Sketch 1: My Dear Arramatapo

Loopysue

I've been messing around with making my own textures, and decided to do something with one of them...

This is a letter received by carrier pigeon by Arramatapo - our erstwhile hero-to-be. Here he has unravelled the tightly folded map and smoothed it out on the kitchen table...

I have only done the background and the letter part of it just yet. The rest of the space will be a map of the journey Arramatapo must undertake to rescue his father.

What do you think? Worth carrying on with, or just a whim?

Monsen

Looks interesting. I assume this is also made in CC3 (Except the texture itself obviously).

Those freehand lines doesn't quite have the same fluid flow that a pencil line unfortunately, they look a bit artificial at some points. Are you drawing those with a mouse or a pen?

Dogtag

It looks nice, if a little clean. If this is a handwritten message to Arramatapo, however, you might want to consider using a handwriting font rather than the clean, engraved-looking current one (Stonehenge?). I like the creases. At first I thought they seemed awfully close together but then I remembered this was supposed to be delivered by carrier pigeon.

Good start.

Cheers,
~Dogtag

Loopysue

Posted By: MonsenLooks interesting. I assume this is also made in CC3 (Except the texture itself obviously).

Those freehand lines doesn't quite have the same fluid flow that a pencil line unfortunately, they look a bit artificial at some points. Are you drawing those with a mouse or a pen?

Thanks Remy

Oh yes, most definitely CC3. I know how to steer this thing a lot better than anything else I've got

You're right - they are mouse lines, but I'll work on them. They were quite literally a 5 second dash to put a couple of ideas down before the image vanished from mind.

Posted By: DogtagIt looks nice, if a little clean. If this is handwritten message to Arramatapo, however, you might want to consider using a handwriting font rather than the clean, engraved-looking current one (Stonehenge?). I like the creases. At first I thought they seemed awfully close together but then I remembered this was supposed to be delivered by carrier pigeon.

Good start.

Cheers,
~Dogtag

Thanks Dogtag

I'd already realised it was the wrong font, but I've got to go and see mum this afternoon, so I won't be able to do anything for a few hours.

Dirtying it all up is going to be part of the fun, and I'm hoping to make a new set of symbols to use with this texture.

Not sure if I'm going to use colour. I don't know if you'd really find a lot of paint sets in a dragon's lair. Depends how educated they are I suppose

Bill

It's a moral imperative that you continue this!

Bill

JimP

In 2012 I posted some scans of old treasure map symbols if you want to add those in.


treasure map symbols from old maps ?

Loopysue

Posted By: BillIt's a moral imperative that you continue this!

Bill

Yes sir, Bill *salute* LOL!

Posted By: JimPIn 2012 I posted some scans of old treasure map symbols if you want to add those in.


treasure map symbols from old maps ?

That's a very interesting book. It wasn't clear from the thread, though, if you actually got a proper set of usable symbols out of the deal. They are all bunched together in one file as far as I can see.

It won't take that long to re-create them because they are all quite simple line drawings. However I have the facility to make them into proper transparent individual symbols for you to use, if you want/need them, that is. Would you like that?

LadieStorm

Im intrigued by this, Sue ;-). I like the creases in the middle, although it took me a bit to realize what they were...maybe a tad too uniformed?

As for the texture itself...I like the base color of it. However, if I may make a suggestion or two?

This is a bit convoluted, so bare with me a moment. My family has an old diary/journal that was written by an ancestor prior to the American Revolution. It currently sits under glass in my aunt and uncle's house. It was written somewhefe in the mid to late 1600's. It's hard to read, not only because the ink is somewhat faxed with time, but because of the paper it was written on.

The paper has a.... a pulpy texture to it. That's how I know best to describe it. You can see the bits of wood pulp in the paper....where, in spots, whomever created the paper didn't grind the pulp down far enough before they rolled it out and dried it.

What I'm trying to say...is the base texture seems a little too clean... now you mentioned you needed to 'dirty' this up a bit...are you planning to give it texture to help it look like pulpy parchment?

