Peninsula Map

[VincentAlliath]

Well, I somewhat fail at map-making (I'm good, not great. Bad, not good, you know?) and I want a map of my peninsula for an RPG.
I have a picture of my attempts in GIMP, which failed, but I love the shape, and I also have a rough outline of how I want it proportioned.

This is the map that I want it to be based off (minus the fog of course), because it has a great shape, in my opinion.
Feel free with it, but I need that general shape, with the outlying Isles.

This is the rough outline I did for you.
The light blue area is an ice covered area, which is blocked by Mountains. The Mountains MUST block the way for anyone to travel from the Peninsula to the Mainland.
There is a basin near the foothills of the mountains, and this needs to be lush. Keep your freedom with the outlying Isles, but don't stray too much.


Thank you in advance. I will credit whoever makes it for me.
=D Thanks!

[jfrazierjr]

Well, I somewhat fail at map-making (I'm good, not great. Bad, not good, you know?) and I want a map of my peninsula for an RPG.
I have a picture of my attempts in GIMP, which failed, but I love the shape, and I also have a rough outline of how I want it proportioned.

This is the map that I want it to be based off (minus the fog of course), because it has a great shape, in my opinion.
Feel free with it, but I need that general shape, with the outlying Isles.

This is the rough outline I did for you.
The light blue area is an ice covered area, which is blocked by Mountains. The Mountains MUST block the way for anyone to travel from the Peninsula to the Mainland.
There is a basin near the foothills of the mountains, and this needs to be lush. Keep your freedom with the outlying Isles, but don't stray too much.


Thank you in advance. I will credit whoever makes it for me.
=D Thanks!

I would be happy to help you along in GIMP if you like. I have little artistic talent and thanks to the great help here (especially ROBA's tutorial among others) I can whip up a nice overland map pretty quickly. Here is a link to a map I did (not completed....), and if you like the style, you can easily make something like this yourself with a few hours of work and help from people here. If not, I might be able to throw something together over the next few days. The shape is no problem at all. it's the details that really take the time to get right.....

[Steel General]

If I have time I'll see if I can't whip up something over the weekend, then you can have a couple to pick from. Haven't done a regional map in a while. Been having to much fun doing cities.

[VincentAlliath]

@jfrazierjr: That's a great map! Looks like a little bit of Wilbur work too, but I like it. I'd love some help with GIMP as well... I attempted to use bryguy's tutorial on Continent making with GIMP, but it didn't work so great...

@Steel General: Thank you Steel. I think I've seen a few of your maps when I first joined. To my recollections they were good.


And thanks for the help, guys. = D
I look forward to [strike]being better than you[/strike] working with you.

[jfrazierjr]

Thanks, I really appreciate that, expecially since it's not even finished yet. Most of that map style came directly from RobA's GIMP tutorial. With a few copies of some peoples changes while they were working on the tutorial and looking for a little better way to do it, plus a few things I tried out myself. If you have a few hours, I would highly suggest going through RobA's tutorial. There is a good reason it has had 15000 views in less than a year.

If you feel like trying this yourself(and I really would suggest learning!), start a Work in Progress thread and post early and often with any questions you have. To my knowledge, no one has really made mountains in GIMP the way that I have (or at least not that I recall), so if you like that style of mountains, I can help. I have been meaning for quite a while to make a real tutorial and I think there is a partial tut (steps only list) in the same thread as I linked to earlier.

[VincentAlliath]

I'll look at that tutorial later. I think it'll take longer than a few hours for me to even understand GIMP, though... I simply fail at it. I attempted the first few steps of that tutorial, and it obviously needs pre-knowledge of GIMP.
I'll rely on someone else for a map for now. At least I know I'll get quality. Time doesn't worry me... my skill does =D. Thanks again, guys.

[jfrazierjr]

I'll look at that tutorial later. I think it'll take longer than a few hours for me to even understand GIMP, though... I simply fail at it. I attempted the first few steps of that tutorial, and it obviously needs pre-knowledge of GIMP.
I'll rely on someone else for a map for now. At least I know I'll get quality. Time doesn't worry me... my skill does =D. Thanks again, guys.

Well, as I said, I created my first software image from scratch in GIMP(learning GIMP in the process) less than 6 months ago, with no previous software art experience. If I can do it, almost anyone can. For example, I first used GIMP at the beginning of May. http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1941
Then moved on here (not to much better mountains): http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=2098

Just within that one thread over the course of a week or so, I hope you can see a huge improvement.


At the very least, you might want to try the "random coastlines in GIMP" tutorial also by RobA. That would at least get you the shape to get started with and then you can step up from there..... Don't give up!

[Steel General]

I had never used GIMP before and used RobA's tutorial. It may have taken a couple of hours, but it was time well spent. So I urge you to follow Joe's suggestion of going thru it yourself, regardless of the outcome.

Even though I mostly use photoshop now a lot of the techniques are interchangeable and Rob's tutorial went a long way in getting me where I am now (as far as making maps).

[jfrazierjr]

Not exactly the same as your original landmass, but somewhat close. White is land, black is water... I can go further from here if you want or I can send you the file and help walk you through the next steps.

[Steel General]

I was able to "whip up" something this morning, and created a thread in the Regional WIP forum. Take a look and let me know if that's what you were looking for.

But still I urge you to give it a try yourself.