Map Making

[Quillstine]

Thought I would share a map I made for one of WIP's. It's got a long way to go...need to work a lot of the names out. The borders of the forests need to be a lot smother etc...
I made this map in a few hours, I really needed the dragon head as part of the world as one of the main religions is based on it, as well as some particular coastline styling. I managed to manipulate my map as required to get exactly what I wanted in that regards.
Sorry it's a little hard to see on here, it's huge on my computer!!
Still thought I would show it here for comments, ideas, suggestions, critiques etc...

Also for anyone interested (I am sure it's been mentioned here a lot) there is a lot of useful info on using photoshop to make fantasy maps at Cartographers' Guild - a community for maps of fantasy, sci-fi and real world locations

 

[Bee]

I shall try this out as I have always simply drawn them in the past

 

[Svrtnsse]

I like the color-scheme you're using, but some of the names are a bit hard to read at a glance. It may be that it's easier on the bigger picture but on this scaled down version the curly letters and curved makes the smaller names hard to decipher. I can still read them if I look close and focus though.

 

[Lunaairis]

try lightening the actual map. Maybe put some more blue into the water. Oh under names add a layer with a light (white or pale yellow) color (use the soft brush) that way the black text will pop more.

 

[Quillstine]

I like the color-scheme you're using, but some of the names are a bit hard to read at a glance. It may be that it's easier on the bigger picture but on this scaled down version the curly letters and curved makes the smaller names hard to decipher. I can still read them if I look close and focus though.

Unfortunately that is due to the way it imported into MS, the original is not hard to read at all.

try lightening the actual map. Maybe put some more blue into the water. Oh under names add a layer with a light (white or pale yellow) color (use the soft brush) that way the black text will pop more.

Originally the water was a very light blue....but I found the two tone brown effect worked better, at least to my eye. Good idea for the wording though, I will do that.

 

[TrustMeImRudy]

Which WIP is this for? Aside from the darkness, which you explained, I love it.

 

[Quillstine]

Which WIP is this for? Aside from the darkness, which you explained, I love it.

Thanks....this actually from, well lets just call it WIP#3. Not either of the ones I explained to you yet Trust! But another complicated twisted plot line all the same!