Fantasy maps created using Xara Xtreme

[Gamerprinter]

I've got NBOS Fractal Mapper, Profantasy Campaign Cartographer - both mostly so I can print customer native map files in large format. My daytime job is running my own graphic arts/digital printing shop. I also run Gamer Printshop (hence my forum name) which is an RPG Map POD shop for gamers. So I'm familiar with FM, though I mostly use Xara of course.

Here's a full color version of the above posted "In the Company of Kappa" cover design. I thought the Rite Publishing logo disappeared into the background. Plus I used a Xara map technique to place the illustration onto a parchment background (giving the illustration the stain-glass transparency filter) which puts some color in the art, so I could try to do the full design in color...

Thoughts?

Michael

[Karateed]

Hi GP,

I tend to agree the colour cover brings out the logos much better. I'm not crazy about the rectangle behind the 'monster' but I don't know how I would change it...again, that's probably just me anyway....overall a very nice design....

[Gamerprinter]

My intentions is that the art itself is a wall hanging and the background is a wall panel shogi screen in style. I may have found better Japanese textile pattern for the backgrounds though, one being painted bamboo symbols to better emulate the homeland of the kappa as lakes, rivers and marshes. Still its close to a final design. I just found out that this book is being released Feb 22nd, this month!

Plus regarding my adventure cover design, the print publishing partner (Cubicle 7) of my co-publisher is printing a hard cover book in June to be released in August 2011, and I'll be using my original second adventure cover art. Once I have that designed for the final total adventure I'll post it here. Each of three adventures is 56 page long, thus 168 pages total for the full book and it will be fully illustrated and include my cartography. I am greatly looking forward to holding a hard cover book in my hands! They will be distributed to game stores across the US. If I meet the page count format, I get a discount per book printed for a better profit overall, or a cheaper cover price.

[Gamerprinter]

Let's try this again. I tried to fix the rectangle behind the kappa into a defined shape. I changed the floral background to bamboo, but I'm still not pleased by it, though better.

Here's the update:

[Gamerprinter]

I needed a half page illustration for a Yurei ghost of an Innkeeper's Wife, for my adventure - since I'm doing layout. Of course I lack the budget and the time to commission a proper illustration, so I whipped up a pencil illustration, actually drawing the hand/arms separately from the main drawing - I was drawing each at a size on too small of paper, so I composited three separate illustrations, then applied some linear transparencies.

Simple, but does the trick I think. If her right arm seems disjointed, its still works, she's a ghost so she not all there...

[Big Frank]

If her right arm seems disjointed, its still works, she's a ghost so she not all there...

Reminds me of my ex-mother-in-law.

[ad1066]

Looks really good. I would get rid of the right arm altogether, though (as if her arm is lowered and out of frame).

-- Ben