An Experiment with Watercolors

[MapMappingMapped]

My first sorta finished map with watercolours, but certainly not my first try! Anyway, I used the same setting as I did for the January Challenge, because I was too lazy to come up with a new world.
Things I've learned on the way:
While coloring trees, I'll have to make sure the paint I'm applying is pretty opaque, and check it on scrap paper to get the right tone. DON'T try to color the whole forest at once! That was... interesting. I think it's easy to spot the smudged forests . But then, overall, it's really hard to color these sort of woods. Does anyone have an easy way to do so?
Also, I should have colored my mountains with a more opaque wash.
I need to apply different shades of water in the seas.
MY WASHES NEED TO BE CLEANER.
I seriously need to learn how to shade a scroll (and paint one).
Anything else you guys can see?
And oh yes, I got some help from the RedEpic's book (as the mountain style should indicate).

[whisper_my_name]

I think it looks wonderful. The thing with watercolor is you can always work over it again. and again. and again. I tend to start with a very thin wash at first, and a lot of times I think, oh, that's going to be way to light, but it turns out looking better once it's dry. When I do my oceans I start with the lightest possible hue, let it dry, then go back in sometimes with the same wash and it instantly darkens things up. Your forests are a bit dark, but you can go back in with a wet brush, no color on it, and "lift" some of the color. It would help clear up the muddiness. Anyway, that's just my two cents. Keep at it. Cheers.

[Mouse]

Looks like you're really working on this digital colouring technique, MMM

The sea is just a tad over-saturated for my personal taste but the map as a whole is a good practice piece.

If you don't mind, I have a few tips that might help with your next exercise:

Put the scanned map image at the top of the layer stack and make it transparent by changing the layer mode to multiply. Then find a nice subtle parchment to put right at the bottom of the stack to act as the background for your colours, which will then be on all the layers between those two main layers - the background parchment and the scanned map.

With the layers between - the colour layers, don't try to paint transparently with a transparent brush (which is always nearly impossible to get right), but paint in good solid colour - full opacity, and use the layer transparency itself to set the transparency of your colour washes. Also try a few different blend modes on those colour layers, like overlay, multiply and grain merge, etc which may help. Its a lot easier to paint with an opaque brush in solid colour and use the qualities of the layer you are painting on to give transparency and blend effects

[MapMappingMapped]

I've re-read your message a couple of times, Mouse, and I don't really understand... Are you talking about the GIMP? I'm guessing you are, but I didn't use GIMP with this map? Some misunderstanding? Or have I hit my head somewhere?

[Mouse]

Er no. I'm the one having a brain seizure here, MMM.

Please disregard my tips, as they were indeed intended as if you were using GIMP with a scanned in map

My bad! I'm sorry