Second attempt... need help with oceans, borders, etc.

[Deadshade]

What I don't understand is how you figure the longitude just from looking at it. I figured I was about 180 degrees total so now I'm a bit confused. Can you pls elucidate?

Well that's easy
Your picture is 256x175. If 175 is 180° (latitude and vertical size) then 256 is 260° (longitude and horizontal size). Of course assuming cylindrical projection.

[sheldonl]

Well that's easy
Your picture is 256x175. If 175 is 180° (latitude and vertical size) then 256 is 260° (longitude and horizontal size). Of course assuming cylindrical projection.

Ok. so, have a look at the attached and let me know if this makes a lot more sense. I have most of the other layers turned off, this is just to see if I have the proportions correct before I go too far.

[Deadshade]

Climate looks OK. I would just remove most of the snow at equator and perhaps add some more on the N edge.

But why don't you go simply for a 2:1 dimension ? This is the right format for a cylindrical projection and then you just put a grid going from -90 to + 90 vertically and from - 180 to 180 horizontally (that's 2x1) so that you don't need to bother about what is where anymore. This also allows you to put the equatorial climate exactly where you want it, e.g at equator and everything else follows.
If you don't want to deform your continents by resizing, just create a dark blue 2x1 layer and position your continents on it where you want them.

I always start my world maps with 2x1 format right from the beginning even if I want to show only a part of the world.
Nothing prevents letting the unknown parts blank and write "Terra Incognita" on it

[sheldonl]

Ok, here is the latest set of maps. Let me know what you all think. Thanks!

[Deadshade]

Ah OK. I now see that your continent is largely in the N hemisphere and the equator is almost at the bottom of the map.
So now everything fits and frankly there is not much to add. Just limit the snow range to above approximately 50-55° N.

I preferred the first dark blue on oceans because that's how the Earth's oceans look like seen from space.
Perhaps that there are too many lakes - lakes are a relatively exceptionnal feature and on the Earth they are less than 1% of the continent surface.
I see that you preferred to keep the fractal ocean bottom showing. This is a matter of taste - on a real planet you would see no detail of the depths but some people like this pleasant even if non realistic effect.

The thin shape of the mountains is especially realistic and compelling - you did them by hand ?

[sheldonl]

Ah OK. I now see that your continent is largely in the N hemisphere and the equator is almost at the bottom of the map.
So now everything fits and frankly there is not much to add. Just limit the snow range to above approximately 50-55° N.

I preferred the first dark blue on oceans because that's how the Earth's oceans look like seen from space.
Perhaps that there are too many lakes - lakes are a relatively exceptionnal feature and on the Earth they are less than 1% of the continent surface.
I see that you preferred to keep the fractal ocean bottom showing. This is a matter of taste - on a real planet you would see no detail of the depths but some people like this pleasant even if non realistic effect.

The thin shape of the mountains is especially realistic and compelling - you did them by hand ?

Thanks again for the feedback. I showed the ocean floor this time b/c (I think it was Chick) suggested that I show more of them. I have another layer I can turn on that darkens them more and I may turn go somewhere in between. The mountains are a combination of cut & pastes from detailed cloud layer and work by hand. I started this effort following a tutorial but by then end of it I've done a lot by hand that is different. (But the tutorial did teach me how to use a lot of the functionality of the gimp; if I could only now get the gimp to stop crashing that would be great.) I thought about snow levels and tree lines and my intention was that those mountain ranges where I show snow are fairly high, like the Rockys, which have snow on them year round, the range in the center of the map has a continuous cold stream of water coming from the arctic region down so I figured it would be cooler and I could keep the snow there. The range on the right side I was debating about, perhaps it needs to be toned down, or the height map needs more work to really show that the elevation is high and it gradually descends to the ocean.

Thank you Deadshade and everyone on this thread for all of your feedback!

I'm going to do a few more tweaks here and there and then I'm on to labels and symbols to finish this off.

[Deadshade]

Well for the permanent snow line on mountains you have an easy guide.
On Earth the lapse rate is about 6°C/km.
So if at the foot of the mountain the maximum temperature is around 30°C then if your mountain is more than 5 km high, it will have a permanent snow cap above the 5 km altitude.

[Farland]

I really like your map. How did you color your continent?