Where to start if...

[Naima]

If I wantto make a new world realistic , with every espect considered , from tectonic plaques to winds , climates etc... Should I start by first outlining the continents or by first outlining the plaques and then only after get the continents shapes?
And where can in case read some tutorials or follow lines for starting right away in the good direction?

Thanks for any answers.

[Hai-Etlik]

Well, if you REALLY want to do things correctly from scratch, getting prepared is the best place to start. Do some research. Learn a bit of basic spherical geometry. Learn the basics of projections. Look through an introductory text book on physical geography if you can find one (Check a local college or university's library). Get yourself a globe you can draw on. A foam craft ball is a good starting point. Working on a real sphere is vital to getting tectonics right. If you try to do it entirely on a flat map, you're almost certain to get it so wrong that you might as well have not bothered.

[Naima]

SO I assume I should start from tectonic first, but is there any tutorial or small guide on how to draw them right here around?

[Pixie]

I would say start with some continents drawn, but being willing to change them as you figure out the tectonics. You can't really move plates about without knowing which pieces of a plate are made of continental crust and which are made of oceanic crust.

But, like Hei-Etlik said, you need to know the basics. In terms of tectonics, that means knowing which kind of boundaries there are, how do the two kinds of crust behave or that movement of plates is described as rotation in a sphere. Also, the more time to spend reading about tectonics and comparing to real places on Earth (and Google Earth is your friend here), the better you can then imagine the stuff that goes on in your con-world.

I'm sure you must have read bits and pieces of the recent threads where tectonics are/were being worked. It isn't a straight-forward-done-in-an-hour kind of thing...

[Naima]

Thanks yes I been reading some portions of those threads and look pretty interesting , especially yours .
I hope ai dont have to take a degree in geology though lol... I will check online some wiki about tectonics , hope will be enough .

The fact is I already had in mind one continent from and old rpg continent I did when young , but never created the others ...

[Pixie]

It'll almost be like a degree in geology

Honestly, it takes a little bit of trial and error and a fair resistance to frustration as you (like all of us) are bound to delete as much as you draw for a while. I started just like you, with an old memory of parts of a map and filled in the gaps.

Once you start scribbling, have a look at this tutorial and let me know if it's of any use, please.