcome back! Sounds like a reasonable approach to the squigglies, and the labelling work looks excellent. I also like the one with black city names, the other one has a bit too much red on it for a map with so much green in the main coloring. They are strong contrasts so one of them should be kept to a minimum, just to add little spots of visual zest

[Caenwyr]

Hi all!

Thanks for all your great comments, you guys are the best! I have been quite busy since my last update (planning a wedding takes waaaaay more time than I had anticipated when I bent the knee!!) but I finally found some spare time to work on my map again. Below you'll find the newest update, with the frame and the title box done. I also added a compass rose and some rhumb lines for good measure.

Teset Gari 21 - copyrighted.jpg

I also tried adding the sea labels, but I kinda feel they kill the look and feel of the map. What do you guys think?

Teset Gari 22 - copyrighted.jpg

[Falconius]

I think the sea labels don't negatively affect anything. Especially that subdued. And obviously, they tell one the names of the bodies of water which is always useful to know.

[Josiah VE]

First of all, this looks FANTASTIC! I think the sea labels are fine, they're very subdued like Falconius said.

Out of curiosity, how what is the size of the original file for this map?