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Having the ability to produce a fantasy map is a nifty addition to any Illustrators' armory. Fantasy maps are used extensively in role playing games, in both digital and impress media. Although in that location are some specialist map generator applications available, their results often appear lackluster and uninspiring.
In this tutorial, we'll adopt a hands-on approach and modify existing source textile to conjure up the magical Kingdom of Nyan!
I'd like to thank everyone who allowed me to use their resource and in particular Stephen Caissie.
Resource
Yous'll find the Photoshop PSD file in a directory labeled "source" that came in the ZIP file that yous downloaded. You may wish to expect through it briefly before we begin. You'll also find some 3D renders to complete the tutorial.
As well as the 3D renders, yous'll need to grab the post-obit free resources.
You'll also need to this Celtic font and a demo of the SuperBladePro plug-in installed before launching Photoshop.
Fantasy Maps By and Present
Fantasy maps have existed for centuries; in fact the first maps were a combination of reality and fiction. Cartographers of the time were faced with huge expanses of unknown territory, so they filled these missing parts with their imagination. These maps seem quite bizarre today, as next to fairly realistic depictions you'll find serpents and other mythological creatures. Modern solar day fantasy maps are commonplace in part playing estimator games, they also appear in novels and magazines.
I produced a realistic sea chart analogy a few years back, simply I wanted this one to depict a completely fanciful world, complete with barbarians and beasts! Having an existing collection of Daz3D figures, I decided this was the route to take — so earlier starting, I compiled some reference cloth and source files.
Stride ane
Launch Illustrator and create a 250mm square certificate (the color mode's not of import). With your Rulers visible (Command + R) zoom into the peak-left corner and elevate the rules origin signal to the top-left border of the artboard.
Step 2
Pull in fundamental guides — you may need to hit Alt + Command + Semicolon to unlock your guides and position them accurately using the Reference Point Locator (vertical guide X: 125, horizontal guide Y: -125mm).
Step 3
Next, set the Fill and Stroke to naught and hit Command + Y to piece of work in Outline Mode. Select the Rectangle Tool (M) and click anywhere on the artboard. In the next window enter 220mm in the Width and Height fields and click OK. Position the object dead center using the Reference Bespeak Locator (X: 15mm and Y: -15mm).
Now hit Command + 5 to convert the object to guides, then Alt + Command + Semicolon once again to lock guides.
Step iv
Download this vector map and open up it in Illustrator. We won't be needing the entire map, I decided to use selective continents from the Eastern Hemisphere and modify it to adjust the fantasy map, but feel free to choose your own area. Unlock both layers, then grab the Directly Selection Tool (A) and drag it across the areas non required and hit Delete a couple of times.
Zoom in and keep to clear unnecessary details, such as tiny islands, etc. Select All (Command + A) and Re-create to the Clipboard.
Pace 5
Paste the map into your square Illustrator certificate and enlarge (my map segment required an enlargement of around 650%) then rotate 90 degrees clockwise. We'll be cropping areas which extend beyond the guides later on, just for now feel free to use the Direct Selection Tool once again to delete any larger distracting land masses.
Stride 6
Fill the map with blackness with a zero Stroke. You may demand to apply some not-proportional scaling to ensure it covers the guide box. You can as well select smaller areas with the Straight Selection Tool and reposition them — remember, were creating something imaginary.
In one case your happy with your shape, select it and choose Brand Compound Shape from the Pathfinder palette, then striking the Expand push.
Zoom in and you'll notice there's a blocky effect effectually the coastlines. Fix this by selecting Filter > Stylize > Round Corners and inbound a small-scale amount in the Radius field — I used 1mm.
Pace seven
Ready your Fill to white and Stroke to zero, and so add together a square the same size every bit your guides (220mm square) and position exactly as you did in Step 3.
Select both the square and map, then choose the Crop command from the Pathfinder palette. Now Re-create the combined shape to the Clipboard. Salve your Illustrator certificate, equally y'all'll exist needing it later in the tutorial, then Quit Illustrator.
Step viii
Switch to Photoshop and create a new sheet, accepting the Clipboard preset, select RGB Way and White as the Background Content. Now Paste the selection choosing the Pixels option, and so take the Place prompt. Your Illustrator map volition at present import every bit a layer.
