[WIP] Pashaîla - New software test with Affinity Designer

[Lyrillies]

Well well well... It's been about two years since I last had the time and space in my head to make a map, and so it's also been two years since I was last here at the Cartographers' Guild. I hope you will forgive me.

The thing with this new project is basically that I cannot use my regular software anymore. I used to make my maps in Photoshop, but for several reasons that's no longer possible. So a while back I bought Affinity Designer and so far I really like the program. However, I've never made a map with it - mapping Pashaîla is my first try and mostly I want to see how well I can make it work. But hopefully getting a nice map of Pashaîla out of this is not just a side-effect, since I actually don't have a good one of this particular landmass.

Pashaîla is listed as a continent in the world of Lym, but it is really small. It is divided into 18 territories and mostly covered by lush forests and meadows, with beautiful blue rivers in between. It does have a desert though.

Anyway, here is what I started out with, and what I have so far. More to come.

Pashaila_Kartengrundlage.jpg Pashaila_Kartenversuchneu.jpg

[Mouse]

Oh! I was very very interested in Affinity - it being a one time purchase, rather than a monthly sub (which I can't afford).

The map already looks great!

...

Since I heard a few months ago that Affinity were going to create a Windows version, I'm going to be watching this with intense interest, and anxious to hear your notes about what it can and can't do

Haven't had time to check yet - has the Windows version come out yet?

[Lyrillies]

Oh, hi Mouse!

Glad to see someone else is as interested in what Affinity can do! Yes, the one-time purchase was exactly my reason for choosing Affinity - apart from the fact that it looked amazing. But yeah, as it happens quite regularly that I suddenly don't have time or the concentration anymore to do anything creative for a while, a monthly subscription was absolutely not an option for me. So Affinity it is - and as far as I know, even the updates are all free, once you buy it.

I will try to add a little more detail on the actual steps in the program, so you can see better how the software is designed and whether it suits your workflow. Although I am also learning here, so I'll probably make lots of mistakes and go the long way round xD

Btw the Windows version has already been released, and I believe at the moment there is even a free trial (for only 10 days though)

[Mouse]

Thanks Lyrillies!

I will go and check it out. ATM I am using GIMP as a PS substitute because I can't afford to buy the newest version of CorelDraw/Photopaint to update my 20 year old version (CorelDraw/Photopaint is 10x the price of Affinity!!!).

Unfortunately I can't continue to use my outdated version of Corel because Win 10 has killed its functionality. The OS totally disagrees with the way Corel 11 software wishes to access the memory!

I wasn't aware there was a lack of interest in Affinity. Now the Windows version has come out maybe that will improve quite considerably

EDIT: Just to be clear - I'm a CC3 mapper (CAD powered software with bitmap fills and symbols), but I do a lot of my own symbols and bitmap backgrounds with software like Corel Photopaint and GIMP. I also use Genetica to create new textures for myself.

[Lyrillies]

Have fun with the trial

I have similar trouble with the OS not liking my old Photoshop anymore... You're lucky that GIMP works for you, for some reason my computer doesn't like that program at all. It kind of works, but it's zero fun using it.

I don't know if there's a lack of interest - it's just that most people I talked to never heard of Affinity before. But I have the feeling it's slowly growing in popularity.

As for your mapping style: So basically you create textures and one-piece "prototypes" of bushes and tress and houses and stuff and then put it all together in a map, is that about right? That's quite different from what I do, I'm more of a normal painter just using different shades and brushes - quite literally so until I switched to a computer one day So now I'm trying to do the same thing in my software.
Anyway, I'll have to have a look at your maps!

Now, as for the creation of Pashaîla:
What you see above is really just a combination of different brushes put in dozens of layers with differing opacity. I continued that way to create some more green cover and basic mountain ranges. Quite simple, really. In photoshop I would use filters to put over the entire image or just certain layers. The filter option does not exist as such, so I just used some more brushes and layers. To my great surprise it came out quite ok.

After some fiddling around I managed to put a thin outline around the landmass - it just looks better. What's interesting is that I could not do it with the normal "contour" option next to the brushes, I had to add the outline as a layer effect. but ok, it's there now so I'm happy.

