Reply With QuoteWelcome to the Guild!
Hello! I'm the incredibly new guy.
Greetings, experienced and far more talented members! I'm, obviously, new. I have decided to boldly jump into this community to meet fellow world builders, cartographers, and actually learn a thing or two. Preferably more than two, but I'm not greedy. I'm a self-taught writer, amatuer and unpubilished. It doesn't help that my goals and standards I hold myself to are always lofty, but I'll get there in the end. While I'm confident in my ability to world-build, I know there are plenty out there who are better than myself at it, and I would be very grateful to learn from you and this community.
On the same note, beyond writing I have no artistic skill. I'm lucky if I can draw a stick figure with almost-straight lines. However, I possess a drive that needles me endlessly to improve myself in all avenues of interest. Improving in this regard, and learning to make maps, is something I desire. Again, I would be incredibly grateful to learn from this community, and will be browsing all those wonderful tutorials that many fantastical folk have taken the time to create and share. Also any advice and pointers from people will be taken seriously.
I very much look forward to interacting with all of you!
Welcome to the Guild!
Welcome!Originally Posted by TheMagnificentEh
Huhuhu, let me tell you something. I'm an aspiring writer too and one day I thought I really need a map for my book. But as you so aptly said, I was also lucky if I could draw a stick figure. Really, when I had to draw a shark for my sister's toddler... it didn't go so well. Came out as a disabled wale or something. Hehe.
BUT then I thought, I want to be able to draw the things that I imagine.
Anyway, so I took some pencils and erasers and started first by tracing stuff that I like. Getting the muscle memory. Then I got better at that and I thought I'd try to free draw something that I've traced. Was a bit rough, sure. But strange enough, I actually started getting stuff right and not long after I'm actually drawing a lot of the map objects for my map willingly now and then scanning them and multiplying them with a texture and low opacity, to look at home on a map.
Point is, I couldn't draw worth a heck. But a year later. Now I can draw anything that I put my mind to. Might take time. But as it for me. There is a HUGE amount of Hope for you too! Try it. It is patience with endurance, but it payed off.
So good luck! There is hope! And again welcome to this lovely guild.
Last edited by XCali; 06-02-2017 at 02:33 PM.
https://tapas.io/episode/697606 may be relevant. (note that I really hate linking to something other than the original artist's site, but this is the version that I could find).
Last edited by waldronate; 06-03-2017 at 12:02 AM.
Though it begs the question, is the person who got it the easy way more passionate about it OR is the person that no matter what happened still persevered and gained a new talent? (Because if you get it easy, it is easier to take it for granted.)(I got drawing the hard way, but man, I do not take it for granted having the ability.)
~ Maps-DriveThruRPG ~Free Maps and Assets ~Current Project~
My web novels
Instagram handle: instagram.com/omrihope
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~The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
~ Psalm 19
I spent a lot of years and a lot of money looking for magical product that would have talent in the box. I have spent many hours on trying to improve my drawing skills. I can get some things that look marginally decent, but they all seem to lack the spark that makes them "good". After all of that effort, I slowly came to the conclusion that work is an amplifier for talent and that no amount of work can get you past what your innate talent will allow. Or maybe I'm just lazy...
Well considering all the work you've put in, not lazy. However, that attitude is severely crippling. Hard work will always trump talent, period. Only thing holding anyone back is themselves. I didn't like the hyper politicized indoctrination bootcamp the American Education system was becoming, so I educated myself and taught myself independant thought. I didn't waste money on college because it's nothing but a waste of money. Go and put myself in debt just so I can listen to pathetic, anti-democracy nutjobs preach all day. I regularly trump college graduates in tests of general knowledge and in philosophical debates. I taught myself entry-level Linguistics. I taught myself how to write, developed my various narration styles on my own. I will learn to draw acceptable fantasy maps as well. The same way I learned all that, the same way I learned to cook and to bake, the same way I learn everything. If I want to do it, I learn it. That's the long and short of my attitude.
Never sell yourself short. Nobody else is going to value you at full price.
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