Outlines, Borders & Territories

Most cartographers have their own tried and tested method of drawing outlines, borders and dividers. These are in most cases, just different thickness hand drawn black lines. I personally like to keep outlines and dividers on the same layer, because I have a simple method of editing them if required, but I have made maps with separate outlines, borders & territory dividers. However, I will cover the same layer version here with image examples. First select a New Transparent Layer, then select the brush tool and select size 3 pixels (do not select airbrush) and swatch colour black (#000000). Then draw your required land outline shape. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Coast.png[/img] Keep the same size brush and draw the region border. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Coast-Border.png [/img] Now change the brush size to 2 pixels (you might have to type this brush size as default sizes are 1, 3, 5 etc) and draw your territory divider shapes. (wherever possible make contact with another line at approximately 90 degrees) [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Coast-Border-Dividers.png [/img] You now have your first rough version of your outlines and dividers. You'll notice I did this in stages, well I actually duplicated the layer each time before I added something, therefore I have 3 layers with the above content on each. This means, if I want to make the outline and border look bolder, I can turn on the layer with those on and we see two layers at the same time like so. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Coast-Border-Dividers-Bold.png [/img] Now you have your basic outline model, you can do whatever you want with it. For example, if you didn't like the position of one territory divider, you could delete it and draw another. I would duplicate the layer first, just in case I change my mind at a later date. Here is my method of editing drawn lines, select the Polygonal Lasso Tool (looks like a coat hanger in Photoshop) and select the area you wish to delete from that layer, which when you arrive back at your selection start point, creates a marquee (you just avoid anything you don't want to delete with the Lasso). [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Marquee-selection.png[/img] Then after pressing the delete button it will look like this. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Marquee-delete.png[/img] Deselect the marquee, and select the brush tool again (size 2, black). Now zoom in and draw your new territory divider. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Coast-Border-Dividers-New.png[/img] If you examine your lines and find some poor quality areas, you can fix those areas. Use the Polygonal Lasso again on the correct layer and select and delete the poor area. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Marquee-Fix.png[/img] Then select the brush (size 2, black) and draw from where it was cut off to where you want it to dissect another line. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/tutorials/Borders/Coast-Border-Dividers-redraw.png[/img] That concludes this line drawing tutorial. Please remember, there is more than one way to do this and just because I use this method for most maps and for speed, it doesn't mean you shouldn't use somebody else's method or even discover one of your own. I myself use other methods too and sometimes it is absolutely necessary when you help out with somebody else's map.

Thanks aero! Hope you gather these all in one forum topic and sticky it (I'm hoping/assuming, you'll be doing more). And hopefully people submit their tricks and tips ^^

You are welcome, Yes, tutorials don't take much time at all. The above one took just over an hour to draw, upload and create the tutorial thread, so there will no doubt be more. Don't worry about it being a sticky, there is a sticky tutorials index which will link you to it, no matter how far down the thread it drops.

what programme do u guys use to draw these?

Adobe Photoshop