TEXT: Saderan – a tutorial
  Introduction
  Several people on the Cartographer‘s Guild forums asked for a tuto-
  rial about the style I used in my Saderan map. This document tries to 
  deliver. This is my first tutorial, so I hope I can make it clear and easy 
  to follow.
  Many of the techniques used here are variations of the fine tutorials 
  found on www.cartographersguild.com, so thanks to all the tutorial 
  authors in the Guild for providing inspiration and insight.
  This tutorial requires Photoshop 7 or higher.
  While the original map was done with a newer version of Photo-
  shop, this tutorial will use version 7 to guide you through the map-
  ping process because it works just as good and this way I hope more 
  people are able to use it.
  For experienced Photoshop users I highlighted key commands, so 
  they can go through the document by looking at the pictures and 
  those highlights alone without reading all the walls of text. Read the 
  highlighted parts in any case, since they often contain vital informa-
  tion. Example:
  File > New... > 1024 pixels x 1024 pixels, 72dpi, RGB Color
  I'll try to avoid keyboard combination shortcuts throughout the tu-
  torial, because using menus usually is easier to remember for begin-
  ners. If you are an advanced user, you probably know the shortcuts 
  anyway. Also, I'll use a mouse instead of my graphics tablet to make 
  it more accessible for everyone.
  I'll explain the tools and settings in great detail or at least provide 
  a screenshot when they get used for the first time in the tutorial. 
  When the same tools get used again later on, I assume you already 
  know where to look for them. If you are unsure where to find some-
  thing, refer to the previous steps.
  As a result, the first steps are longer and more detailed than the 
  later ones.
  Step 1 is mostly about generating random coastlines. If you want 
  to draw those yourself, you can skip this part, although if you are a 
  beginner at Photoshop I recommend going through it anyway as an 
  exercise.
  To keep things simple, I'm using default patterns that come with 
  Photoshop throughout the tutorial. You can use your own instead, 
  of course.
  The end result of the tutorial will be a small map sample. This way 
  you should be able to follow the steps in less time than a full-scale 
  map would require.
  Nonetheless, all steps used in the original map will be recreated in 
  this smaller image, so you can use them as a source of ideas for your 
  future projects.
  page 1
  The end result
  v1.03 by Tear
  Contents
  Coastlines
  Ocean
  Land
  Mountains
  Vegetation
  That's it
  page 2
  page 4
  page 7
  page 8
  page 10
  page 12
  
  Step 1: Coastlines
  Let‘s get started
  The final map sample will have a size of 512 pixels x 512 pixels, but 
  we are going to start with double the size and width, so create a 
  new file with a size of 1024 pixels x 1024 pixels.
  File > New... > 1024 pixels x 1024 pixels, 72dpi, RGB Color
  Hit the [D] key to make sure you are using the default black and 
  white colors. Then fill the background layer with some clouds.
  Filter > Render > Clouds
  Create a new layer and call it "paint layer". Then klick OK.
  Layer > New > Layer > "paint layer" 
  Next, create a Threshold Adjustment layer.
  Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Threshold... 
  The default name "Threshold 1" is good enough. Just klick OK. 
  You should now see something like this:
  The shapes on your screen will look a bit different, because they are 
  randomly generated, but you should have a similar black and white 
  pattern now. The white shapes will be land and the black shapes will 
  be water.
  Optional: If you don't like the shapes you got, can select the back-
  ground layer in your layer window and use the Cloud Filter again. 
  You can repeat this until you like the basic shapes that are genera-
  ted. If you like very craggy coastlines, you can also use the Diffe-
  rence Cloud Filter a few times in a row.
  page 2
  Painting sea and land
  Select the paint layer in your 
  layer window. Next, select the 
  Brush Tool by pressing the [B] 
  key. Select a big, soft brush from 
  the dropdown menu at the top. 
  Set the Opacity to 10%.
  Set the layer Opacity to 50%.
  Since you hit the [D] key earlier, 
  black shoud still be your fore-
  ground color. Now paint into 
  the picture where you want to 
  remove land. You will notice the 
  land gradually gets smaller with 
  every click. Do this until you got 
  rid of any land you don't want. Remember you can always use Edit > 
  Undo if a click goes wrong.
  I painted around the edges of the image to make my landmass com-
  pletely surrounded by water. 
  "paint layer": Paint black.
  
