Grand Unified Illustration Ideal - Mission 1: Tutorials

Krall

Banned
Greetings, Damen und Herren!

Some of you may be aware that, a long time (well, over six months) ago, I set out a series of projects and principles which collectively became known as the "Grand Unified Illustration Ideal". The goal: For maps and flags to be available, numerous, and awesome.

I set out these ideals in quite grandiose terms, and never actually got around to beginning the project. It begins now.

This thread is a temporary one, though it will hopefully be the first of many. The goal of this thread is to collect together links to map, flag, and other illustrative tutorials from across the fora (and the internet, if possible). These links will then be used in a new thread, which shall link to them all with details regarding their content and quality.

Your part in this, if you choose to take part, is to scour the fora for tutorials. I know several exist but have grown inactive over time, and it is my intention to collect up these tutorials into one place for easy access.

If you do find a relevant tutorial, please post a link to it here! You don't need to add any information beyond the link, but a short description covering the tutorial's focus (maps, flags, etc.) and what programs are needed for the tutorial would be nice.

I'll be looking for tutorials too, so I'm not offloading all the work onto you chaps. ;)


I believe that's everything, so, let us begin.
 

KingByng

For maps

Here's Thande's old tutorial on how to make those diagonal stripes in MS Paint. Pretty useful. Also includes colour replacement.

And here's a tutorial from the now-banned mmmeee0 on how to make animated maps.
 

Akkismat

Map Making by Sapiento:
http://akkismat.deviantart.com/favourites/41149732#/d25fnyi

Collection of GIMP Tutorials on Deviant Art:
http://akkismat.deviantart.com/favourites/41149732#/d1l6pk3

Collection of Inkscape Tutorials on Deviant Art:
http://akkismat.deviantart.com/favourites/#/d2a2fqz

Lineart Tutorial on Deviant Art:
http://akkismat.deviantart.com/favourites/41149732#/djirhd

Coloring?inking Tutorial on Deviant Art:
http://akkismat.deviantart.com/favourites/41149732?offset=24#/d11rhmz

These are all links to tutorials made by other people on Deviant Art, but found them very usefull myself. Hope you like them. Succes!
 
LSCatilina

LSCatilina

How to make maps, Maorgan Hauser-LSCatilina edition

HOW TO MAKE MAPS

If you want to make good maps, you must really take the time to do it.
The firsts ideas you have of nations, federations, wars, etc. for your scenario usually aren't sufficient.
For maps, there are major things to remember:

- Use the right blank map: your map could be too big or small, and focus on areas of little interest to the objective of your map.
- A map must already be fully conceived in your mind, at least by 1/2. You can modify things if you have a good idea, but when you start your map you have to have the general aspects in mind.
-Be inspired by other map-makers, and by actual historical or olds maps (XIX, XX, etc.).

Use the right materials:

- MS Paint is simple, but you can make great maps as well as sober ones. Take a look at other MS Paint maps and try do be a little creative. Don’t worry about "copying" from others. All map makers (or every creator) have been more or less strongly influenced by others.
- MS Paint can be a good start, but if you don’t advance on it, I suggest you use InkScape and download Wikipedia maps in .svg. Cannibalizing existing maps can be an easy way to learn how to make your own ones.

A map must be aesthetically correct:

- Colour: you should preferably make use of "traditional" colour schemes for a specific country. If you want to invent or use your own ones, consider how they would look on a map to the random viewer and choose accordingly. Needlessly bright or dark colours, as well as downright ugly ones are to be avoided.
- No glitches: just be careful and don't accidentally leave any blank regions, between rivers or on islands and peninsulas for example. Become a cleaning-maniac: Not one incorrect pixel must be left remaining. NOT ONE.
- Pay attention to "artificial" borders. Make less use of random borders and study the geographical and socio-political situation some more. Use geographical features like rivers and mountains, ethnic boundaries, and historical ones in order to make good borders.
- Be precise, a correct map is a map you can find in you history class book.

A map must be clear and straightforward:

- Explain the situation: What makes your map AH or FH or even ASB and not a random one? To do that, you can have to explain this with a more or less short piece text before introducing the map, or you can make a really "talking" map by using a legend in your map. For example in a map of Europe in 1945 after WW2 showing who controls what, where the tensions are, who is allied to who, etc.
- A map without a legend must be as clear and easily understandable as possible;
- Name the countries on the map, if possible.
Click to expand...

I'm working on a little How to use Inkscape, it's more technical than really practical, but it could be useful too.
 

Scarecrow

An excelent idea for a thread, should be stickied.

I primarily use Adobe Illustrator for making my maps and flags, so there are a few good starting points for other users of Illustrator, but I'd imagine that the principles are the same for InkScape.

This is a good starting point for how to make a map in illustrator.
This link is a good list of tutorials for starting out using Illustrator.
http://colorschemedesigner.com/ is a free tool to make colour schemes that complement each other, so that your map doesn't look like crap.

There was no real tutorial that can teach you how to make a map, since so much depends on personal style, and if you do work in Illustrator or InkScape you will find a large amount of free resources, including maps and flags online, especialy wikimedia, like LSCatilina mentioned.
 

Yelnoc

Bump. Does anyone have a link to a tutorial on how to make accurate world maps and other BAM's?
 
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