Loopysue

Well... There are all kinds of directions I could take this in, Storm.

Parchment itself - real parchment - is actually animal skin (usually goat or calf) which isn't tanned but soaked in lime to remove the fur, and then stretched on a primitive wooden frame and scraped by hand with an equally primitive circular-bladed scraper. Its finally dried for about a day in normal temperature air. The parchment is cut from the stretching frame and remains in its stretched form with paper-like rigidity. Real parchment isn't waterproof, and is very vulnerable to moisture, which is why its usually in quite a state unless its newly manufactured (and yes - they do still make it).

Vegetable parchment is a modern invention that involves dissolving the cellulose in the plant cell walls and using that a bit like glue to hold the sheet together on drying. That's really translucent, and is sort of how they make grease-proof paper.

What you describe is hand made paper - made with wood pulp. There is also paper made from cotton rags, which is highly sought after by artists, and hand manufactured not far from me. That also has a pulpy texture like wood pulp paper, but its texture is extremely fine - hence the interest from artists, who will pay £50 for an A0 sized sheet of the stuff. I have a very small £1 swatch of it as a souvenir from a visit to the factory.

I know the folds in my parchment texture are a bit too perfect and all very similar, but I'm hoping the dirtying process will disguise that fact. I'm working on a few dirt symbols that can be used to 'stamp' areas of dirt on the parchment, and I may cut a few holes in the parchment where the folds are greatest in intensity to let the wood texture of the table show through (also a home-made texture).

I'm also working on the text and its presentation. I need to make it somehow... blotchy, but not evenly blotchy. Not sure how....

Ah! Just had an idea

Remember the way I discovered how to blur symbols some time back? Well, I can use a sheet with Solid White 10 patches on it to slightly blur the underlying sheets. I'll have to be careful I don't blur the parchment too much, but I think it might work.

Thanks Storm - you see, even when you aren't having one of your ideas you always seem to spark a whole load of spin-off ideas in me

Bill

How about trying the Spatial Matrix effect and use a light patchy emboss on the parchment layer for the texture. Then apply transparency in various patches sheets to build the age into the document.

Just a thought,
Bill

Loopysue

Spatial Matrix effect is beyond my capabilities right now, Bill. I don't understand how it works - its one of the... actually its the only effect I haven't used yet.

I was going to apply stains to the paper by transparency, or try various blend modes. There is actually quite a texture to the texture, if you see what I mean. I've just had to reduce it all so much to upload it that you really can't see it on the image.

Let me give you a much smaller sample at a much larger scale.

You can also see that the folds are way too sharp. I think I need to introduce a bit more Fractalization and Gaussian blur to the pattern before combining it with the paper.

Loopysue

I've looked at the handwriting, added a coffee stain (also attached), and a spill stain, which was just an ordinary shape with an edge fade inner and blend mode applied.

Its a bit difficult to see the details on this map. If you want to see the larger version its here:

https://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=35653&p=315936&viewfull=1#post315936

The coffee stain is just a tad on the dark side, so you might have to apply a bit of transparency to it if you want to make good use of it.

Loopysue

Sorry - I forgot the coffee stain was full size!!! will go back and reduce it for you then re-attach

Loopysue

Its a little worrying that this appears with a white background. I don't know why that should be, since it is in fact properly masked and transparent.

If the process of uploading it has stripped it of this quality please accept my apologies (and don't forget to let me know so I can do something about it)

Thanks

[Deleted User]

Love it so far. One point, would the message be written with so neat margins - looks as if the pigeon carrier had access to Microsoft Word

Loopysue

Written by man, carried by homing pigeon

My margins are always straight when handwriting... mind you, I'm old enough that I used to get into serious trouble if they weren't. If I were 10 years older than I am, I would probably have had my knuckles quite literally rapped with teacher's wooden ruler for not getting it right. We weren't allowed to write with anything other than a pencil until our double handwriting (joined up letters) was already "Copperplate", like a Calligrapher's. Pupils who were still handwriting in pencil by the age of 8 were openly ridiculed for being "babies" in class - by the teacher.