  page 3
  Now select a smaller brush from the dropdown menu, but not too 
  small. A size of 100 is a good start, but you can try different sizes.
  Press [X] to set the foreground color to white. Now paint some 
  islands in the coastal regions. This may require several clicks on the 
  same spot until they appear. You can also paint on bays or lakes to 
  make them gradually dissappear.
  "paint layer": Paint white.
  Do this until you are happy with the general shape. You can still edit 
  small details later.
  Now select the entire image.
  Select > All
  Copy Merged will copy everything you see to the clipboard.
  Edit > Copy Merged
  Click on the Channels tab in 
  your layer window and create 
  a new channel by clicking the 
  little paper sheet icon at the 
  bottom. The new Channel 
  will be named and selected 
  automatically. Your image will 
  go black because it now shows 
  the new channel. Paste the 
  clipboard contents to the new 
  channel.
  new channel: Edit > Paste
  Click on the Layers Tab in your layer window and select the "Thres-
  hold 1" layer.
  Delete it. We won't need that one anymore.
  "Threshold 1": Layer > Delete > Layer
  The land layer
  Add a new layer and call it "land".
  Layer > New > Layer > "land" 
  Now load our channel as a selection.
  Select > Load Selection... > Alpha 1
  Make sure you choose "Alpha 1" in the channel dropdown when 
  loading your selection. Then klick OK.
  Now fill the selection with foreground color, which should be white.
  Edit > Fill... > Foreground Color
  Downsizing
  Now is the time to give it its final size. Reduce the image size.
  Image > Image Size... > 50%
  Make sure "Resample Image" at the bottom is selected and set to 
  "Bicubic". Also make sure "Constrain Proportions" is selected. Set 
  one of the dropdowns behind "Height" or "Width" (doesn't  really 
  matter which one) to "percent". 
  Enter a value of 50 there.
  Click OK.
  Save your work
  Save your work. If anything 
  goes wrong during the next 
  step you can just reload and go 
  from here. Make sure you use 
  the PSD file type.
  
  Step 2: Ocean
  Water layers
  Click on the "paint layer" in the layer window and add a new layer. 
  This way the new layer will created below the "land" layer. Call it 
  "water main". Set the layer opacity in the layer window to 75%.
  Layer > New > Layer > "water main" > Opacity 75%
  Your foreground color should still be white. Click on the 
  white square in the tool window to change it.
  Set R to 97, G to 122, and B to 130.
  Now fill the layer with the foreground color. Make sure "Foreground 
  Color" is selected in the dropdown.
  Edit > Fill... > Foreground Color
  Hit the [D] key to go back to the default black and white colors. Click 
  on the "paint layer" again and add another layer. This one is called 
  "ocean deep". Set the layer opacity to 66%.
  Layer > New > Layer > "ocean deep" > Opacity 66%
  We will use this layer to make the deep parts of the ocean less uni-
  form. Load the "Alpha 1" cannel as a selection again.
  Select > Load Selection... > Alpha 1
  Now invert the selection and contract it by 25 pixels.
  Select > Inverse
  Select > Modify > Contract... > 25 pixels
  Feather the selection with a radius of 15 pixels.
  Select > Feather... > 15 pixels
  We will now fill this selection with some random pattern.
  Use the Clouds filter once, then apply the Differnce Clouds several 
  times. I hit it 5 times in my example.
  page 4
  Filter > Render > Clouds
  Filter > Render > Difference Clouds > Repeat 5 times
  Optional: You can also paint in this layer using black and/or white 
  brushes to make the pattern less random. While the selection is ac-
  tive, you can only paint inside it, so the shallower areas will remain 
  untouched.
  Add a new layer and call it "ocean emphasis". Set the layer opacity 
  to 66%.
  Layer > New > Layer > "ocean emphasis" > Opacity 66%
  This layer will be used to model 
  the heights and depths of the 
  ocean some more, and to provi-
  de some additional texture.
  Paint with a soft black brush 
  where you want your oceans 
  to be deep. I used a brush with 
  25% opacity going over the very 
  deep parts at the edges of the 
  image several times. Hit [X] to 
  change the foreground color 
  to white and paint the shallow 
  areas near the coast.
  You can try several brush sizes for additional detail.
  Paint black and white.
  Add a new layer and call it "ocean emphasis texture". Set the layer 
  opacity to 20%.
  Layer > New > Layer > "ocean emphasis texture" > Opacity 20%
  