What I really like so far is the option of stacking layers. The mountain ranges for example: I wanted to add lighter colours only on top of the darker stone-grey. So I stacked the layers, meaning I basically put a new layer inside the dark-grey layer. That automatically limits the new layer to the area covered by the layer above, in this case the darker grey. It's extremely simple and quick and very helpful.

I would theoretically now like to place some rivers, the problem being that I haven't quite found a way to do it yet. In Photoshop i would basically cut out a path from the land shape, however that doesn't seem to work in AD. There is a subtract option that should theoretically work - only it's disabled. I'm still trying to figure this out. Anyway, here's what I have now.

Pashaila_2.jpg

[Mouse]

That's a very tiny image. I can hardly see anything, which is a bit frustrating because I have a feeling those mountains would be quite spectacular - if only I could see them.

I think the max upload image size is about 9.4 MB

If Affinity can really do what PS can do, but at a very tiny fraction of the price - interest will almost certainly rise quite quickly! Is it intuitive to use, or is it hard work like GIMP?

You are sort of right about CC3/+, and that's good enough for me

[jfrazierjr]

Have fun with the trial

I have similar trouble with the OS not liking my old Photoshop anymore... You're lucky that GIMP works for you, for some reason my computer doesn't like that program at all. It kind of works, but it's zero fun using it.

What problem are you having in GIMP?

[Rongar]

I think the max upload image size is about 9.4 MB

9.54 to be precise.

At least for JPGs and a few other extensions, you can check by clicking on the question mark in the "manage attachments"-window. Anyway, this smartass right here that is me also wants to see more of your map. The colors look great already, the mountains could potentially be good too, but it's really hard to tell at this resolution.

[Lyrillies]

Thanks, Mouse
I assure you though, those mountains are not spectacular at all. My entire approach to painting -whether digitally or not- is based on my love for oil painting, and with oil paintings you always do very rough strokes that look great from far away, but make no sense whatsoever if you look closely. It's the same with these mountains. I attach an image of what it looks like from up close.
Basically all I did was use a brush called "acid blender" (for everything except the top white/black layer) and adjust size and opacity. There's about 4 lower layers in different shades of grey and two top layers. The top layers are done with a really tiny mosaic-brush to give some highlights and ridge-shadows. It's still a bit hard to see, but I have to admit that the resolution of the original image was really bad anyway. Since I mostly wanted to check out Affinity, I didn't think to adjust the image size first... Pretty stupid actually, maybe I'll start over with a bigger image. I did adjust the image size now, but it doesn't really help with the quality I think.

So far the program is pretty intuitive, and there's a great set of conveniently short video tutorials. But then again, neither have I done much with it yet, nor am I such a crack with graphics software that I could immediately tell. But so far it works well with my way of doing things.

And I'm glad I got it at least sort of right

mountainsupclose.jpg


jfrazierjr:
I'm on an old mac laptop, and it needs some extra software (XQuartz) to run at all, and then it's basically started as a program inside a program, which means I don't have the menu bar where I'm used to having it, the controls are not the usual mac controls, etc etc. And it doesn't run very smoothly. It's slow, it lags, sometimes it even crashes. So it does work, but I have to change so much of my usual working style that it's just really no fun.



Oh sorry, didn't see there was another reply - Thank you, Rongar! I think I'll just redo the map at a higher resolution, but the mountains won't look very different xD It's all about making it seem-to-look-like-something-from-afar...


Also, because I'm lazy all of this was done with a touchpad. But I think I'll switch over to mouse & graphic tablet now and do this map in a proper way.

[Mouse]

I've been a landscape painter (oil on canvas) since I was 13 (in other words since the year dot), so I know exactly what you mean about what others might call 'the painterly style'

That close up image of the mountains is aching with promise... and the colours are just.... totally beautiful in their subtlety - just like an oil painting

If I hadn't just spent all my rep on the challenge mappers yesterday (and run out before I even got as far as repping Rongar's) I'd rep you already - just for the dreaminess of the colours.

I just love that hint of Rose Madder/Alizarin in the Cadmiums there

At last! someone I can talk oil colours with