I like your second - i mean *first - map. What software are you using?
Not really sure what to say here!
I hadn't ever tried to draw a map and I ended up with this:
og map.png
And then I realized how awful that was (lol) which is what brought me here. After browsing these forums, and a few other things, I tried again.
So here's my first ever map (if you don't count the blobs above).
Map for Novel.png
I'm *trying* to draw a map for my novel (manuscript, really, and unfinished), but I'm not sure how/where to put all the details, so I guess I'll just keep working on it.
If anyone has any advice or thoughts, I'd be grateful. Thanks!
~Jalyha
I like your second - i mean *first - map. What software are you using?
Thanks!!! I was worried it wasn't good enough to post yet, but everyone seems very understanding here.
For the blobby thing I only had the paint program that comes with windows, I got Gimp to do the map.
I guess maybe I should say what I did, in case people want to help
I used a parchment maker script that was posted on here, and then added/deleted random effects till I liked it. After that, I drew outlines around my blobs on another layer, then the "coastline" tutorials to rough them up on another layer. Then I deleted all but the parchment and the final shapes. I bucket-filled the land areas, and then selected/cut them out to show the parchment. I put the "Fibers" pattern on a layer under the parchment and merged everything.
I really liked it like that, but thought it needed more detail:
naosflat.png
So I selected the land and copied it to a layer under the first layer and played with different filters and patterns until the land looked right (I embossed it but I forget what else I'd done ) Then I invert the selection and did the same for the water.
I just layered colors on top and played with opacity until it looked vaguely land/water-like.
For the border, I made bigger parchment, duplicated it, and pasted my map in the middle. I drew a path around the map, filled it with a pattern, and set the opacity for the top parchment so that it would show through a bit.
I'm sure there are better/easier ways, but it's way better than anything I thought I could do, so I'm happy.
Now I just need to figure out where to put these trees/rivers...
Still working on this map, but I haven't gotten anything I like, yet, and now I'm working on one of the cities/towns on Poste (The Northwest continent).
Mountains and rivers are hard. :/
I *did* brighten things up a bit, so I can see to work, but it's not a major change:
brighter naos.png