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Ascension'sAtlasTutorialinGIMPWhatfollowsis,asnearasIcanmakeit,anapproximationingimpofAscensionsPhotoshopAtlasStyle
tutorial.Onlythetechniquesusedareinthisversion,soIhighlyrecommendthatyoufollowalonginthe
originaltutorialwhileyougothroughit,ashisexplanationsofthethinkingbehindeachstepareextremely
valuable.
1. First,weneedtomakeaChannelforourcoastline.a. RenameBackgroundlayertoOcean(doubleclicklayernametorename)b. FilterRenderCloudsSolidNoise(Randomizechecked,detail15,size9/9)c. DuplicatetheOceanlayer(LayerDuplicateLayer).Thiscanalsobedonebyclickingtheduplicateiconinthelayerstoolbox.RenamethenewlayertoNoise.
d. CreateanewlayernamedClip.Fillitwith50%gray,andchangethelayermodetoLightenOnly.e. OntheNoiselayer,useapaintbrushat30%opacityandpaintwhitetofillinlandareasandblacktofillinsea.You'llendupwithcloudylightlandandflatgreysea:
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f. WiththeFuzzySelectTool(SampleMergedandthresholdof0),clickinthegreyarea.g. CreateanewlayernamedCoastline(LayerFillType:White).Fillyourselectionwithblackbydraggingtheblackcolorfromyourtoolboxtothedrawingarea.
h. SelectNone.i. Withapaintbrushat100%opacityandblackforegroundcolor,paintoveranyunwantedislandsfromthe
creation
process.
j. GrabtheSelectbyColortoolandclickanywhereinthewhitearea.Youshouldseemarchingantssurroundingyourlandmass(es).
k. SwitchtotheChannelsdialog(ifyoudon'tseeit,youcanmakeitappearbyusingtheWindowsDockableDialogsmenuoption.Atthebottomofthechannelsdialog,clickthenewchannelicon.Name
thenewchannelCoastline,andchecktheboxforInitializefromSelection.
l. Switchbacktothelayersdialog.DeletetheNoise,Clip,andCoastlinelayers.2. DuplicateOceanlayerandrenamethecopytoLand.WiththeLandlayer:
a. FilterMapBumpMap(Map:Landlayer.Azimuth:135,Elevation:30,Depth8)b. Rightclickthelayerinthelayersdialog,andclickAddLayerMask.CheckthebuttonforChannel,and
Coastlineshouldappearinthedropbox.Clickok.
3. Createanewlayer(Transparencyfilltype)andnameitLandGlow.Fillwithalightbluecolor(40C8FF,RGB
64,200,255OnpaletteasLandGlow).Addalayermask
(Channel:Coastline).Withthemaskselected,Filters
BlurGaussianBlur(22px).MovetheLandGlowlayerto
beneathLand,
above
Ocean.
See
right
for
an
example
at
100%zoom.
4. Createanewlayer(Transparencyfilltype)andnameitLandColorandmoveittojustabovetheLandlayer.
5. Fillwithalineargradientstraightfromthetopedgetothebottomedgeoftheimage(Ascension'sAtlasTutorialLandGradient).
6. Addalayermask(Channel:Coastline)7. SetlayermodetoHardLight.8. Curves(seeright).Thisstopsthewhitefromwashingoutnearthetopofthemap.
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9. Sofaryoushouldhave4layers,allvisible(fromtoptobottom):LandColor,Land,LandGlow,Ocean.
10.DuplicatetheOceanlayerandrenamethecopytoHills.OntheHillslayer:a. FiltersRenderCloudsDifferenceCloudsb. RepeatDifferenceClouds(CtrlForFiltersRepeatDifferenceClouds).c. Normalize.
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11.Atthispoint,itshouldlooksomethinglikethis:
12.DuplicatetheHillslayer,renamethecopytoMountains,andhide
the
Mountains
layer.
13.WiththeHillslayer:a. FiltersNoiseHSVNoise(Holdness2,Hue0,Saturation0,Value30).Seerightforanexampleat100%zoom.
14.HideHillslayer.
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15.ShowandSelecttheMountainslayer:a. Withtheselectbycolortool,setthethresholdto100andclickonthedarkestspotyousee.Onceit'sdoneselecting,hitdeleteandthenShiftCtrlAtocleartheselection.Thiserasesthedarkestgrays.
b. Inthechanneldialog,rightclickontheCoastlinechannelandclickChanneltoSelection.c. Switchbacktothelayerdialog,selecttheMountainslayer.d. SelectShrink(20px,uncheckShrinkfromImageBorder).e. SelectFeather(20px).f. SelectInvert.g. Hitdelete.h. RightclickthelayerandclickAlphatoSelection.
