WIP - The Eastern shores of Ehren

[Kellerica]

I'm a little late to the party as usual, but God almighty those forests look FANTASTIC. I definitely didn't hate the earlier version of them either, but the new style really kicks major ass. Thanks a ton for sharing, I'll have to experiment as soon as I get home to my Photoshop!

I guess if I had to critique something, I'd say that the black line on the coastline looks a touch too digital compared to the gorgeous softness of the inland elements - but you did say that you were going to tone it down, so you're probably on that already. What I personally like to do (since actually drawing the line freehand is a little more effort than I'd care), is select the landmask, stroke the selection on a new layer, then make a copy of that layer, use Gausian Blur to blur the copy just a little bit and then put the opacity down to about 50 % and then merge both of these stroke layers together. The blurred copy in there makes the line seem a little smoother, enough that I usually can tolerate how it looks in comparison to element actually drawn freehand (sorry, don't know if that explanation made any sense or if it's even something you're interested in...)

Overall, this map is already looking stunning. I can't wait to see it finished - there's a spot reserved for it in my "Inspiration" folder already!

[kacey]

I'm a little late to the party as usual, but God almighty those forests look FANTASTIC. I definitely didn't hate the earlier version of them either, but the new style really kicks major ass. Thanks a ton for sharing, I'll have to experiment as soon as I get home to my Photoshop!

I guess if I had to critique something, I'd say that the black line on the coastline looks a touch too digital compared to the gorgeous softness of the inland elements - but you did say that you were going to tone it down, so you're probably on that already. What I personally like to do (since actually drawing the line freehand is a little more effort than I'd care), is select the landmask, stroke the selection on a new layer, then make a copy of that layer, use Gausian Blur to blur the copy just a little bit and then put the opacity down to about 50 % and then merge both of these stroke layers together. The blurred copy in there makes the line seem a little smoother, enough that I usually can tolerate how it looks in comparison to element actually drawn freehand (sorry, don't know if that explanation made any sense or if it's even something you're interested in...)

Overall, this map is already looking stunning. I can't wait to see it finished - there's a spot reserved for it in my "Inspiration" folder already!

Thank's so much Kelleri, sorry for the late reply, I try to keep up on it, but every one in my entire house is sick so I haven't had allot of time. The problem with the coast appearing different then the rest of the lines is because I did the coast first with a hard round brush, by hand, and then when I went to draw the other elements I decided to make a more scruffy edged brush as an after thought because I wanted them to somehow merge with the texture not just sit on top, so there lies the problem, two different brushes, and I'm just too lazy to redraw the whole coast line by hand with the scruffy brush. That's a good idea about blurring a copy, I hadn't thought of that, I'll have to give it a try, thank's.

[kacey]

Did some more work on the rivers, I tapered out the ends a little more, and finished the major river systems that could possibly effect national borders. I could do more, but for now I'm done. I also darkened them a bit, and turned the opacity down on my coast line just a smidge trying to reach some form of balance. In all honesty when viewed at print size in full resolution the coast line problem really isn't all that noticeable. I wish I could upload full size images, I find in shrinking them down everything get's really pixilated, and yucky, and also I find the colour a bit off when I view it through the site. In reality the image is a bit warmer. I hope to move on to national borders next, still haven't really came up with any names, so I may have problems there...I wonder how you guy's come up with so many names to put on a map? I can think up about five, then I go blank, and usually I find that some one else already used half the names I thought I came up with, and so I have to strike them off the list.

[Diamond]

Those rivers turned out great - nice job there. As far as names, honestly, I recycle about 75% of mine from map to map because like you said, it's a pain in the a$$ to think up new ones time after time. However: random name generators are your friend:

http://donjon.bin.sh/name/#type=anci...ylonian%20Male

http://www.mithrilandmages.com/utilities/CityNames.php

http://www.squid.org/rpg-random-generator

http://www.aeldan.com/gen.php?gen=name_celtic

http://fantasynamegenerators.com/

[Falconius]

Whatever you did with the rivers seems to work in making the junctions less noticeable. However in looking at that I did notice in your south eastern lakes you've got that navigation line running through them which looks out of place to me, especially since they're not running through any of the other lakes.

The map is looking really good, I'm always looking forwards to your next steps.

[kacey]

Those rivers turned out great - nice job there. As far as names, honestly, I recycle about 75% of mine from map to map because like you said, it's a pain in the a$$ to think up new ones time after time. However: random name generators are your friend:

http://donjon.bin.sh/name/#type=anci...ylonian%20Male

http://www.mithrilandmages.com/utilities/CityNames.php

http://www.squid.org/rpg-random-generator

http://www.aeldan.com/gen.php?gen=name_celtic

http://fantasynamegenerators.com/

Thank's Diamond, I'll have to check out those links, I can use all the help I can get. It's good to know I can recycle names, I've never noticed it on you're maps before so this is a sigh of relief. I had thought about using some names I had thought up for my unfinished Avearia map, but was thinking it might be tacky to duplicate, and now I know I can... and I will, I have a few I've been saving for that one when I get around to finishing it... Which I plan to, and also I've been saving some for my next project which I have planned, which will be in a completely different style, I want to try some shaded relief style mountains "a la Diamond"... I think I've figured out you're tricks.

[kacey]

Whatever you did with the rivers seems to work in making the junctions less noticeable. However in looking at that I did notice in your south eastern lakes you've got that navigation line running through them which looks out of place to me, especially since they're not running through any of the other lakes.

The map is looking really good, I'm always looking forwards to your next steps.

Thank's Falconius, all I did was darken the rivers a bit, and turn down the opacity on the coast just a tad, I'm glad to hear that it helped. I was waiting for someone to notice those lines, they just happened that way as an artifact when I did the main sea lines, they line up with them, I just never removed them...I can easily take care of that. Thank's for pointing it out, I was unsure of weather I should take them out or not.

[Diamond]

I think I've figured out you're tricks.

*runs and hides bag of tricks*

Never! Neverrrrrrrrr!

[ChickPea]

I have to give a shout-out to my absolute favourite name generator: The Pseudo-Elizabethan Place Name Generator. The names might be a bit too cutesy for some maps, but I love 'em.

[kacey]

I have to give a shout-out to my absolute favourite name generator: The Pseudo-Elizabethan Place Name Generator. The names might be a bit too cutesy for some maps, but I love 'em.

Thank's ChickPea, this is really helpful, and I'll have to thank Diamond again too. Because of you guy's I spent all my spare time today looking through all these links, and I now have a list of over 450 possible names to play around with.

Quick question tho, how often do these generators shoot out the same names? Will I have hundreds of names already being used on other maps by people who used the same generators? I'm trying to change some of them up by switching a letter or two here, and there, but others just don't work that way.