February/March 2014 Light Challenge<The Ordinary Princess>

[Domino44]

So because I was lacking inspiration for the map I am currently working on and the fact that this challenge was such a cool one I decided to try it. This is the first time I have done any of the month challenges, I hope every one likes it.

I am doing a map for the book 'The Ordinary Princess' by M. M. Kaye, it's a fantastic but sadly underrated fairy tale about a young princess named Amethyst but everyone calls her Amy. When Amy was a baby she was cursed/blessed by her fairy godmother to be simply Ordinary. She isn't like her sisters who are all fair with long golden hair and complexions of a rose petal. As she grows up her complexion is rough and her hair mousey brown. After she is unable to attract a suitable husband she goes out on her own and becomes a kitchen maid in a neighboring kingdom (Ambergeldar) where she makes friends with a charming young man named Peregrine.

For this map I wanted to do something very soft. I am also trying out a few new things for this map. Some of the element in this map will be directly out of the book but other things are only mentioned in by the book.

###Latest WIP###

The ordinary princess.jpg

[Bogie]

Nice border

[seredemia]

I like the border so far as well And that book sounds really good, I may have to check it out some time. GOOD LUCK ON THIS CHALLENGE

[Jalyha]

Looks great so far, and I think it's a great story to work from!


I hope you win... WAIT WHAT AM I SAYING? D:


Ah well... how about... I hope everyone has fun




PS: Your map kinda matches my avatar

[Azélor]

It look good so far but is it just me or your title look squeezed?

[Lingon]

I agree with Azelor, the title looks too tall for its width… I like the font choice, it's very suitable for the theme, but it'd look better somewhere around 80% height, I think. If that is the original height of the font, that is.

Otherwise, looking good so far

[Domino44]

Thanks everyone, the encouragement is appreciated.

I worked on the title. I hope it looks better.

###Latest WIP###
The ordinary princess2.jpg

[Domino44]

I started working on the forest, I like it but I know it can be better. Thoughts?

###Latest WIP###
The ordinary princess3.jpg

[madcowchef]

Those mountains looks so creamy soft I want to sleep on them. The main thing that doesn't work for me on the forest is the trunks, the eveness and similarity almost make them look more like a raised plateau rather than a forest, though I like the subtle light and dark on the top.

[Gamerprinter]

The forests look flat on top, and the presentation of the 'trunks' seem lacking, somehow.

Why not try Tolkien styled forests. Here's a link to an old map of mine that uses what I call Tolkien style forests, I called the Slave Trader's Map. These weren't brushes, I actually drew that little forest entirely by hand, tree by tree. Although this style of forest is completely different from yours, perhaps you'll want to maintain the simplicity of your style, but pair up your verticle lines closer to appear as wider trunks, then vary the space between trunks.