16.AddanewlayernamedMountainColor.Withthisnewlayer:a. Fillwith5A461Eb. Addlayermask(selection),SelectNone.c. WiththeMaskselected(clickthesecondiconinthelayerdialog):Gaussianblur25px.d. LayermodetoHuee. MovelayertojustaboveLandColorf. Withmeddarkgray(505050)orgreytingedwithblue(505064)andalargepaintbrushat100%opacity,paintoverthebrownonarcticmountains
17.DuplicateMountainslayer,renamethenewlayertoSnowcaps.Withthisnewlayer:a. Setlayermodetoscreen.b. MovelayertojustaboveMountainColor
18.SelecttheMountainslayer:a. Emboss(Azimuth135,Elevation30,Depth20)b. Layermode:overlayc. Layeropacity:85%d. MovelayertojustaboveSnowcaps.
19.SelecttheSnowcapslayer.ColorCurves(seeright)20.SelecttheMountainslayer:a. Addlayermask(fullopacity)b. Withlayermaskselected,paintwithablackpaintbrushtoeraseunwantedmountains.c. Applylayermaskd. Alphatoselection
21.SnowcapsandMountainColorlayers:Applyanylayermaskthatisthere,addlayermask(Selection)22.HideMountains,Snowcaps,andMountainColorlayers.
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23.ShowandselecttheHillslayer:a. Movetojustabovelandcolorb. SelectbyColor(threshold60):clickondarkestspotc. Savetochannel(HillOutline)d. Selectnone
24.Coastlinechanneltoselection,shrink10px,feather10px,invert25.SelectHillOutlinechannel,fillselectionwithblack26.Selecthillslayer:a. Addlayermask(Channel:HillOutline),andapplyb. ColorsAutoNormalizec. Hidelayer
27.Newlayer(HillColor):a. MovejustaboveLandColorb. Fillwithbrown(5A461E)c. Addlayermask(Channel:HillOutline)d. ModetoSoftLight,opacity50%
28.Newlayer:HillBumps:a. Filllayerwith50%greyb. FiltersMapBumpMap(Map:Hillslayer,Azimuth135,Elevation30,Depth10)c. Addlayermask(Channel:HillOutline)d. Applylayermaske. Overlaymode
29.RightclickMountainslayer,hitAlphatoSelection,invertselection30.HillBumps:a. Addlayermask(selection)b. Selectnonec. AlphatoSelection,invertselectiond. Feather20px,thenfillwith50%grey.Thissoftenstheedgeofhillsnearthecoastssothattheydon'tcutoffasabruptly.
31.ShowMountains,Snowcaps,andMountainColorlayers.
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32.Sofaryoushouldhave10layers,with9ofthemvisible.Fromtoptobottom:Mountains,Snowcaps,MountainColor,HillBumps,HillColor,Hills(invisible),LandColor,Land,LandGlow,Ocean.Yourcontinent
shouldnowbelookingsomethinglikethis:
33.SelecttheLandColorlayer,createnewlayer(LayerFillType:Transparency),namedAdjust1.WithAdjust1:a. SettheForegroundcolortoyourdarkgreen(405018),backgroundcolortopapyrus(f0e6be)b. FiltersRenderFelimageNoise(size50/50)c. LayermodetoHued. Opacityto25%e. Addlayermask(Channel:Coastline)
34.Newlayer(Transparency),nameitAdjust2.WithAdjust2:a. Airbrushtool,usingcolorsfromstep22topaintextensionsofdesert/plainsb. LayermodetoHuec. Addlayermask(Channel:Coastline)
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35.DuplicateOceanlayer,renamenewlayertoOceanBumps:a. FiltersMapBumpMap(Bumplayer:Ocean,135,30,5)
36.Newlayer,nameitOceanColor:a. FillwithSeaFillcolor(6ea0c8)b. RepeatBumpMap
37.MoveOceanlayertojustaboveOceanColorandsetmodetoOverlay38.DuplicateOceanBumpslayerandrenametoShelf:a. MoveaboveOceanb. Channel(Coastline)toselection,grow20px,feather20px,invertc. SelectShelflayeragain,fillblackd. SelectNone
39.Newlayer,nameitShelf2:a. FiltersRenderFelimageNoise(3/3,Oct6.5,Lac2.2,Hurst.15)b. Overlaymodec. mergedown
40.WiththeShelflayer:a. SelectbyColor(threshold40)onblackareab. Sharpenselection,invertc. Fillwhited. SelectNonee. Withthepaintbuckettool(Fillsimilarcolors,threshold150),fillanyholeswithwhite(see
right):
f. emboss(135,30,30)g. overlaymode,30%opacity
41.Ifyourerunningoutofmemory,thisisagoodtimetosaveacopyoftheimagewithlayersintact(FileSaveaCopy)andthenmergeyourvisiblelayers.(Note:Makesureyousaveacopyfirst!Ifyoudecide
somethingneedstobechanged,itsmucheasiertochangeonelayerthantostartallthewayover.)