  page 5
  Now group the layer with the layer below.
  Layer > Group with Previous (called "Create Clipping Mask" in CS+)
  This way, the texture will not 
  be all over the place. It will only 
  show up where we painted. 
  The low layer opacity makes 
  sure that it's very subtle.
  Now fill the layer with a pat-
  tern.
  Instead of choosing "Fo-
  reground Color" from the 
  dropdown, choose "Pattern". 
  Then click on the tiny picture 
  and choose the one that says 
  "Wrinkles" when you hover.
  Edit > Fill... > Pattern (Wrinkles)
  Optional: Instead of 
  this pattern you can 
  of course use your 
  own. In fact, you can 
  use any picture you 
  like in this layer to 
  give the ocean floor 
  some basic structure. 
  If you choose a low-
  contrast image, you 
  might have to increa-
  se the layer opacity.
  Add a new layer and call it "ocean shallow". Set the layer opacity to 
  66%.
  Layer > New > Layer > "ocean shallow" > Opacity 66%
  Load the "Alpha 1" cannel as a selection once again
  Select > Load Selection... > Alpha 1
  Now expand it by 10 pixels and apply Feather with a radius of 10 
  pixels.
  Select > Modify > Expand... > 10 pixels
  Select > Feather... > 10 pixels
  Fill the selection with white.
  Edit > Fill... > White
  Duplicate the layer and call it "ocean shallow variation".
  Layer > Duplicate Layer... > "ocean shallow variation"
  Lock the layer and set the layer 
  mode to Overlay.
  Once you lock a layer, its 
  transparency is fixed. Anything 
  done to this layer now only 
  affects the visible parts, not the 
  transparent parts.
  The Overlay mode makes sure 
  this layer gets mixed with the 
  layers below instead of just 
  covering them up.
  Now apply a cloud filter.
  Filter > Render > Clouds 
  Add a new layer and call it "ocean texture". Set the layer opacity to 
  25% and set the layer mode to overlay.
  Layer > New > Layer > "ocean texture" > Opacity 25%, Overlay
  Now fill it with a pattern called "Rock Wall". If you don't have that 
  pattern loaded, click the tiny arrow in the upper right corner of the 
  pattern list, select "Rock Patterns", then click "APPEND".
  Edit > Fill... > Pattern (Rock Wall)
  Add a new layer and call it "ocean elevation". Set the layer opacity 
  to 80%.
  Layer > New > Layer > "ocean texture" > Opacity 80%
  Set your foreground color to R 192, G 192, B 192 and fill the layer 
  with that foreground color.
  Set foreground color to R 192 - G 192 - B 192
  Edit > Fill... > Foreground Color
  Now add a layer mask.
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  
  page 6
  Now add some layer styles.
  Layer > Layer Style > Pattern Overlay...
  Use the settings shown above. The pattern used is "Rock Wall" once 
  again.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss...
  Again, use the settings above.
  Hit [D] to get back to the default colors. Then hit [X] to get white as 
  the foreground color.
  Select the Brush Tool [B] and choose a small soft brush with a low 
  opacity like 25%.
  Make sure your layer mask is selec-
  ted in your layer window. It probably 
  still is, but better double-check be-
  fore you start painting. You can tell if 
  it is by the black border around it. It should look like the screenshot 
  shown here. If it isn't, click on the black layer mask square to make 
  the border come up.
  Now let's paint.
  Let's paint
  Now granted, this is a lot easier with a tablet, but it is entirely doab-
  le with a mouse. It just takes a bit longer.
  Paint near the coast to gradually build up shelves and paint in the 
  lighter areas to give the shallower regions some underwater lansca-
  pe. Try to avoid the darker areas, because keeping it to the shallow 
  areas helps establish the illusion that the dark areas are too deep to 
  see the ground in full detail. Dont forget to paint below your islands.
  layer mask: Paint white.
  Here is what I came up with using a mouse:
  Optional: As you can see, I did go for very subtle underwater terrain, 
  because I don't want to draw too much attention off the land. If you 
  like yours to be more dominant, the easiest way would be to lower 
  the opacity of the "water main" layer, but you can also try different 
  blending modes and opacities for the other layers and styles.
  Finally, we are going to prepare our land for the next step so any 
  finetuning will be easier. Click on the land layer and fill it with white.
  "land" layer: Edit > Fill... > White
  Load the "Alpha 1" channel as a selection and add a layer mask.
  Select > Load Selection... > Alpha 1
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal Selection
  With the layer mask still selected, adjust the input levels.
  Image > Adjustments > Levels... > Input Levels 32, 1.00, 255
  Save your work
  Don't forget to save your work regularly.
  
