Oshen-Dan-Desh

[Daelin]

Hello! Uhm, right, so, this is my first post here. I've been an aficionado of all kinds of maps for a whole bunch of years now, and I've recently been trying to craft some myself, based on all sorts of crazy universes that I've been playing around with. I've gleaned this awesome place for the kind of style and technique I'd like to get into, and I particularly like Sapiento's rich and colorful style.
I've used his cool little tutorial on map-making, and played around with different this, like texture and mountains and stuff like that But I'm exactly a pro at Gimp, which is the software I use, so I've had problems finding the right look for different things, like forests and deserts, that fit in with my cartoon-ish style.

I'd really like some cool ideas on how to develop this perticular map, Oshen-Dan-Desh, even further. And please, feel free to come up with any feedback that might be helpful, I'll take any relevant criticism.

So, hello again, and thanks in advance.

[Steel General]

First off... Welcome Aboard!

A couple of ideas/suggestions for your map (which is pretty good for your first real go):

1) Lower the opacity on the borders a bit (the dark purple one is what caught my eye)
2) Consider adding some textures to your map for the mountains, forests, etc.

[Diamond]

Yeah, welcome aboard. There's some real knowledgeable and friendly folks around here. (Not me, of course. )

As for your map, it's real eye-catching. I like the crisp continental outline/drop shadow, and the pattern you used for the seas looks really nice with the terrain colors. Like Steel General, I'd recommend toning down the borders a little bit. Since you have a lot of long, narrow coastal kingdoms, it looks kind of distracting to have such bright, neon colors. Maybe lower the opacity of the borders, and in the nations' interiors, do an overlay of the same color as the border, but only at 20-25% opacity? That might reduce the harshness of the border edges and also make it easier to tell exactly what land area each nation encompasses.

Edit: Oh, and I like the name 'Sprawling Undead'. Kind of makes me think of a bunch of liches sitting on the couch watching a football game.

[Ascension]

Diamond, too funny. I love your coastline here, very striking...really makes that pirate city into a major political player. For the forests I would suggest that whatever you decide to do with them just make sure that the edges have a lot of little round blobs sort of halfway sticking out from the main shape (this will suggest tree shapes) and then put a black stroke around the shape and maybe that drop shadow. Nice stuff so far.

[Daelin]

Yeah, the coastlines, and the shape of the world as a whole is probably also my favorite thing. Its really where you get to be creative with your map. And the location of the nations and the coastlines around them is also what defines them.

I've been trying different textures for the forests, but they always seem to clash with the mountains, because they look so simple. I have been adding borders (not totally black) and drop shadows to them, but they just don't seem to work. Guess I'll try play around with them some more.

I'd also like some advice on how to do the deserts. The one I've got is really just a placeholder blob, 'cause I'd like them to melt in with the terrain better, and also have a texture that fits.

And the story behind the "Sprawling Undead" is not so much about couch potatos, but more that somehow an undead curse was released on that island in the middle of the bay, which was quickly overrun, and the undead hordes then marched beneath the sea, totally Pirates of the Caribbean style, and invaded mainland Arnsvar, in a very "sprawling" fashion.