42.New
layer
(transparency),
name
it
River
Layout,
and
move
it
to
the
top
of
the
layer
stack
(should
be
above
Mountains).Withthisnewlayerselected:
a. GrabtheInktool(size10orso,somethingeasilyseenwhenzoomedout).Ifyoureusingatablet,turnallofthesensitivityoptionsoff;wedontneedtoworryabouttaperingforthistutorial.
b. Drawinsomesquigglylightningbolts,startattheseaandworkyourwayinland. Thinkofyourriverasatree,itsgoingtobewideratthebase(nearthesea)andasitgoesupandbranchesoutthebranches
getsmallerandthinnerandmorenumerous.Wellworryaboutthinnesslatersofornowwejustwant
todoupagenerallayoutofhowtheriversystemswilllook. Sinceourriverisatree,itsnotgoingto
havenumerousfattrunksthatjoinasitgrowsupwards. Sure,itspossibletomaketreesdothatbut
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thatrequiresthehandofmantobindtheminsuchawaynaturedoesnotbindherchildreninsuch
wayssojustmakeyourriverbeatree,youcanmakeyourownbonsairiversafterthetutorial.
c. Reducetheopacitytosomethingjustvisible,sothatyoucantracethelayoutinthenextstepandstillseewhatyouredoing(30%orso)
43.Channel(Coastline)toselection44.Newlayer,nameitRivers:a. Changeyourinksizeto1,yourforegroundcolortosomethingeasilyvisible(e.g.,white),zoominto200%orso,anddrawsquigglylinesinwhereyourbiglayoutlinesare.Thisshouldlooksomethinglike
this:
b. RightclicktheRiverslayer,andclickAlphatoSelection.c. FillwithyourRiverscolor(406480)d. Layermodetomultiplye. Layeropacityto33%orso,enoughtobevisibleeverywherebutnotoverpoweryourdesert.
45.DeletetheRiverLayoutlayer.46.Nextwellcreatealatitude/longitudegrid.Createanewlayer(transparency),nameitLines:a. FiltersRenderPatternsGrid(changespacingto200x200,offsetto0x0)b. Setlayermodeandopacitytotaste(Overlay@33%asadefault)
47.Nextisastrokealongthecoastline.Createanewlayer,nameitCoastStroke:a. Applylayermask(Channel:Coastline)b. Makeyourforegroundcolorblack,andyourbackgroundcolor50%grayc. Fillwithabilineargradientfromthemiddletothebottomoftheimage,holdingcontrolwhileyoudrag
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tokeepitstraightupanddown.Thiswillmakeforalighterstrokeonthelightertundra/desertterrains.
d. Applythelayermaske. Alphatoselectionf. Shrinkselectionby1px(uncheckShrinkfromimageborder)g. Hitthedeletekey,thenSelectnoneh. LayermodetoMultiplyi. Layeropacityto33%orso
48.Forcountries,towns,labelsetc.,seethePSversionofthetutorialforplacementtips.TheonlyplacethatGimpdiffersisincountrybordersandcoloring.Todothis:
a. Createanewlayer(transparency)andnameitNationBorders(BeneathCoastStroke,Grid,andRivers):i. Grabtheinktoolandwithasizeof13(Iused2)andblackcolor(andsensitivityoptionsallat0foratabletuser),drawyourbordersin.Thesewillbeyouractualborders,soifyouneedtoroughit
out,youcanusethesametechniqueasfortherivers(newlayer,bigsize,putitunderyourborder
layerandreducetheopacity).
ii. Channel(Coastline)toselectioniii. Invertselectioniv. ReselectNationBordersv. Fillwithblackvi. Selectnone
b. HideeverythingbutyourNationBorderslayer.Youshouldhavesomethingthatlookslikethis:
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c. Createanewlayer(transparency),moveitjustbelowyourNationBorderslayerandnameitNationFill:i. Grabthepaintbuckettool(samplemerged,fillsimilarcolors,filltransparentareas,threshold15).ii. Filleachcountrywithadifferentcolor(seethePSversionfordetails)
d. RightclickNationBorders,chooseAlphatoSelectione. ReselectNationFill.f. Growselection15px,featherselection30pxg. Addlayermask(selection)h. Selectnone
49.NationBorderslayer:MergedownwithNationFill,addlayermask(Channel:Coastline)50.Showalllayers51.NationFilllayer:modetooverlay,opacity30.Yourimageatthispointshouldlooksimilartothatbelow.Fortherestofthedecorations,thetechniquesforaddingthemarethesameastheyareinPhotoshop,soits
bettertosimplyfollowAscensionsoriginaltutorialforthem.