First Project! WIP
So, just started on my first digital map (well, kinda digital). As you can see, the results are pretty basic so far - hand drawn map with render layers behind it. Using it to get my head around GIMP and hopefully, if the results are any good, use for an RPG setting.
worldmap_jpg_v1.jpg
Well, I like the shapes of your land masses so far. I like how you suggest that the coastline continues along on the northern fringes, but leave the potential for some river/city/other thing there that you could add into a potential campaign later on at the right time. Varied coastlines, little archipelagos, I'd say keep on with it!
Looking good! At first I mistook the ocean areas for landmass, and it took me a moment to realize my mistake.
You've done a nice job with the drawn map. That's how I start a lot of mine. It looks good.
Those render layers were bugging me so I went back and restarted the whole map, changing the noise and difference, and now built up the 'basic map' so far, and added some placeholder labels to make it easier to understand. My next step is to remove the placeholders and build up the map elements, mountains, forest etc. My original plan was to make a handdrawn-looking map but we'll see how those elements look against the map texture.
worldmap_v2labelled.jpg
@xequar - thanks! yeah, the 'hidden coastline' is definately a suggested feature but i'm going to leave that for GM's to play around with if they want - the same goes for the 'Terra Incognita' and further down from the southern continent.
@MHAlthauser - cheers, i know what you mean so i've tried to give the landmasses some shading to differentiate (and the placeholder labels), but am considering whether to start doing a light water-colour type paint over the different areas. This comment started me looking at the map in negative and i thought the centrl strait between the two continents would make an awesome landbrige. hmmm...
Thanks for the support!
Very nice shapes! I'm looking forward to see where this is going. And i hope you'll provide some background for the setting as well.
Have some rep.!
I'm trapped in Darkness,
Still I reach out for the Stars
Looking much better! As a Graphic Designer the fonts touching the land outlines bugs me. Try adjusting the font sizes so the names have some distance from the edge. Check out some of the examples on my blog. http://mfedewa.tumblr.com/
....and this is the latest version. I am not 100% sure on it - advice needed!
The map is ridiculously out of scale - all the features are really more like 'here be mountains' than anything actual -
It's end - up size is to to fit on an A4 (for RPG product etc)
i wouldn't mind having a go at the same map at about 4 times the scale - but i think the paper would have to be the size of a door or something...
worldmap_v3.jpg
@ Eilathen - thank you for the ask! The map is (hopefully) going to end up the being used for Enjin Obscura (www.enjinobscura.blogspot.com) - any more info on setting and i'd love to post it, but i didn't want to clutter the cartographer's forum with my ramblings!
@dangerdog - Thanks! Yeah, i know what you mean, it seems i have either got two options with this map; either kill all the terrain and just do a political/region map with names of the different world powers or somehow 'walk' the lettering in between all the terrain!
Thanks for the comments all, advice much appreciated.
ian
Last edited by ianobscura; 02-01-2012 at 08:53 AM.
For lettering things like Nations, some others have had excellent results with see-thru lettering that almost looks like a watermark on the paper. Just an idea.
thanks atpollard!
The map is now in its first draft version (after about a billion others, hah) - a workable worldmap for my campaign world i hope! I'm just about to post it in the finished maps section and open my baby up to critique...
ian
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