Hello Ryan, welcome!

If you'll allow me, the rule of thirds is a powerful ally in both painting and the aesthetics of map presentation.

Looking at your interesting first drawing, I would say that the right third is well filled and has a good aesthetic of the continent and island. However, and on the left side of the image, we have an empty "canvas" devoid of information.

1 In this first example, if you have an idea of ​​what exists inside the continent, you can move the landmass to the left so that the image is still balanced and develops more information about the interior of this land.

2 In the second example, you leave it where it is and, to make an interesting image, I would add things to fill the left side. Some of the suggestions are giant monsters without scale, frames with information, legends and local stories, flags and drawings that fill the space.

P.S to example number 1 and 2, It is always recommended that all the main information and images are within an imaginary frame (in green with crooked lines lol) to also give a more harmonious final image.

3 Another possibility you can transform this map into a 1x1 scale, for example 100x100 miles/kms and "cut" a good part of the ocean if it is not useful.

In all situations, after your map is done, you can finish writing name the cities, the island, volcan and points of interest to draw more attention. Plus Decorate the map with the name of the kingdom, region, etc.

As @Loopysue said, scale and rose wind are also essential resources.

Personally, I would go with the first or third.

Cheers

Although I normally add this effect to an image editing program, the other day while playing with CC3, the possibility of exporting the original image with this effect built in came to mind. This effect is Vignette.

In photography and painting is an aesthetic effect that creates a gradual darkening or lightening of the edges of an image or canvas, directing the viewer's attention to the center or to a specific area of ​​the composition. This feature can occur intentionally or accidentally and has different applications and meanings in both contexts.

Some of them are:

Directing the Eye - Vignette is often used to guide the viewer's eye to the point of interest in the image, usually located in the center.

Creating Atmosphere - Darker tones at the edges can create a dramatic or introspective effect, while lighter edges can convey lightness or serenity.

Natural Framing - It acts as a "frame" for the scene, keeping the focus within the composition and reducing peripheral distractions.

Emphasis on Subject - In painting, the use of softer or darker tones at the edges helps to highlight the main subject of the work.

Impression of Depth - The gradual tonal transition can create the illusion of three-dimensionality or that the subject is emerging from the darkness.

Narrative and Drama - Vignettes are used to emphasize emotional or symbolic context, reinforcing feelings of isolation, mystery, or introspection.

Natural Focus - In the absence of digital vignettes, artists use brushstrokes or color choices to soften the edges of the composition, naturally guiding the eye.

To achieve this effect, I used Mike Schley's Contours sea, moving the SHEET above all the icons in the image. After that, an inner edge fade is applied to the Contours by adjusting the Edge Width.

A good option might be the Dark Lands style crater, an Overland produced by Sue Richards. Just like the cliffs, this crater works very well with the Mike Schley style and vice versa.

Welcome @RyanosRealm

I recomend Mr. Joe's videos, here is the link to the first one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq5-T12055Y

These are the oldest videos on how to use the program, are very complete and are a solid foundation in using the program..

After these, on Remmy's channel https://www.youtube.com/@RemyMonsen or even on the official Pro Fantasy channel https://www.youtube.com/@ProfantasySoftware there are many more explanatory videos.

As for the rest and any other questions, we are here on the forum.

Salut!

Hey Royal my friend! I am really impressed with the amount of detail in this map. It took a lot of time and work to arrange all these elements together. Congratulations! The transition from the background to the "civilized" part of the kingdom is very subtle and progressive.

The only suggestion/challenge is to listen to the words of the master @Dak and make all the trees by hand, one by one. Also for my understanding it is a monastic task - lol - and aesthetically where I notice the difference in the finishing.

Whenever possible, I usually use this technique to facilitate my work in speed, because giving variety to a forest or chain of mountains/hills is a task that really requires a lot of patience, but once it is automated, it is usually relatively fast.

So before I start drawing, I preselect all the mountains, hills and trees that I want (mostly) beforehand. One by one (group), I press the tab key incessantly until I "go back" through all the images in that segment (I don't know the technical terms, sorry).

Once I've done the whole process on all the mountains, hills and trees I want (including cities and buildings in case I want to make a cityscape for example) I start drawing.

Then I switch to the folder on the bottom left, the options (selected items) and work there more quickly, choosing the image I want to give more variety.

With the attached file, I made this quick image of five examples of mixing trees from different image sets to compose a certain vegetation environment.

Default terrains are just to "separate" the groups.