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The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.
Although we specialize in maps of fictional realms, as commonly used in both novels and games (both tabletop and role-playing), many Guild members are also proficient in historical and contemporary maps. Likewise, we specialize in computer-assisted cartography (such as with GIMP, Adobe apps, Campaign Cartographer, Dundjinni, etc.), although many members here also have interest in maps drafted by hand.
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I got out the ol' pad and pencil, and drew the watch tower that I could see from where I was. The light was fading, so I finished just before the sun left for the evening. That's it, enough waiting ... I'm going over there. I still have a knife.
Pixels ... that was the issue I was having with the coastlines. I didn't realize it, until I got down and nit-combed it. A simple 1-pixel line is never a simple 1-pixel line. It has fuzz and shading around it. The fuzzy tool sees the shading and fuzz as a line and goes around it. I had spaces between islands and the coast, as well as choke points in lakes and bays that were too close together to allow the marching ants to ... well, march. By diligently separating everything, and erasing ...
On closer inspection of the map from my satchel, there were several things that stood out to me. Rivers ran loosely into the lakes and sea, hills and terrain sat on top of each other, the coastline was too thick, and I still didn't know where I was on the map. How do you orient yourself to imagined terrain features when you don't know your starting point? It's too much to even think about all at once ... small bites, still eats up the elephant. I set about trying to relax and just take ...
I awoke with a compelling need to look into my satchel. There it was ... a map ... or at least the start of a map. There weren't any roads, there weren't any towns, or labels of any kind, but it was a beginning. The "Robot Seekers" hadn't bothered me since becoming a Novice. A Novice ... not too shabby. It was only a week, but I did feel the power growing. It's like each thing you unlock about yourself, or open up in new environs, becomes one more thing to add to your arsenal ... ...
I was wondering how to start a blog. I wanted to show a simple progression from the nothingness, of someone who didn't know anything, not squat-diddly ... to the awesomeness, that I believe myself capable of. I searched the tutorials, and the forums, and in my despair, I cried into the void. Finally, before giving up and asking the question, the "Gods of Administration", in all of their intuitive glory, have waved the wand of permissiveness, and granted access to this page. ...
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