March Challenge Entry: Iwaizumi

Well, I took a break from New Port to have a go at my first challenge.

I have had a lot of ideas over the past few days picking the right idea is the hard part. I am going to mix a few styles together to get what will hopefully be a nice map. I will be mixing a little 2D sketch work with some ISO and a nice deep colour rich environment. Even with the snow I think it might work.

Firstly I will build the location as though it were mid summer. Then I will "Let it snow, Let it snow, Let is snooowwww", or something like that. Any ways here is what I slapped together tonight to give an idea of where I am heading.

The buildings will be scaled down a little more or the map wil be zoomed a little but that is a decision for another day.

Any CC would be much appreciated.

Also do we generally post challenge WIP at full res or is it normal to scaled it down a bit?

Current Features:
Mill
Gov's Fort House. I have chosen an odd representation for my palisade. I thought it a nice change from the typical circle. It still represents a circle just with a bit of a twist. Towers to come on the east and west walls.
Ford
Road Structure
Land Lay
Water fall/rapids (to the north)
River
Elevation - (the balck is actually in the mid plane. My other layers have messed the elevation around a little)
Farm Land Layout

### Latest WIP ###
Attachment 22739

Hmmmm... I just saw the thumbnails and noticed Gamer's Map!! Firstly it looks freakin' awesome and secondly has already used some of the styles I was planning to use. So back to the drawing board on my buildings, bridge and trees.

Will post something up when I come up with something else.

Feel free to keep going on this, I'd be interested in your take of the style elements I used in your own style. Don't let any a comparable style stop you! I certainly don't "own the style" I use.

GP

PS: thanks for the REP!

Thanks GP. There are already two maps using ISO style representations of the area. I will keep going with what I had planned and will most likely submit a variation for my final entry. Will see how I go.

Generally I prefer not to use line work in my maps I work more with light and shade. The ISO drawing will be my first attempt a merging the light and shade terrain with some line work to defint structures and key featrues.

Good fun nonetheless!

Here is my latest WIP on Iwaizumi.

As usual I work up my terrain before adding the Map features.

I have coloured the landscape and worked up the water. I have also added the trees to test my tree pipeline. At the moment they are the only things with Snow the rest will come later. I have also played around with the finishing effect I plan to use which merges the colour world into a map drawing/painting.

I am still debating over the style to work my buildings up in.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance.

### Latest WIP ###
Attachment 22782

I have been procrastinating over the buildings and the style to use. So in the mean time I thought I might work on the finishings of the map.

All that is really left is the buildings and snow fall. Maybe a little turblence on the river but then maybe it is running slower at the moment because the mountain snow feeding the rivers have not yet thawed¿

### Latest WIP ###
Attachment 22800

Terrain and trees look good - I look forward to see how you do the buildings and village layout!

GP

That is an awesome map border - especially like those little pictures at the corners :)

Finding time to work on this has been a little difficult. I have done a bit of work on the buildings and inset and thought I might put up a post to show at least some movement on this entry. I have oversized the buildings on purpose and have made to more important ones larger.

Shrine, Graveyard, Square, Roads and snow to come tomorrow hopefully!

Anyways let me know what you all think. Feel free to pick it to peices!

Thanks a bunch

### Latest WIP ###
Attachment 22953

One thing.... Tanneries invariably produce huge amounts of toxic waste in the form of acidic washes of ash or urine, pollutants such as fecal matter used to produce soft buckskins, and rancid fats. Pretty much anything nasty that is a byproduct of other things is a valued agent used in tanning skins. That means that a) tanneries are always on a river so that their waste will be carried away; b) tanneries are always DOWN river; c) tanners are not terribly popular at highschool pep rallies; and d) tanneries tend to be well away from the rest of the village and always down the prevailing winds.

Just something to consider.