Black&white big city

[feanaaro]

Update [now with enlarged market plaza and many more "domus-like" houses!]

[arsheesh]

This is really coming together nicely Feanaaro.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[feanaaro]

Trying with fields and trees. Do they work, or is there too much clutter already?
Perhaps the tree, in particular, should be ditched. What do you think?

[Krases]

I personally think the fields are fine and the trees are ok when it comes to laying out the orchards or putting down wayward lone trees. As large clusters like on the right hand side, it doesn't work as well and I would try to find some other means of representing forests, if that is what you are trying to do.

I should also add, that your city is awesome and I already find myself fiddling around in adobe illustrator trying to make my own in that style.

[feanaaro]

Thanks Krases.

I am actually using Photoshop, though perhaps Illustrator would indeed be a better choice. I could have used it, especially for the possibility of producing "cleaner" vector graphic, if not for the fact that I am yet unable to use it in a way that would allow me to map such a big city in a decent time (i.e. before I die of old age). I was thinking of trying Ai for the next city, although that would reignite the problem that I cannot do two things precisely in the same style, while this should be only one of eleven cities that should be mapped together (same consistency problem, though less pronounced for regional maps of the world... and all started with an attempt to standardize a quick style... ah, where fantasy cartography brings you...)

As for the three, it is not exactly a forest I want to represent, just an area where tree are denser. The idea is that one tree represents just one tree. Most other areas have less trees because I figured that outside the fields there would be mainly open pasture, while the area beneath the city walls would be cleared for security reasons. The small promontory on the left, on the other hand, is too small for having significant herds, and far enough for the wall for not being completely cleared.

Having said that, I think you are right, trees does not look good that way.

[Krases]

If you can use photoshop, then I suggest photoshop. I only use Illustrator because that is what I was formally educated on and I try to learn as much photoshop as I can, but my skills just aren't up to your level. Illustrator is great if you are trying to get those really straight lines, something I can't really accomplish in photoshop. Its also great for accuracy if you know how to setup grids and space things correctly. But in my experience it is a lot harder to apply paper patterns and other things like that. I plan on using a mix of photoshop and illustrator ideally.

[feanaaro]

Tried different woods.
Also, back to white for once.

[Gidde]

Looking good! I really love the fields and the cultivated trees. I'm not really sold on the forest style, but there's nothing actually wrong with it. It just isn't singing like the rest of the map.

[Lunarra]

I find this map just amazing.

[cereth]

Yes, this is really impressive!