  page 7
  Step 3: Land
  Preparations
  First of all, we'll add some small details that will help to further 
  seperate the land from the sea. Your "land" layer should be selected 
  already, but click on it now if it isn't.
  Add a Stroke layer style. Set the color of the Stroke by clicking on 
  the rectangle where it says "Color:".
  Layer > Layer Style > Stroke... > Size 1, Opacity 66%, R 0 - G 70 - B 84
  Add an Inner Glow layer style. Set the color by clicking on the little 
  pale yellow square.
  Layer > Layer Style > Inner Glow... > Mode: Screen, Opacity 25%,
   
  R 137 - G 95 - B 21, Technique: Precise, Size 12
  Add an Outer Glow layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow... > Mode: Overlay, Opacity 15%,
   
  R 255 - G 255 - B 255 , Technique: Precise, Size 10
  Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss... > Chisel Soft, Size 1
   
  Highlight Mode: Overlay, Opacity 10%
   
  Shadow Mode: Overlay, Opacity 20%
  Add a Layer called "base color" and group it, then fill it with a fore-
  ground color of R 201, G 173, B 136.
  Layer > New > Layer > "base color"
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Set foreground color to R 201 - G 173 - B 136
  Edit > Fill... > Foreground Color
  Final touch-ups
  Click on the layer mask of the 
  "land" layer to select it.
  Again, make sure your layer mask 
  is selected, not the layer itself.
  Paint in black here to get rid of 
  those tiny subpixel islands. These 
  are too small and look more like 
  glitches than islands. Alternatively, 
  you can also use white to make them bigger. Next, use white to get 
  rid of really tiny lakes. You can also use black and white to make any 
  final adjustments to the coastline, but keep in mind that this stage 
  is for minor corrections only. Be careful to keep things consistent to 
  your ocean floor terrain.
  Elevation base
  Select the "base color" layer and add a new layer called "elevation". 
  Group it, fill it with brown and add a layer mask.
  Layer > New > Layer > "elevation" > Overlay, Fill 75%
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Set foreground color to R 142 - G 99 - B 72
  Edit > Fill... > Foreground Color
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  If you are wondering where to set the layer's Fill value, it's right 
  below the Opacity.
  Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style with a Contour Range of 50%.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss... > Depth 300%, Size 6
   
  Highlight Mode: Overlay, Opacity 75%
   
  Shadow Mode: Multiply, Opacity 20%
   
  Contour > Range 50%
  Let's paint
  Select the layer mask and paint with a soft low-opacity brush in 
  white and black to raise and lower the terrain. Don't get too detailed 
  at this point, just try to set the general elevation.
  For a more random approach, you can load the Alpha 1 channel as a 
  selection, use the Clouds Filter and then use the Difference Clouds 
  Filter a few times, but you should at least do some corrections.
  layer mask: Paint white
  
  page 8
  Step 4: Mountains
  Hills
  Add a Layer called "hills" , group it, fill it with the Rock Wall pattern, 
  and add a layer mask.
  Layer > New > Layer > "hills" > Opacity 25%
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Edit > Fill... > Pattern (Rock Wall)
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  Add an Outer Glow layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow... > R 83 - G 110 - B 75 , Size 7
  Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss... > Chisel Soft,
   
  Depth 300%, Size 5
   
  Highlight Mode: Overlay, Opacity 100%
   
  Shadow Mode: Multiply, Opacity 50%
  Add a Pattern Overlay layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Pattern Overlay... > "Gravel", Scale 25%,
   
  Opacity 75%
  Paint into the layer mask with a soft white brush to place areas with 
  rocky hills. As always, if you are using a mouse, start with a low 
  opacity and add to it gradually.
  Your high areas should have some areas with hills around them to 
  provide a smoother transition.
  layer mask: Paint white
  Mountains
  Add a Layer called "mountains" , group it, fill it with the Rock Wall 
  pattern, and add a layer mask.
  Layer > New > Layer > "mountains" > Soft Light, Opacity 50%
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Edit > Fill... > Pattern (Rock Wall)
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss... > Chisel Soft, Size 41
   
