Adventure author learns cartography

[Adventureaweek]

Hello everyone!

I'm brand spankin' new here. Although I am no stranger to role-playing games, maps, or even writing adventures professionally... I'm still green when it comes to cartography as a craft. I am here to learn some new tricks and hope my friend Jonathan Roberts (torstan) has some free time to give me a couple pointers from time to time.

I would like to also meet other cartographers who are interested in getting their work out and about in the RPG community. Todd Gamble and I founded Adventureaweek.com and launched our site earlier this year. We push out an amazing adventure every week. There are loads of opportunities for those looking to have their work published.

Now that I'm done with my own self promotion, seriously. I'm here to learn. I love David C Sutherland III maps, especially some of the stuff he did for Dragonlance and Castle Ravenloft. I would like to find my own style and will surely take the traditional fantasy route when constructing maps... but I love to dream and twist things around... get creative... make something new that perhaps has never been done before.

Hopefully I will meet some of you soon!

[arsheesh]

Welcome to the Guild Adventureaweek! I know that Torstan has created several map-making walk-throughs over in the tutorials section. There is a treasure trove of cartographic resources to be had in that forum btw. It's great to have more publishers here, we certainly welcome you.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Gidde]

Welcome to the Guild!

[Adventureaweek]

Thanks for the kind welcomes! What would you recommend for my first practice map in Photoshop?

[Blaidd Drwg]

Recommend? Oh dear, I don't know. Whatever you feel like!
There are some really good tutorials in the tutorial section. Some of my favourites are:
- Ascension's Atlas Style in PS
- Pyrandon's Medieval Town Map Tutorial

But there are many others. Just follow through a couple, go nuts and change whatever you like.
Good Mapping!

[ravells]

Have a look at the quickstart mapping guide sticky at the top of this thread. That should give you a few tutorials to work with. Welcome to the guild!

[jtougas]

Welcome to the Guild. I like to think of myself as a writer as well and I find that maps really help spark my imagination. I look forward to seeing your work.

[Jaxilon]

Awesome and welcome aboard. Torstan has been pretty busy lately with a huge commission and the whole Higgs-Bosun party lately but he still comes around so don't worry if he's a bit slow responding at the moment.

You can do as mentioned though and read all his tutorials and stuff, that will help get you rolling. Plus there are a few folks here willing to give help to those asking. Just post up a WIP in the appropriate thread and you will be on your way.

[Adventureaweek]

Thank you to everyone for the greetings and providing some places to start. I have a couple adventures on Adventureaweek.com to catch up on, then I'll be devoting some free time to learning the basics of cartography.

For anyone interested in getting involved in our site you can submit your work through this email: submit {at} adventureaweek.com

[Adventureaweek]

So, I have finished my first map! Where do I post it? Can I pop it up here?

BEFORE AFTER.png

BEFORE: Jacob Kellogg's rough map sketch
(2012 RPG Superstar contestant)

AFTER: My first professional map!
(3x ENnie award winner Todd Gamble usually handles all the maps, but I decided to try my hand at cartography for this adventure!)