World Map - Unnamed

[Hustle]

But the important thing is that you're getting better and better at this all the time

And you are

I like this last version. It shows a lot of promises. The color palette is also interesting.

Thanks to both of you, really. This project is a labor of love for sure, but it's always nice to know that others find it appealing as well. If you have any criticism or critique, please don't hold back. Especially before I begin the Herculean task of shading all this mess.

[Hustle]

Shading update:

I feel like this new style of land features lends itself well to shading. I used a base overlay layer with low opacity wide brush, then I duplicated that layer upon completion to have the ability to toggle between light and heavy modes of base shading. I added a third overlay and used a darker, finer brush to do the crests and deep shading on mountains and cliffs. I'm pretty happy with how it looks before coloring, although I don't know how I feel about the way the background canvas's darker areas are playing with the shading on the mountains. Specifically, the easternmost range looks very dark in comparison to the one just west of it.

I'll probably nitpick over this for a while until I'm happy with it, but this feels like a much version before jumping into forests again.

As always, I'd love feedback and critique. This is my first map of this size and style, and I'd like it to be as perfect as I can manage!

[Mouse]

Looking very cool, Hustle

[Ilanthar]

Oh yeah ! This is more & more promising.
Which final size are you aiming?

[arsheesh]

Nice craggy mountain ridges.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Hustle]

Oh yeah ! This is more & more promising.
Which final size are you aiming?

That's... a very good question. I originally had high hopes of printing this on a large plotter (36"x72"), but I don't know that the resolution will hold up.

The file is 3000x6000 so I'm assuming I can get a good 24"x48" print out of it. Am I thinking along the correct lines?

[kacey]

It looks great Hustle! I really like the new style. I use parchment like this all the time and run into the same problem with certain shaded areas being darker because there picking up the uneven colour from underneath but it’s easy to remedie.

For areas that aren’t too badly effected you can set an eraser or layer mask and with a very low, I mean like 10 percent opacity lightly brush over the dark areas to try and even it out, this usually works in a pinch on small areas, but I wouldn’t do a large area like you have in this way.

Another thing you can do is use the clone brush and in light passes with a large soft round brush brush a lighter area of the texture just over the dark spot of you’re parchment. You don’t have to clone it out completely, some variation is interesting and natural, but it should lighten it up just enough to even out the shading so it isn’t so in you’re face.

It’s probably best to do it on a separate layer just above you’re texture background in case you make any mistakes, plus you can then play around with the opacity to get it how you like it.

Just be sure to blend it out well so you don’t get a strange outline around the fix.

Another thing I do often when the texture is effecting my shading too much is take the colour picker and pick one of the lighter areas in you’re texture, and like in the other methods just very lightly brush the lighter colour over the dark spot until you’ve found an even compromise in you’re shadow, again don’t forget to do it on a separate layer just above you background texture and underneath you’re shading.

Once you’re happy with it you can them merge the new layer back down into you’re parchment texture.

I hope that makes sense.

[Hustle]

Another thing I do often when the texture is effecting my shading too much is take the colour picker and pick one of the lighter areas in you’re texture, and like in the other methods just very lightly brush the lighter colour over the dark spot until you’ve found an even compromise in you’re shadow, again don’t forget to do it on a separate layer just above you background texture and underneath you’re shading.

Once you’re happy with it you can them merge the new layer back down into you’re parchment texture.

I hope that makes sense.

This is working brilliantly! Thank you very much for the tips, kacey.

[Ilanthar]

, I used to not think about it either. But now, it's a thing I'm taking into account. I was more talking about the final size in pixels, though (just wondered if you were working at final size or not).

The file is 3000x6000 so I'm assuming I can get a good 24"x48" print out of it. Am I thinking along the correct lines?

If you have a good printer it could work, I suppose.

[Pixie]

That's... a very good question. I originally had high hopes of printing this on a large plotter (36"x72"), but I don't know that the resolution will hold up.

The file is 3000x6000 so I'm assuming I can get a good 24"x48" print out of it. Am I thinking along the correct lines?

Typical print resolution is 300 ppi (pixel per inch) and a quick search for a reference for you just got me this:

“If the average reading distance is 1 foot (12 inches = 305 mm), p @0.4 arc minute is 35.5 microns or about 720 ppi/dpi. p @1 arc minute is 89 microns or about 300 dpi/ppi. This is why magazines are printed at 300 dpi – it’s good enough for most people. Fine art printers aim for 720, and that’s the best it need be. Very few people stick their heads closer than 1 foot away from a painting or photograph.”

Assuming you aim for 600 ppi. Then your 6000 pixels will allow for a 10 inches wide map - that's 10 inches of "fine art" quality print