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Thread: March/April 2012 Lite Challenge Entry: Lostwater Caves

  1. #1
    Guild Journeyer octopod's Avatar
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    Wip March/April 2012 Lite Challenge Entry: Lostwater Caves

    I thought I saw some karstic caves in those inkblots.

    (So what does that say about my psyche?)

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    Last edited by octopod; 04-02-2012 at 08:25 PM.

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    Guild Journeyer Facebook Connected Joshua's Avatar
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    Whatever it says, it's something positive. I dig it! I love the plant life around the openings. I think it works really well. The interior looks great and the placement of the stalagmites look naturally placed. I only saw one that was without a counterpart above it, but it works because it's below a low point on that part of the cave ceiling. Well done.
    Yes, I'm colorblind. But my pink fields and orange forests are avant garde!!

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    Community Leader Bogie's Avatar
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    Very cool, Great idea!

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    Guild Journeyer octopod's Avatar
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    Thanks for the nice comments!

    Here's a newer version. I was happy with the cave outlines, but I messed with the colors a lot and added some text. That's always the part where I get hung up because it involves creating some kind of culture to have named the things, but at least this one should be fairly ecologically coherent, and I got to stick a Classic Maya style date on there.

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    Community Leader Lukc's Avatar
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    Great idea with the caves! Nice use of the z axis

    I almost prefer the one with the black "rock" - it just looks more balanced somehow, it's immediately clear what the focus is: the caverns. I'd maybe try a less obvious rock texture for the solid ground.

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    Guild Journeyer octopod's Avatar
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    You know, I think you're right. This is easier to look at, despite the fact that the other one looks more like limestone.
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    Guild Apprentice Inriconus's Avatar
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    I like it. It is similar way that I approached this challenge. The ink blots are huge voids. I enjoy the layout of it. The black rock looks better, but I would add some light and dark values to give a rough feel. Not a lot, just very subtle. Like this type of thing: http://bit.ly/HcQdL1

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    Community Leader Jaxilon's Avatar
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    This is great. I really dig the trees you have on top too. Did you paint them yourself?
    “When it’s over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking.” -John Wooden

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    Community Leader Lukc's Avatar
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    I like it a lot, but perhaps a low-opacity screen layer of actual limestone or a limestone texture would look good on the rocks. I can grab you a few photos when I go walk my dogge.

    Unfortunately I have trouble reading the text at bottom left, it just doesn't contrast enough with the black on my monitor.

    Finally, a good idea might be to think about adding a bit of a soil layer at the top. Sort of like in this image: http://igs.indiana.edu/images/bedroc...onFeatures.jpg

    And I came a pretty good article on karst here.

    I'll be keeping my eye on this!

  10. #10
    Guild Journeyer octopod's Avatar
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    Inriconus: I have been fooling with different possibiliities for the rock texture but nothing has looked quite right yet. That one's too cracked and volcanic-looking to come out right, I think, and I haven't found any really good "eroded limestone" images that work as a texture either.

    Jaxilon: I used this free tree brush set, actually...they're pretty amazing, distinguished by species and everything. Good stuff. Highly recommended.

    Lukc: Good point about the soil horizon; I'll add some in where appropriate. Karstic terrain is cool stuff. Also, painting stalactites is seriously fun.


    Do you think it'd be better without the cave names etc.?
    Last edited by octopod; 04-04-2012 at 01:30 PM.

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