Throughout this tutorial we'll be loading the map every bit a selection, and so it'due south best to shop it within an Blastoff channel. Target the map layer, then Select All and Copy, switch to your channels tab, add a new channel by clicking on the Create new channel button. At present Paste the layer content onto the new channel and hitting Command + I to Invert (Photoshop uses white pixels equally selective areas). Double-click the channel thumbnail and ensure the default Masked Areas push button is checked. The channel can now be renamed "Map" and your initial map layer discarded.
Step 9
OK that'due south our map safely placed within it's own channel. Side by side, we need some textures for the continents. Download and open this relief map (be sure to download the top "Hypsography + Shaded relief (133.nine MB)" version).
This map is platonic because it's high resolution and has all the relief particular nosotros need — it'south a pretty hefty download though, so be patient.
We now need to Copy > Paste selective areas into our fantasy map file; zoom in and expect for suitable details. Take hold of the Lasso Tool (L) and roughly select your chosen area (I selected a clamper of Africa, because it's got some interesting geographical features), then Copy to the Clipboard.
Before y'all Paste the option, click the top RGB composite aqueduct and ensure the visibility of your "Map" channel is still enabled. Switch to your layers tab and Paste the selection every bit a new layer. Roughly Transform/position using the "Map" channel every bit a guide.
Copy > Paste some other state surface area, so information technology looks something like this.
Grab the Eraser Tool (E) and use a medium, soft-edged brush to gently alloy the summit layer. Now hit Command + Due east to Merge Down the upper layer. Next, set the Clone Postage Tool (S) to the Electric current Layer and fill whatever missing areas — remember to use your "Map" channel every bit a guide.
Step x
Label the merged layer "Land mass," then revisit your download map and utilise the same method to excerpt a mountainous region and Copy > Paste. Enlarge/position as required, so erase the hard edges equally previous. Name this layer "Terrain 1."
Proceed calculation further mountain ranges using the aforementioned process. Although this is a fantasy map, it even so needs to obey the laws of nature, and so keep these mountainous regions inland, away from the coastline. You tin now characterization all these layers accordingly and drop them into a group binder chosen "Country."
Pace 11
Switch to your channels tab and Control-click your "Map" channel thumbnail to load a selection. Now uncheck the channel'south eye icon to make information technology invisible, and with the RGB composite channel still highlighted, switch back to your Layers tab. Target your "LAND" folder, then go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection.
Step 12
Download these textures and import "delicate1.jpg" as a top layer within the "LAND" binder. Overstate to encompass your canvas, prepare its Alloy Mode to Multiply and label it "Land distress 1."
Add "delicate3.jpg" equally a new layer and resize. Label appropriately and alter the Blend Fashion to Color Burn.
Repeat using "delicate5.jpg" with a Blend Mode of Multiply.
And a final distress layer using "delicate2.jpg" with a Blend Mode of Multiply again.
Step 13
Set your Foreground colour to #335c60, target the original "Background" layer and hit Option + Delete to fill with turquoise. Import "delicate2.jpg" over again, to a higher place the "Background" and name it "Sea distress." Set its Blend Mode to Color Burn down and lower its Opacity to 72%. This layer tin can now be labelled "Sea distress." Feel free to flip/rotate this layer, or whatsoever other distress layers inside the "LAND" binder to gustation.
Next, we'll alter the "Ocean distress" layer non-destructively by pressing Option while choosing Hue/Saturation from the adjustment layer driblet-down button, in the following window bank check Create Clipping Mask. Select the Colorize option and use the Hue, Saturation and Lightness settings as shown.
Step 14
Now we'll utilize a darker edge to the sea; add a new layer filled with #335c60 higher up the previous adjustment layer, set its Blend Way to Multiply and Opacity to 68%. Side by side, add a mask and grab a big, soft-edged castor to hibernate areas. Note: My mask is shown in isolation below.
Finally, name the layer "Sea dark edge" and identify information technology, along with the "Body of water distress" and it's adjustment Layer, (maintaining their stacking club) into a new folder called "SEA."
Step 15
Drop a new folder named "COASTLINE" above the "SEA" binder. Add a new layer within it labelled "Declension 1." Generate a selection from your "Map" channel, get to Select > Change > Expand and enter 22 px, so hit Alt + Command + D and enter a Plume Radius of 20 px. Now fill up the modified selection with #64997d on the new layer, then lower its Opacity to 28%. Note: I've disabled the visibility of the "Country" binder for clarity in the screenshot below.