  Highlight Mode: Overlay, Opacity 100%
   
  Shadow Mode: Multiply, Opacity 75%, R 0 - G 6 - B 82
  Paint into the layer mask with a small soft white brush to model 
  your mountains. They should generally be in the higher regions, of 
  course, but you can paint with a low opacity in lower regions for 
  smoother transitions .
  layer mask: Paint white
  Peaks
  Now let's add some final touches to the mountain shapes.
  Add a Layer called "peaks" , group it, fill it with the pattern called 
  "Metal Landscape", and add a layer mask.
  Layer > New > Layer > "peaks" > Opacity 25%
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Edit > Fill... > Pattern (Metal Landscape)
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  
  Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style with a contour of 15%.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss... > Chisel Soft, Depth 50%,
   
  Size 71, Contour 15%
   
  Highlight Mode: Overlay, Opacity 100%
   
  Shadow Mode: Multiply, Opacity 75%
  Paint into the layer mask with a very small small white brush to 
  accentuate peaks, ridgelines and general shape. Don't use a 100% 
  opacity brush, try to carefully build up some emphasis instead.
  layer mask: Paint white
  Dirt and ice
  Add a Layer called "dirt" , group it, and fill it with the pattern called 
  "Dirt".
  Layer > New > Layer > "dirt" > Overlay, Opacity 10%
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Edit > Fill... > Pattern (Dirt)
  Add a Layer called "ice" , group it, fill it with white, add some noise 
  to it, then add a layer mask.
  Make sure "Gaussian" is selected and "Monocromatic" is checked 
  when adding the noise.
  Layer > New > Layer > "dirt" > Hard Light, Opacity 50%
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Edit > Fill... > White
  Filter > Noise > Add Noise... > 10%
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  To add some snowy areas, use a soft, low-opacity brush to paint into 
  the layer mask with white.
  layer mask: Paint white
  page 9
  Rivers
  Now that our elevations and 
  mountains are done, it's time 
  to put the major rivers in. Click 
  on the Path tab in your layer 
  window. Create a new Path by 
  clicking the little paper sheet 
  icon at the bottom. Just like 
  the Channel we added earlier 
  this way, the new Path will be 
  named and selected automati-
  cally.
  Hit [P] to select the Pen Tool. 
  Click into the ocean near the 
  coast where your river's estuary 
  will be. Now click inside the 
  land, but don't let the mouse 
  button go, yet. Instead, drag.
  You will notice a direction line 
  appearing. You can drag it 
  around to give your path a nice 
  curve. If you are happy, repeat.
  Keep going upwards your eleva-
  tion until you find a good spot 
  for the source.
  Don't worry if you made a mis-
  take along the way. You can use 
  the Direct Selection Tool [A] to select single nodes in the path and 
  make corrections to position and angle after finishing the path.
  Click the Layers tab in your layers window and select the layer mask 
  of your "land" layer. Hit [D] to make sure the foreground color is 
  black.
  Select the Brush 
  Tool [B] and make 
  sure the opacity 
  is set to 100%. 
  Choose the "Hard 
  Round 3 pixels" 
  brush (should be 
  the second one in 
  the list).
  Now go to your 
  brushes window, 
  which should be 
  docked at the top 
  and select "Shape 
  Dynamics" and use 
  the settings shown 
  here. If your river 
  is longer/shorter 
  than the one in my example, you might have to enter a higher/lower 
  value behind the fade option. Now click on the Path tab in your layer 
  window and right-click on "Path 1". Select "Stroke Path...". Make 
  sure "Simulate Pressure" is unchecked and the Brush Tool is selected 
  in the dropdown before clicking OK.
  layer mask "land": Stroke Path black with Hard Round 3 pixels brush
  
  page 10
  Step 5: Vegetation
  Save your work
  Just in case you forgot, save your work.
  Grass and scrub
  Select your "base color" layer and add a Layer called "grass". Since 
  we add to the middle of a group, it should be grouped automatical-
  ly. Fill it with R 75 - G 127 - B 79. To give it some texture, apply a grain 
  filter and a palette knife filter, then a gaussian blur and some noise. 
  The settings are listed below. Finally, add a layer mask.
  Select "base color" layer
  Layer > New > Layer > "grass"
  Edit > Fill... > Foreground Color: R 75 - G 127 - B 79
  Filter > Texture > Grain... > Intensity 10, Contrast 50
  Filter > Artistic > Palette Knife... > Size 3, Detail 3, Softness 5
  Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur... > Radius 1,0
  Filter > Noise > Add Noise... > Amount 2%
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style with the "Dirt" texture.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss... > Depth 50%, Size 4
   
