Ok so I need a good art programme one i can do rdrawings from scratch with as well as edit. Any suggestions?

You could try Paint.Net its free and since its recent build release has been pretty good. The earlier version was crap find it here http://www.scanfiles.com

I have used Illustrator or Photoshop... they are good programs

I use an ageing version of paint shop pro. It does the job.

I suppose it depends on the detail you want to get out of it. I have used just then a basic program because I am having updates done on Photoshop and Illustrator, and I hated the quality I got out of it...but if it is just for touch ups it could be OK...

I'm a Corel girl, myself. You can download a free trial version from www.corel.com That you can keep (the full version) for about 30 days. Oh, shit ... Springie ... I was supposed to send her a CD. Dammit, Springie - remind me and I'll do it this weekend... Corel is the non-professional art program. Very user friendly and has some great filter features as well as an awesom trace program that will turn your jpg images into vector images ... I usually do a base drawing, ink it, then scan it into the puter. I throw it into Trace, and viola! I have an easy vector image to manipulate. SJ

Originally posted by SJ_SwanJun I'm a Corel girl, myself. You can download a free trial version from www.corel.com That you can keep (the full version) for about 30 days. Oh, shit ... Springie ... I was supposed to send her a CD. Dammit, Springie - remind me and I'll do it this weekend... Corel is the non-professional art program. Very user friendly and has some great filter features as well as an awesom trace program that will turn your jpg images into vector images ... I usually do a base drawing, ink it, then scan it into the puter. I throw it into Trace, and viola! I have an easy vector image to manipulate. SJ

I have not used this program, my DH worked in the graphics industry so he only ever got the graphics arts programs...I have seen reference to Corel before, is there much difference in the program from Illustrator and Adobe photoshop???

I've dowloaded Adobe trial version. I still hadn't figure out how to fully use it's tools, but you can do really good stuff with it! I'm curently using the good ol' pain(t) from windows XP's tools pack and it works for me!

I want something to use not just for here but for map drawing (thats what I get when i design areas for online games ) Will try paint.net and corel tried paint adobe and paintshop just cant get on with them.

Paint is easy to use!

Originally posted by amyltrer Paint is easy to use!

It was Amy but it did not produce the quality of work needed.

Well, that's another story. I only need it for picture crops, and it was hell to work with every pixel at side!

here is an example of something done with paint.

and this is the sort of detail I would rather do.

Wow.... FB... is that a real house or a fantasy house? It sounds fantastic!!!

It is a house in a game I play. I am part of a team that designs areas we are currently designing a few new ones and if I am lucky my writing talents will be used for quest writing in a new game.

Sounds like a lot of fun! Where do I get a cool job like that?????

Originally posted by Firebird I want something to use not just for here but for map drawing (thats what I get when i design areas for online games ) Will try paint.net and corel tried paint adobe and paintshop just cant get on with them.

IvoryEagle does this with his games, he designs battlefields etc for online gaming, I've seen him doing it. He saids there in an"In game editor"that he uses, but it depends on what you want to...if you can give more detail about the game I'll get him to come into the tread and maybe he might be able to help you FB

You can pull off that kind of stuff on Excel ... Even Word can pull it off pretty nicely. I've had to use Excel to create blue-print style layouts for this office - hang on - Aren't I *just* a receptionist?! So those may be good to work with in the interim. Corel is definitely a good art platform to play on. That would be my recommendation. I've never used anything besides Corel - I swear by it. I've used it for ten years ... SJ

The houses are from a text based RPG and to build them in game our boss is making a new tool. That is Dragonrealms (we do atmospherics as well) The new game is not out yet it is Heros Journey. And TJ its not a job its a hobby I dont get paid for it at all.

Originally posted by Firebird and this is the sort of detail I would rather do.

At the prompting of the Birthday Girl (That'd be Ebony )... I'll add in that it looks more suited to Microsoft Visio (Normally used for Flow-charts, but would be perfectly suited to drawing logical layouts for Text Based RPG). Easy to drop in "Boxes" (for rooms), and add interconnecting lines (access paths)... can probably include "one way" paths etc if that suits the layout requirements... Oh, and text overlay is a snap. Also can pretty it up with images and colour (Yes... coloUr Mr spell check ) easily... depends on how detailed you want to make it I guess. Cheers,

Thanks Ivory and Ebony too. Will check it out.

Hi FB...Ivory went and sourced out some more good programs for you...check this out. http://www.dmoz.org/Games/Roleplaying/World_Building/Map_Making/Tools/

Thank you Ebony. Have tried autorealm and just dont get on too well with it will give some of the others a go

Happy to help if I can...I not an expert in programs by a long shot...I simply don't spend enough time on a computer for that...in my day job I hardly use them..only to do transactions and send an email, or put my hours in, but I like to find out things because I learn from it too! Would you believe I avoided computers up until 6 months ago! I got my own and now Ivory has to book in a time to see me so he says! But fic writing has been fun! I never thought I'd do something like that!

Fic writing is a great way to let loose all those demons inside and create stories of your own involving your favourite characters.

Originally posted by Firebird Fic writing is a great way to let loose all those demons inside and create stories of your own involving your favourite characters.

Or take some of those worries and work them out another way, perhaps say what you WANTED to say instead of what you DID say. I like to let the Condor loose once in a while. Let him out to yell and scream and fight instead of grin and bear it or go along with the rest of the crowd

Very true CD it is a great way of expressing those things we dont say sometimes for various reasons.