Drop in another layer and proper name it "Coast 2." Follow the aforementioned selection method, just Expand by ii px and Feather by 10 px. Y'all tin can fill up this selection with #3bb095, merely leave its Opacity at 100%.
Add a terminal coastline layer chosen "Declension 3," apply the aforementioned selection process only Aggrandize by 1 px and Feather by v px. This pick tin can be filled with white and its Opacity reduced to 24%.
Building up different layers using this technique gives added flexibility for the following step — and besides looks less mechanical than applying a Layer Fashion.
Step 16
Allow'due south add a flake of irregularity to the coastline; take hold of the Smudge Tool (R), uncheck the Sample All Layers and enable the Finger Painting options. Now pick a pocket-sized, soft-edged castor at effectually 50% Strength and work on each layer in turn to pull pixels out from the edge.
Footstep 17
Add a mask to the "COASTLINE" folder and use a variety of brushes at varying opacities to knock back areas. Recall, we're aiming for an inconsistent, natural-looking effect. Note: My mask is shown in isolation beneath.
Now's a practiced time to revisit your distress layer Blending Modes and adjust their settings to sense of taste — I reset "Country distress i" to Color Fire, but feel free to make any further adjustments as required, because your map won't exist a carbon copy of mine.
Step xviii
At present nosotros need to add some actress sheet to permit for the decorative edge. Go to Epitome > Canvas Size (Alt + Command + C) and set both the Width and Meridian fields to 25cm, then highlight the central Ballast point, White as the Canvas extension colour and hit OK.
Step 19
Download these textures and import "amitins_20 Leather.jpg" as a new layer in a higher place the "Country" folder and proper noun information technology "Border." Scale non-proportionally to fit and position as shown.
We'll need this layer intact for later, so Select All > Copy > Paste, accepting the Clipboard preset and flatten. At present name it and Save to a user-friendly location — I called mine "Leather_distress.jpg."
Step 20
Download this Illustrator edge brush and place the "Celtic Border Brush.ai" file within your Illustrator > Presets > Brushes folder and launch Illustrator.
Note: This brush is for non-commercial apply, merely the author granted permission in this instance.
Open your map file that you saved from Footstep 7 and load the new brush from the brush palette fly-out carte. Note: If you didn't quit Illustrator earlier, the bush won't appear in the brush listings until you restart Illustrator.
Select the Rectangle Tool and click anywhere on the artboard. In the side by side window enter 240mm in the Width and Tiptop fields and click OK. At present utilise a 1pt black dominion to the object using the border castor.
With the square selected go Object > Expand Appearance. Now snap it to the height-left corner of the artboard and use the Reference Indicate Locator to check that the X and Y coordinates are ready to cipher. Enter 250mm in both the Width and Height fields.
Now Re-create > Paste As Pixels into your projection file in a higher place the "Border" layer.
Step 21
Control-click the new layer to load it as a selection, then switch to your channels tab and add a new channel. Now fill up the active choice with white and characterization it "Edge sharp." You tin now disregard the initial edge layer.
Drag the "Border sharp" thumbnail over the Create new channel push to indistinguishable it and rename information technology "Edge blur." Now go to Filter > Blur and enter a Radius of 3.0 px. We'll utilize this blurred channel to create the embossed effect in the adjacent step.
Step 22
Target the top RGB composite channel and check that the visibility of the additional channels are off. At present switch to your layers tab and target the "Border" layer.
Side by side, go to Filter > Return > Lighting Effects and use the settings shown below. You'll also need to select "Border blur" from the Texture Channel drib-downwards card, check White is high and set the Height value to 12.
Step 23
We at present demand to trim abroad the inner excess. First, add a mask to the "Border" layer, then generate a selection from your "Border abrupt" channel. At present Shift-click using a medium, black, hard-edged brush effectually the four inner corners as indicated — be careful non to stray into the outer border. If you do, just reinstate with a white brush.
Mask the remaining fundamental area by dragging a rectangular selection and filling with black on the mask. Now clip a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to the "Edge" layer. First adjust the Hue Principal setting, then utilise the Edit drop-downwardly menu to modify the Red and Yellow Saturation/Lightness settings.
Step 24
Side by side, clip a Levels adjustment layer to the "Edge" layer and prepare the Input/Output Levels equally shown.
Generate a selection from your "Border sharp" channel again, target the previous Levels aligning mask and fill with blackness. Now the Levels adjustment is limited to the areas backside the border.
