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I started making art in earnest about a year and a half ago. I had finished a novel manuscript, and I wanted to try my hand at creating some maps. Here are my first attempts, made with Photoshop Elements:
These were actually the second or third drafts. I put an embarrassing amount of time into detailing them. I hadn't read any guides to speak of, I just figured I'd give a go. Some friendly deviants suggested I look around at some of the other maps and try experimenting with different styles.
As I looked around DeviantArt, I realized that I needed to up my game. I learned to play with filters and read through a tutorial or two. I started making maps like this:
and this:
I was starting to realize what I could do with some of this graphics software. I started getting active with the Cartographers Guild, where a nice guy named Arsheesh, who offered very helpful suggestions and guides. By following his tutorials, I created the first map that I felt confident about:
This map kindled a creative flame within me. I found myself learning how to draw vector icons in Inkspace to go into my maps, like these:
I also branched out and tried some other programs, like Lego Digital Designer:
But really, the maps remain my central artistic focus. Every time I make one, I learn something new, and I try something new. Sometimes I get tips and pointers that help me with future maps, sometimes I get little pats on the back, like having my map added to a favorite collection or getting put on someone's watch list. The neatest pats on the back, though, come from when someone I've never met tells me about a personal reaction they have to it, like a few Michiganders who can see their hometowns on this post-apocalyptic map:
Connections like that are what makes this site such a great place for artists and art-fans. They're what keep bringing me back here. Even if I'm not actively making or posting new art, I see such a wealth of creativity and technique among the Deviants that I can't help but look at some beautiful art every day, and tell the artist who created it why I'm so glad they chose to share it with the world.
What I'm trying to say is, thank you, DeviantArt creators, for creating a virtual space where people the world over can come together to create and appreciate art. My world is a better place for it. 14 years is a long time to stick around in the age of the Internet, and I hope you stick around for many more years to come.
These were actually the second or third drafts. I put an embarrassing amount of time into detailing them. I hadn't read any guides to speak of, I just figured I'd give a go. Some friendly deviants suggested I look around at some of the other maps and try experimenting with different styles.
As I looked around DeviantArt, I realized that I needed to up my game. I learned to play with filters and read through a tutorial or two. I started making maps like this:
and this:
I was starting to realize what I could do with some of this graphics software. I started getting active with the Cartographers Guild, where a nice guy named Arsheesh, who offered very helpful suggestions and guides. By following his tutorials, I created the first map that I felt confident about:
This map kindled a creative flame within me. I found myself learning how to draw vector icons in Inkspace to go into my maps, like these:
I also branched out and tried some other programs, like Lego Digital Designer:
But really, the maps remain my central artistic focus. Every time I make one, I learn something new, and I try something new. Sometimes I get tips and pointers that help me with future maps, sometimes I get little pats on the back, like having my map added to a favorite collection or getting put on someone's watch list. The neatest pats on the back, though, come from when someone I've never met tells me about a personal reaction they have to it, like a few Michiganders who can see their hometowns on this post-apocalyptic map:
Connections like that are what makes this site such a great place for artists and art-fans. They're what keep bringing me back here. Even if I'm not actively making or posting new art, I see such a wealth of creativity and technique among the Deviants that I can't help but look at some beautiful art every day, and tell the artist who created it why I'm so glad they chose to share it with the world.
What I'm trying to say is, thank you, DeviantArt creators, for creating a virtual space where people the world over can come together to create and appreciate art. My world is a better place for it. 14 years is a long time to stick around in the age of the Internet, and I hope you stick around for many more years to come.
The Astro-Map Tutorial
In response to a couple of requests, I've put together a video tutorial that can walk you through how to make a terrain map out of an astronomical object like a nebula, the Milky Way, or another galaxy. I suggest you watch it with closed captions on.
I hope you like it!
DeviantArtist Questionnaire
How long have you been on DeviantArt? A couple of years
What does your username mean?It's a reference to a character I played in Everquest a long time ago. It's a musical term meaning fierce.
Describe yourself in three words. Committed, creative engineer.
Are you left or right handed? Right
What was your first deviation? A map (of course)
What is your favourite type of art to create? Maps! I especially enjoy making maps of fantasy and science fiction settings.
If you could instantly master a different art style, what would it be? Playing guitar. The instruments I play tend to be more obtrusive, not the kind you can just strum in the bac
Commission Rate: My Most Frequently-Asked Question
"What's your rate for commissions?" It's a simple question with a complicated answer. For a product like the best maps I've done to date, I'd likely charge hundreds of dollars. For a simple, smaller map, I might charge as little as $50. If you want a specific quote, you'll have to answer these questions:
1. How big do you want the map to be? I do most of my work in GIMP, a bitmap editor, so the first thing I need to know is the dimensions of the final product (number of pixels by number of pixels). Bigger maps tend to take more work and more time. The biggest ones I've made to date are maps like my Upper Peninsula map. I could go bigger, if
Dealing with DeviantArt's Nasty Adware Problems
Until a few days ago, I had a lot of problems browsing DeviantArt. I have pretty good antivirus and malware protection that was warning me regularly of malicious code attacks. I had pop-up tabs opening periodically to some very shady websites. The video ads sucked up so much memory and processing speed that I was constantly having to stop scripts. The audio starts up randomly, which is irritating when you have multiple tabs open and don't know which one is causing problems. I often just gave up and turned the speakers off entirely.
As irritating as these issues are, these ads are causing very serious problems for DeviantArt users who aren't
© 2014 - 2024 Will-Erwin
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