Dragon Age Origins map style can anyone help me?

[betomuraro]

Hello guys, long time no see! I've been occupied with university stuff.

Well, I'd like to know (i've searched eveywhere) how to make those mountains like the one in the map of Dragon Age Origins, for me that style is awesome! Someone can help me? I know a lot about photoshop and have been experimenting some techiniques and not even a close result.

Thank you!

[Quabbe]

You mean this map?

http://greywardens.com/wp-content/up..._1600x1200.jpg

Reminds me on this map from Djekspek:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...rld-Of-Arcania

The mountains are a bewell and emboss thing ... you should ask Djekspek for the technique or look through some tutorials here.

But the thing is, to let it look colorful like that, you have to play around with lots of layers with different colors. Put a mask on each colorfilled layer and fill it with a rough pattern, that will make the color look more suitable. And do it with many colors, even with darker and brighter tones.

Quabbe

[betomuraro]

Exacly! I've asked to Djekspek to teach me how, but he dosent answered. =/

Is there any tutorial teching this techinique? I mean, the mountain style, i've read a lot of tutorials but nothing near this style.

about the colors, I have some experience working with it, I just dont know how to draw those beautiful mountains!!!

[Ascension]

No tuts yet on this style. DJ said he'd try to put something together but it was mostly hand-drawn.

[Djekspek]

eya, I remember your post Betomuraro, and I think I replied (...but I could be wrong, if so, my apologies). Indeed, it's mostly handdrawn/painted so I'm not sure I can capture it in a tutorial. Also, I'm currently working on something along those lines, and maybe I can post it when it makes sense. (having trouble capturing the techniques in wordings). cheers!

[torstan]

Ah, but at least you could post the brushes that you use? They're lovely and grungy and I'm pretty sure you're not using the standard hard round 10px brush

[Djekspek]

Sure, but the brushes are nothing special I'm afraid. The brush I use for the moutains is the standard soft rounded brush (at 60-70% opacity, sizes from 20pt to sometimes 2-3pt for details) and for the color-layer and grunge/texture-layers I use the standard Dry-brush (2 color brush) usually at 50% opacity (switching front and back color and the size all the time). I use B/W dry-brush for the grunge/textures, setting the layer to overlay. I also do use some random textures (e.g. genetica or other free stuff, desaturated and overlayed) to spice things up. For colors I usually go oversaturated to give it a "shiny" look Often I use Coyote's awesome paper textures as well. I'm currently making a little doc with the layers/brushes set up and showing step by step what I do... I'll post it somewhere the coming weeks

[torstan]

That's a good start - I haven't played with the dry brush before. I'll have some fun fiddling with that.

Definitely looking forward to the layer breakdown. Thanks for posting the brush settings.

[Jaxilon]

I feel like a total noob for asking but what's a dry brush verses a wet brush? I'm not even sure I know how you do a duel colored brush. I have a set of grunge brushes and I do use them but it sounds like you guys are talking about a trick I don't know yet.

[betomuraro]

Hey dj thanks for the reply!

Well maybe you can record a video an uploado on youtube, even if you dont talk anything jsut by observing we can get the essence of what you do. And one more question, what's tha hardware you use? Just a mouse? maybe a tablet? Because I think doing all those shades with a mouse wolud surely crush my wrist. Thank you one more time!!!

Jaxilon, I think they're talking about the dry media brushes on photoshop, you just have to open de brush picker, click on the little (>) then you can choose a whole gama of brushes. If it is what they're talking about, cry brushes simulates Grafitti and Charcoal on various types of papers textures.

=D