Hi there,

I've seen maps from the Cartographers guild on and off for a few years and have decided to sign up and get some tricks and ideas from the numerous skilled map makers that are here. I have been an avid fantasy reader for many years and the maps have always been a huge draw for me. Map making has been an activity that I used to thoroughly enjoy; I have a box of old pencil & paper maps and have more recently been trying digital methods.


Over the last couple years I have worked on-and-off on a large world-map project in Photoshop and I want to get back into it and finish this world up! But, I'm lacking in some skills and need pointers on a couple techniques. I am searching for good Tolkien-esque / classic fantasy-style map tutorials so if anyone has good resources I'd love to see them!


I am not using PS any more; it was a pirate copy and I have decided to forgo those activities (I also don't want to pay for PS CC, I don't know use it well enough or often enough to merit it).


I have a Huion H610 Pro pen tablet (seems decent, bought it like 2 years ago, tried it once and since then it's been in the box up until a couple days ago). I want to use it and a combined mouse approach for certain manual tasks.

Software wise, I am currently messing around with these to figure out what I think I want to use:

GIMP (PS-like enough to be comfortable. I've used it before years ago)
Krita (cool program, I like the right-click palette options but the lack of other menus in right click seem odd)
Inscape (only opened it once, need more test time)

Is there a good reason to use one or another? Reasons to not use one in particular?