Pirate Cove

[RPMiller]

I like the direction. I'm torn on the escarpment lines. In a way they have a more "cheating" feel to them in this particular map. I don't think they will be required once you add the depth of the jungle on the top elevation. Definitely keep them on a separate layer that is for sure. I love that color though. It all has a very old world gritty feel that is befitting a pirate setting. There is a little optical play with what is higher, but as I said once you add the canopy I think this will go away especially if you have some of the canopy overhanging the cliff edges.

[torstan]

Those are interesting comments RP. I have a couple of other ideas I want to try for the escarpment lines. I'll have a shot with those tomorrow and see what comes up.

Here's a slightly updated sketch sheet with some ideas for the trees (ignore the mountains - they were just a random doodle after I had an idea)



Actually looking at this one, I guess I will drop all the colours down a fair bit more in the final version. Just a hint should be enough on this. I'm not sure whether the trees should be flat or whether they should be more shaped (as they are here).

Anyway, enough fun doodling for tonight. I'll play more with this tomorrow.

[torstan]

I've drawn out a finished outline for the cliff edge around the camp and sketched in the location of all the buildings, tents, ship and so on. The next step is to ink these in properly, do the trees and then start on the colour wash. I decided to move the layout around a little to allow for three different points of entry to the camp to make the encounter less linear.



The story behind this is that the pirates (south area) and the bandits (north area) share the same cove as a base but are only in an uneasy alliance. The pirate ship is holed up here in need of repairs and the two groups are getting fractious. In addition, a monster (I'm thinki and ankheg or two) has entered into the loot cave, meaning that neither the pirates or the bandits can get at the treasure. The players follow some tracks down the river to the northeast and arrive in the middle of this situation. They are definitely outnumbered by both the pirates and the bandits, but if they can play them off against each other they should stand a much better chance. If it sounds familiar, it is taken from the Mysteries of the Moonsea book set in the FR. I just decided their map was dreadful and didn't have half of the fun promised by a pirate cove.

Anyway, that's the latest WIP. I'll ink it later today.

[torstan]

Now the trees are inked in. I need to go back to the places where they overlap the cliff and river lines and clear them up, but otherwise the trees are now done. Next step will be doing the final ink lines for the structures and then colouring the buildings and the ground and water.

[RobA]

Are the posted images at the full size you work at, or have they been downsized? Along with that, what is the brush size you are using?

Thanks,

-Rob A>

[torstan]

They are at half the size I work at. The images themselves are at 2000x2000px which is pretty much the limit of what I can get away with using in maptool. I'm using a 2-3px ink brush size for the outlining.

[RPMiller]

This is really coming together nicely. I love the deep rich water color effect you are using. It gives it a real organic feel.

Is that a passage between the to camps I see on the left? That is a great way to allow movement and still have some control. Neat idea!

[torstan]

The cave entrances are actually to the cave where they stored the loot - the one that now has ankhegs or some similar nasty in it. Actually a bulette would be a fairly ironic nasty to put in there...

Anyway, it was the treasure cave because it had equal access from both factions section of the cove. I also envisages it as a hole bored through the cliff by the see when it was higher, or drilled through by the stream/river before it changed course in the past.

Anyway, here is the current WIP.



The ink lines have been done for the structures. No lines for the terrain though. These will go in after I have coloured them to add texture at that stage. Also, the ink lines here are black, I'll change them to a semi-overlay layer later.

[torstan]

Okay, all the large blocks of colour have been added. Not sure about all the intensities, opaqueness yet. Any comments very welcome.