Maps

By Wreybies · Nov 18, 2013 · 848 · 9

A recent conversation in the forum concerning the making of maps had me digging up maps I had stopped working on a while ago. The story for which they were being made had also been put on hold. It seems both are in play again. Here are two different levels of "aging" in the world map. Not sure which way I'm going to go. Still very much WIP and rough. I need to work on the continent edges as well. In some spots the color intensities are too similar between land and water and the edge becomes hard to make out. I'd rather not outline it like it was before. And I'm not sure about the arcane symbols. I'm just playing with those for now. The size and balance is off on them. Any ideas/suggestions?
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Mostly a few questions. What are the grey lines? I get that the line of bumps on the left-hand continent (or island) is a mountain range, but what is that strange brownish blob on the other one supposed to be? I guess I'm not sure what the colours signify. Is the pale stuff desert? The green stuff tree-covered rainforest? What is the brown stuff along the top supposed to show?

I think these are both very attractive, by the way, and how in heck did you do this???!!! Love the border...

Just one other observation ...the outline of these two continents is very jaggy and raggedy, with lots of very sharp points. Yet, if that grey-blue background is water, the jaggy outline would be worn down by waves? Compare this to the outline of any earth island or continent, and you'll see what I mean.

jannert, Nov 18, 2013
You're not wrong about the over-sharp edges. Gonna' have to look at that. The brown along the top is colder climate, not much vegetation. The greener the more temperate/tropical. The "glob" is indeed desert area. That needs smoothing out. I made the globe via an online fantasy globe generator, pulled that image into GIMP (a program similar to Photoshop) and cut out the continents. The lines are just sorta' antique looking things you find on some antique maps. The border is hand assembled from different elements I found on-line. Everyone has a different style to making fantasy maps. I like a cross between satellite photo-real colors and quirkier back-drop.

Wreybies, Nov 18, 2013
Well, it's very attractive, and I'm sure the colours will make sense in context, especially once your 'labels' go in. I saw after I posted that you were already aware of the jaggy edges bit.

Not sure about the grey lines, though. I reckon they ought to mean something. Like latitude/longitude lines do on 'our' maps.

Are these continents? Or islands? (Mind you, I suppose continents ARE technically islands, aren't they?)

jannert, Nov 18, 2013
Yeah, the two large land masses are continents, neither as large Asia or Africa, more like South America and Australia in size. That's why I agree that the edges are too dramatic. If they were smaller like the UK, then yes, this much detail would show, bout you're right that when you look at Oz and S.A., they look much smoother in outline.

Thanks for the compliment on the maps.

Wreybies, Nov 18, 2013
I really love your border and the random elements that you've added. I'm curious how the circle of arcane symbols would look being around the compass rose. I think it would also be neat if you could make it look like it was circling front to back, but I have no idea how you'd do that.

I love the mountainous island, but the desert one is a bit undefined for me. I like the green color in the 2nd map variation, but I think that the desert area looks a bit too washed out. Have you thought about adding texture to your water?

As far as the edges between land and water go, does GIMP have the 'bevel' option? Photoshop has this feature where it will bevel the edges of that current layer, which helps the land pop out from the water without outlining. That may be what you're looking for!

PS: I still love you and hate you for introducing me to this. lol

TessaT, Nov 18, 2013
Here's a link to a series of coloured maps of Nova Scotia ...a place with tons of inlets and islands. You can see that the tips of these are much more rounded than yours. Sorry the maps aren't great, but you get the idea...

http://agrg.cogs.nscc.ca/Solar-Resource-Maps

jannert, Nov 18, 2013
@TessaT Circling front to back... Like lifting up away from the page and down into it, like 3D-ish? Hm.... Interesting. Like a magic popup. I can do it, it's perspective and shading.

The bigger continent with the desert hasn't gotten the full treatment, too true. I almost didn't include it in the map because none of the story action really takes place there, but if it's to be there, then it needs some more love to be sure.

Yes, GIMP has a bevel tool. I've not used it before and will now play with this to see what effect it gives me.

Wreybies, Nov 18, 2013
@TessaT

So, I'm trying out that bevel tool and it does give a "lifted" look, but I need to play with it more before I'm happy with it. What I was going to go with was an omnidirectional (x&y offsets at zero) drop shadow in a darker tone of the water..... Whaddaya think?

Wreybies, Nov 18, 2013
Heheheh. Magic pop-up... oh, I love it. I find the more I create with the world, the more interested I am in it. I now what my characters to travel EVERYWHERE.... however, that'd be pretty lengthy if that happened!

And I think if you can pull it off right, it'll look really good (if I'm understanding you correctly, lol). You should post another picture once you have it how you want it!

TessaT, Nov 18, 2013

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