My! How things have changed!

Mind you. I doubt that Arramatapo's dad would have been all that worried about handwriting (other than it just being legible), so I concede the point.

Well considered

Loopysue

Latest update - different font for the main message, more stains, and text on the back of the map

Bill

Nice, its easier to visualize your direction now. Great work.

Bill

Loopysue

Thanks Bill

Its called Benegraphic. I got it from Dafont.com, but it did take several hours to choose. There are literally thousands to look at, and after the first 45 minutes or so they all start to look a bit the same! LOL

I'm going to leave the setting alone now, and move on with the actual map part of the document

Shessar

@Sue

I noticed that you said that you don't understand the Spacial Matrix Process. Try doing a google search on User Defined Filters for PaintShop Pro. That's what this effect is.
Here is one tutorial that explains it in some detail. There was another better tutorial that was around a few years ago, but is seems that it no longer exists. Hope that helps!

Loopysue

Thanks Shessar

I'm so sorry, but I'm not as clever as you think. I read it several times, but I still can't understand. Not to worry, though. I will experiment with it over time and try to work it out that way.

I don't suppose there is a library of example files that I and others could have a look at is there?

Shessar

Add the effect then click the Load button, then navigate to C:\ProgramData\Profantasy\CC3Plus\Filters\Settings.

You probably have several default settings there. (I say probably because there were a few custom settings that I dragged over from my CC3 and I can't remember if spatial matrix were some of them.)

If not, I'll take screen shots of the matrix settings for you.

Loopysue

ooooh yeees. I see it now. I have 6 presets in that folder.

I shall go away and have a play.

Thanks Shessar

JimP

Symbols okay, but I cannot get them right now due to windows computer problems.

Loopysue

Oh its ok, Jim. It will be easier if I just make my own from your book. No trouble - take a couple of minutes each

Not sure I'm going to use any symbols in this particular map. Just wanted to know if you wanted me to make them again for you, but if they are ok, then that's all right

Loopysue

How are you getting on with it by the way - your laptop problem, I mean?

EDIT: don't worry - saw your answer on the other thread

JimP

I'm using my Android tablet to post... If I can find my air card for my desktop, or get the spare hard drive which is smaller than the one in the laptop, anyway. Its going to take a few days to get the largest bits copied out and saved. Last time I had problems getting my email copied over... its in App Data for some strange reason.

Loopysue

How weird! Good luck with it.

Loopysue

This is a little early in the day for me to post - only midday here in the UK, but I would really love to know if you think the method of colouring this map works.

We have to bear in mind that Arramatapo's dad is stuck in the back of a badly lit dragon's cave, and that his only tools are the ones he had in his carry sac when the dragon ate his mule and most of his equipment... while he escaped (Poor Minty).

To draw this map he has at his disposal one journal, from which the page has been torn/cut a couple of quills, a set of 12 coloured inks for illustrations and a single relatively large ink wash brush.

I'm hoping that the work I've done creating a set of ink textures (which are transparent like the Solid White and Solid Black series) is going to pay off.

Please let me know what you think. The dragon by the way, is just a sketch - not the finished article. Just shows what the undiluted inks look like when used in the quill.

As a side note. I had to write an entire page of the journal to create the text showing through the paper from the other side, so I'll upload that one as well so you can see what it says

Loopysue

And here is the back of letter text...

Nacon4

Beautifully done! Now has the Dragon decided to make a pet out of good man? They can, and sometimes will, do that (even dragons get lonely sometimes-and they *so* love their ego stroked!) Otherwise that man has very little hope! A hungry dragon can snap up an adventurer fairly easily. They might even be amused that their pet was sending help messages; and even encourage the human to send them!

Just wondering!

LLAP

Nacon4