My first(second) attempt a continent

[reklaw]

I tried to make a map one time before using the Atlas guide (thanks Ascension!) but the project died off and I finally took another try at it. Happy with it for the most part but still putting the finishing touches on it.

Critique is definitely welcome! And any suggestions on a better way to do the font and fit it better into the countries would be greatly appreciated. Thinking about going with a white font but I can't get it to shape right in CS3 Photoshop.

This map is the continent of Azyra, the main area of a pnp RPG I'm creating.

Thanks!

map.png

[tilt]

hi reklaw, nice first map - I have a few pointers to get it even better (imho), the clouds you use to differentiate in the green and blue colors shoudl be dampened, it is to strong and distracts rather than add to the map. I'd like to see some rivers in there somewhere ... concerning the text, I must admit that PS isn't the best tool - Illustrator makes way better text. BUT it is certainly possible to make texts in photoshop (believe I did a ok job in my mountain realms - in my finished maps) - the better the resolution the better the text. Try using effects to help, you can use a small drop shadow to help with light text visibility, you can also use stroke to help see the text. I believe it will also help if you work the with clouds I mentioned earlier. Personally I don't like hotel-text (letters standing on top of one another), I much prefer to rotate the text layer instead. ... try and try again - suddenly the text will be as you like it ...

[Slylok]

I agree with tilt on every point. Try out the outerglow effect for the text. you can find all the different layer effects by going to the layer properties. Keep up the good work =)

[hohum]

Not much to add. Follow the previous suggestions. You did a good job of following the tutorial and I like your islands or marsh in the lower right. Very interesting.

[reklaw]

Thanks for the critique! I agree with the colors, what do you think the best way is to make the clouds more subtle? Have been working with the airbrush but was wondering if you had a better way? There are rivers but they are tiny and I definitely have to widen some and add some more in.

And Illustrator is a great idea for the text, I'll have to try that out and I would like to stay away from the hotel-text, didn't see a way of rotating it but rotating the layer makes sense!

Thanks for everyones suggestions!

[Slylok]

I would like to stay away from the hotel-text, didn't see a way of rotating it but rotating the layer makes sense!

easy way to rotate your text is to move your cursor to just outside of the text field. your cursor will turn into a half moon shaped line with two arrows on each end. simply hold down the left mouse button and rotate.

[tilt]

yes.. and in photoshop if you are on a text layer and have the text tool selected you'll see an icon in the menu thats a T with a curved line - you can use that to bend text.

[Troedel]

Thanks for the critique! I agree with the colors, what do you think the best way is to make the clouds more subtle?

Perhaps you try to lower the transparency settings for the cloud layer. I also noticed that the clouds seem to be one layer above land and sea. This gives the impression of uniformity. Perhaps you try out a different way to roughen up the land. Otherwise.. keep going!