Trying to Create a Slope on a Small Map

[egdcltd]

So, I'm trying to create a slope on a small area map, but I'm struggling to get the effect I want. It doesn't help that I'm not sure of the terminology to search for. I've drawn contour lines and filled them, and tried to tinker with opacity, fill and blend to get what I want, but I haven't got it to work as yet. Here it is with the opacity and fill turned up.

battlemap2a.jpg

[Mouse]

Hello egdcltd

What software are you using to do this map?

Its a little on the dark side to see very much. I assume the lower part of the map is to the left?

[egdcltd]

I'm using PS CS2. Yes, the lower part is to the left - I darkened the contours to make them more obvious. It's the same map as I posted here: https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...ad.php?t=36717 if you want to see a bigger version without the contour attempt.

[Mouse]

I am a CC3 user, so I can only make vague suggestions based on how I would do it with CC3, and a very superficial understanding of GIMP (and I've only been using that infrequently for a month), but have you tried changing the blend mode on those contour layers? At a guess, overlay or multiply might work a bit better?

Its a pure guess...

[egdcltd]

I've tried fiddling around with different blends, fills and opacities, but none really got what I wanted to achieve. Here are two examples, the first is multiply and the second overlay, both with 50% opacity and 100% fill. I've tried a bunch of other combinations as well - either I seem to get something too obvious, or not noticeable. I may be on the wrong track.
battlemap2b.jpg

[Mouse]

Hmmmn....

Not sure what to suggest here. Overly clearly works better than multiply, since there is a noticeable difference in tone in the second image.

I'm not sure where this particular thought is coming from, but it strikes me that from what I've seen of other PS/GIMP maps I think it is more usual to start with the shading and then add the colour. I may be wrong, but... how about making the colour layers hidden, then moving the contours down to the bottom of the layer stack and adjusting them until they become like a tonal map of the area, then making the colour layer visible again and changing its blend mode to 'overlay'.

(This could have some really weird effects, because as you know - I'm way out of my depth here, so do this to a copy of your map. I wouldn't want you to lose it!)

[jfrazierjr]

start with your base layer

Create a new layer above filled with 50% grey (808080 hex)
set this layer to overlay


You have two options here
a) use the brush/pen tool(possibly with some blur depending upon how distinct you want each "level") using black to indicate shadows(lower terrain) and white to indicate higher terrain.

b) use the dodge/burn tool(set to burn of course) to carefully draw in your shadows. switch to the burn tool and add some highlights to the higher layers to make those stand out

Both of these work much easier with a pressure sensitive pen/tablet, but can be done with a mouse, just more work..


you can create additional layers above using the same technique as above with various opacity levels to really make some area's "pop" with high/lowlights



Another option is to "draw" a closed shape as if it were a terrace(using the lasso tool for example), added to individual layers on which you create a layer mask INVERTED. Then stroke and blur. This latter method is how I make steps most of the time, but with playing around with your stroke size and blur size, you can make terraced layers.

[egdcltd]

Thanks, I'll give this a try tomorrow. I had tried again with shadow/highlight layers, which is what I originally tried but didn't like. This time, I gradually altered the opacity of the brush strokes and roughly followed the contour lines. Does this look better? (I do have a tablet, but did this with the mouse.)

battlemap2c.jpg

[jfrazierjr]

I am not 100% sure what you are trying to accomplish, but here is a quick example using the last approach.

2017-01-23_16-39-15.png

[jfrazierjr]

Thanks, I'll give this a try tomorrow. I had tried again with shadow/highlight layers, which is what I originally tried but didn't like. This time, I gradually altered the opacity of the brush strokes and roughly followed the contour lines. Does this look better? (I do have a tablet, but did this with the mouse.)

battlemap2c.jpg

I think that's fine... you chould problably use another layer or two with a few spots set to a deeper shadow based upon your light source location(the rocks appear to have light upper right, so you would want the darker parts lower left ish)

you could also use the same technique to "lightly" brighten the higher parts a bit and perhaps even parts of the slope that are more in the way of the light source.