Stride 25
To enhance the border a piffling, load the "Border sharp" channel as a choice once more and fill up with #cab48e on a new layer at the top of the stack and label information technology "Edge yellowish." Alter its Blend Mode to Soft Light, and then place all your loose layers into a new folder chosen "Edge."
Step 26
Next, I'll briefly outline how the 3D models were created. I beginning used Poser to load the figures from my library.
Props such as weaponry were parented to the hand parts, so they would follow the figure'south movements when posed.
Considering I wanted more than one Poser figure per scene, I exported each figure as carve up OBJ files for importing into Cinema 4D afterward. Annotation: Poser can sometimes run painfully slow when using multiple figures.
Even though the figures would reproduce very modest, I still went to the extent of adding details such as facial expressions.
The separate OBJ effigy files were imported into Cinema 4D using the interPoser plug-in. Each scene was lit, with just a single lite casting hard shadows — which suited their reproduction size. I and then ran out some test renders and discovered that using isometric project worked best with the 2D map. Finally, I rendered each scene to high resolution with an additional Alpha mask and then they could be selected easily.
I've supplied all these renders in the "source" folder, only feel free to make your own.
Step 27
Open "Render_1.psd," fix the shadow layer to Multiply and Opacity to 50%.
Generate a layer based choice from the summit layer, and then apply the Clone Tool (ready to Current Layer) to repair the texture holes on the barbarian's head with a small, soft-edged brush.
Now grab the Sponge Tool, fix information technology to Saturate and use a medium, soft-edged castor to carefully introduce a trivial more color to the adult female's pare.
Step 28
When you're washed, highlight both layers and elevate them into a new group folder labelled "3D FIGURES" at the top of the stack. Now Shift-click both layer thumbnails, scale simultaneously and position every bit shown.
Add together a mask to the shadow layer and gently alloy the furthest edges using a small, soft-edged brush.
Step 29
Import "Render_2.psd," remembering to set the shadow to l%/Multiply and mask areas as previous. This layer requires a slight tonal tweak, and so clip a Levels aligning to the upper layer and utilise the settings beneath.
At present add together "Render_3.psd" using the aforementioned technique.
"Render_4.psd" tin as well exist added, then a Hue/Saturation (to just the Yellows) and a Levels aligning clipped to it.
Finally, add "Render_5.psd" (which is minus a shadow) and clip a Levels adjustment as shown.
Footstep 30
Drib a new folder labelled "TEXT" at the superlative of the stack, catch the Blazon Tool (T) and add your kickoff text layer using this Celtic font.
Notation: Additional/culling characters and their keystroke commands are detailed in the readme file that accompany the font download.
Employ the settings shown and color with #569791 by clicking on the Color scrap. Y'all tin also rapidly alter your text by hovering your cursor over the scrubby sliders (circled in red). When you meet the double arrow icon, merely drag left or correct.
Now lower the layer Opacity to 80% to permit a trivial texture to testify through.
Select each initial alphabetic character and increment it's size and adjust the baseline shift to compensate.
Place your type cursor between the initial and second characters, and then reduce the kerning. Repeat this on the second line also.
Step 31
To enable text to follow a predefined curve, grab the Ellipse Tool (U), located under the Custom Shape Tool and set it to the Paths option, and then add a path. Grab the Type Tool and hover over the path until the icon changes. Now type your text and format it as required — you lot tin now reposition the path with the Path Selection Tool (A) and your text volition remain anchored.
To move type along the path, utilize the Straight Option Tool (located beneath the Path Pick Tool). You can even flip blazon to the underside of the path if required and the path can be modified via the Edit > Transform Path command, as well as its private anchor points adapted.
Footstep 32
Use the same technique to begin adding the main place names in black. Too apply a subtle Outer Glow Layer Manner equally shown, using #ceb189. You can either salve this setting in the Styles tab, or employ the Layer > Copy/Paste Style command to your additional layers.
Add the smaller place names only think — this map is loftier resolution, suited to mag reproduction, and then keep things legible by non dropping below 8pt. If you're short on space, adjust the tracking or Horizontal Calibration fields. And If yous're producing a map for the web, adjust your signal sizes accordingly.
Footstep 33
At this point I felt the "Yellowish border" layer needed some amends. Offset, reduce the layer Opacity to xxx%, then clip a Hue/Saturation adjustment Layer. Check the Colorize button and use the settings below.