  Texture: "Dirt", Size 45%, Depth +50%
  Add a Pattern Overlay layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Pattern Overlay... > Color Burn, "Granite",
   
  Opacity 50%
  Optional: If you want to have a starting point before painting into 
  the layer mask, you can apply a Clouds filter to the layer mask and 
  then use the Difference Clouds filter a few times. Remove the grass 
  from the high peaks with a soft black brush if you do. If you don't 
  like random distribution, you can also completely paint the grass 
  yourself.
  I used the brushes called "Dry Brush" and "Spatter" at various opa-
  cities to paint into the layer mask, but feel free to experiment with 
  different brushes.
  Make sure to leave some areas barren to avoid too much uniformity. 
  Also, don't forget your islands.
  layer mask: Paint white
  Wooded areas
  For the densely wooded areas we add another layer.
  Select your "peaks" layer and add a Layer called "forest". Again, it 
  should group automatically. Fill it with R 123 - G 153 - B 109. Apply 
  10% noise and add a layer mask.
  Select "peaks" layer
  Layer > New > Layer > "forest" >  Multiply, Opacity 33%
  Edit > Fill... > Foreground Color: R 123 - G 153 - B 153
  Filter > Noise > Add Noise... > Amount 10%
  Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all
  Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style with the "Granite" texture and a 
  50% Contour.
  Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss... > Depth 150%, Size 4
   
  Texture: "Granite", Depth +300%
   
  Contour: 50%
   
  Highlight Mode: Overlay, Opacity 100%
   
  Shadow Mode: Overlay, Opacity 100%
  
  Add a Pattern Overlay layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Pattern Overlay... > Multiply, "Wrinkles"
  Add a Drop Shadow layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow... > Darken, Opacity 50%,
   
  Distance 8, Size 8
  Paint into the layer mask with a white brush. I used a high-opacity 
  Spatter brush with the Shape Dynamics "Angle Jitter" set to 100%.
  Adjusting color balance
  Select the ice layer and add an Adjustment layer just as we did in 
  step 1, but this time choose Brightness/Contrast instead of Thres-
  hold. Don't group it.
  Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast...
   
  Contrast +35%
  Now add a Levels Adjustment layer. Where it says "Output Levels", 
  change the first of the two numbers to 25. 
  Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels...
   
  Output Levels 25-255
  Finally, add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer.
  Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation...
   
  Saturation -15
  Final structure
  Add a new layer and call it "paper structure". Fill it with the pattern 
  "Guache Light on Watercolor". If you don't have it in your list, ap-
  pend the artistic surfaces to the list, just like we did earlier with the 
  rock textures.
  page 11
  Layer > New > Layer > "paper struchture" > Overlay, Opacity 33%
  Edit > Fill... > Pattern (Guache Light on Watercolor)
  Select the ice layer and add a new layer. Call it "texture", group it, 
  and fill it with 50% Gray.
  Select "ice" layer
  Layer > New > Layer > "forest" >  Soft Light
  Layer > Group with Previous
  Edit > Fill... > 50% Gray
  Add a Pattern Overlay layer style.
  Layer > Layer Style > Pattern Overlay... > Soft Light,
   
   "Guache Light on Watercolor", Size 43%
  That's it
  These are all the vital steps.
  You can now add grids, dots for the towns, and labels.
  Of course you can add more details. You always can. When I created 
  the original map, I spent quite some time fiddling with minor stuff. 
  Made a few specific places darker, others I made lighter, some 
  contrast here, some saturation there...
  Note that the three adjustment layers all have their own layer 
  masks. you can paint into those with black to reduce their effect in 
  certain places. You can also try different texture fills for the various 
  layers and pattern overlays.
  Since I restricted myself to a mouse and default patterns, this 
  wasn't as easy to reproduce as I initially thought, but overall it 
  came out as intended.
  I hope the tutorial is helpful and comprehensible.
  Thanks for reading.
  And just in case you forgot again, save your work. :)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/_GM Books/World Building & Game Design/Mapmaking/Cartographers Guild - Saderan - a tutorial.pdf