It seems like the last "Improving the color" step is what gives most of the atheistic effects (by comparing the second last picture and the final result on the top).
Unfortunately the explanation for that step is only a few sentences..
Unfortunately the explanation for that step is only a few sentences..
For this particular map it involves separate curve adjustment layers for the water and land. We generally increase the steepness of the curve (increasing contrast) and then adjust individual color channels to get the color balance right. We also do some localized burning (darkening) in areas where pushing the curve resulted in some pixels getting too bright.
I’d love to put together a post with lots of pictures and details about how we do this. It is motivating knowing there is an audience for it.
I will be very excited to see a post on how these aesthetic improvements are made!
The final image just looked so much better than the second last one for me.
Another simple but subtle advantage is you can do these corrections in a perceptual or near perceptual color space like CIELAB, rather than simple RGB. Particularly when you're pushing saturation this gives more natural looking outcomes.