Need suggestions on image editing.

[~Ayngahu]

I'm in the process of writing a roleplaying campaign in the Fallout universe (post nuclear war setting). I've gone to google maps and printscreened/pasted satelite images, ending up with a full map of Illinois state. I want the players to have a blank map for exploring.

I'd just want to convert it abit, from something like this:


.... to something like this:


Ofcourse, it would require alot of work to get such details, but I could easily settle for less (or even a simple outline of the rivers etc. as black on white.. but a bit of colour would be cool). I suspect that alot of suggestions will be for photoshop - which I don't know very well - so I would appreciate as many details as possible (program feature usage and such included) that might help me.

I basically just want to replace the cropfields and the greens with a rocky barren yellow look, make the rivers brown etc. The map I have is 1600 x 2700 pix dimentions, so I hope for a technique that allows me to convert the entire map in a few hours work only.

Thankyou very much

[Meuia te Stxeli Tstew'itan]

Maybe you can do something with a mix of sepia and colourized effect in Photoshop.

[Utrayä Mokri]

1. Open the image in photoshop..

2. Press Ctrl+Shift+U for desaturate it.

3. Then Press Ctrl+U for open Hue/Saturation popup box. Click "Colorize" check box at the bottom left side of the popup box. Set Hue: 0, Saturation: +20, Lighting: 0, press OK.

4. Press Ctrl+B for open Color Balance dialog box. Set Color Levels to: +30, +15, -50. Tone Balance needs to be selected as Midtones. Press Ok.

It's Done in 3 minutes. Good Luck.

[~Ayngahu]

1. Open the image in photoshop..

2. Press Ctrl+Shift+U for desaturate it.

3. Then Press Ctrl+U for open Hue/Saturation popup box. Click "Colorize" check box at the bottom left side of the popup box. Set Hue: 0, Saturation: +20, Lighting: 0, press OK.

4. Press Ctrl+B for open Color Balance dialog box. Set Color Levels to: +30, +15, -50. Tone Balance needs to be selected as Midtones. Press Ok.

It's Done in 3 minutes. Good Luck.

Thanks

I currently don't have photoshop, but it's easy to download and comes with a 30 day trial.
However, if I want to keep photoshop, I take it I have to buy a license (of which I'm not sure, as I'm not very skilled using it). How (in)expensive is it?