Step 34
Nosotros now need to comprise some detail to the bounding main; import this old map as a new layer within the "SEA" folder. Transform/position, so the compass sits bottom heart, then change its Blend Manner to Multiply and proper name it "Navigation lines." Side by side, grab the Clone Tool (set to Current Layer) and use a large, soft-edged castor to echo areas. We're only later a faint watermark issue, so utilise a soft-edged eraser at a low Opacity to gently reduce areas.
Let's apply an advanced blending technique to soften the effect more than. Double-click the layer thumbnail to access the blending options, then Alt-click (to split) the top correct-hand Blend If slider. At present pull the left half of the slider to 157.
Finally, bring things into focus and apply an Unsharp Mask filter as shown.
Step 35
Download this Celtic ornament (Top center graphic) and open the "Circle Celtic Ornamentation 2.eps" version with Illustrator. Use the Direct Selection Tool to Delete the right hand copy besides as the fine outer and inner linework. You'll need to keep hitting delete until your graphic looks like this, and so Copy to the Clipboard.
Annotation: This file is likewise for non-commercial use, simply the author granted permission here.
Switch back to your Illustrator map file, lock the base layer, add some other layer and Paste. Now scale and position superlative-left. Next, add together a circle object with a Fill of nil and a 5pt blackness Stroke, then center both objects.
Add the logo using the same font equally previous. Set each line separately at 25pt for the smaller text and 38pt to 55pt for the larger text. I also enlarged the Initial "R" on "REALM" a trivial, then dropped it marginally using baseline shift. Take some time here to balance your elements and likewise suit your tracking and kerning. I could have achieved the same effect within Photoshop, but I prefer Illustrator'southward toolset for creating logos.
Stride 36
Copy > Paste As Pixels at the acme of the layer stack, then load the layer as a selection and fill up with #f2c33f.
With the selection still active, cull Filter > Flaming Pear > SuperBladePro and utilise the settings below. To achieve the same result as mine you'll need to load the "golden" reflection environment preset and hit the Spin button – also, re-create my light settings. When you're washed, click OK to utilise the filter.
Step 37
Select Layer > Matting > Defringe and enter 1px to smooth the edge advent, then add together a Drop Shadow Layer Style.
Proper noun the layer "Heading." At present boost its dissimilarity by clipping a Levels aligning and ready the Input/Output sliders as shown.
Step 38
Add together your tag line at the base of the canvas in the same font with a fill up of #ecda8a. Now reduce the Opacity of the layer to 85% and Re-create > Paste the Layer Style from the "Heading" layer, but reduce the Style'southward Opacity, Spread and Size amounts.
Pace 39
Add a new folder at the top and name it "UPPER DISTRESS." Open up the "Leather_distress.jpg" that you saved from Step 19 and Shift-drag its thumbnail as a new layer within the folder. Characterization information technology "Distress paper" and set its Blend Mode to Hard Low-cal and its Opacity to 73%.
Next, load a layer-based selection from your "Border" layer mask (in the "BORDER" folder), target the new layer and select Layer > Layer Mask > Hibernate Selection. Now prune a Blackness and White adjustment to the "Distress paper" layer choosing the Maximum White preset.
Finally, grab the Clone Tool and use a large, soft-edged brush (gear up to Current Layer) to fix any distress areas that interfere with any elements of the underlying design.
Step 40
Open this paper texture and loosely select the horizontal fold.
Striking Control + J to float the choice equally a new layer, Transform 90 degrees clockwise, position top center, then erase the hard edges. Continue to select and float further selections to make a more divers vertical pucker.
Flatten all layers, then add a conventional Black and White adjustment, selecting the Infared preset.
Now hit Control + I to Capsize the prototype.
Step 41
Import this as a new layer at the top within the "UPPER DISTRESS" folder and name information technology "Creased newspaper." Enlarge to cover your canvas, so add central guides to position the folds equally shown.
Double-click the layer thumbnail and split the top-left Blend If slider to 139.
Step 42
All that's left to do now is apply some overall color and tonal refinements. Start add a conventional Levels adjustment Layer above all your folders and prepare the midtone slider to 1.10.
Stride 43
For the final step add a Color Make full adjustment Layer using #f9f583. Change this layer to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to between 10 - 25%. This has the effect of aging the map by reducing whatsoever pure white.
Conclusion
I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and also discovered some new techniques along the manner. Why not accept a go at creating your ain fantasy world. Remember, you're only limit is your imagination!
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How to Draw a Map in Illustrator TUTORIAL
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