1 Attachment(s)
This was my First Attempt
This map was my first attempt using Photoshop CC 2016 & GIMP 2.8.
I used a Dundjinni fountain with a pre-existing water effect. It's the worst part of the map, by far. I'd do it from scratch and spend the hour getting the water ripples and gradient right were I to do this again.
This was watching probably...six hours of Photoshop tutorials and bashing my head against the desk for another five hours creating this.
I could do another similar one now in much less time - probably three hours, with lighting effects. It takes even less time as you get better at it.
I do not have artistic talent. This is technical tool use in a creative way -- but it isn't art. If I can do this for the first time at age 51, you can do better.
But you have to try. There's no getting around that. You need to watch tutorials, take it seriously - and try.