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Thread: May 2012 Entry: A Map of Penance City

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    Guild Member Facebook Connected Sinnyo's Avatar
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    Map May 2012 Entry: A Map of Penance City

    My neck is not thanking me for this challenge; I'd forgotten how much I tend to settle into bad seating postures when drawing! Well, anyway.

    I'm returning to a game world which is not technically mine, named Saren. I was commissioned by a friend (and indie game dev. colleague) last year, to think this world up and to illustrate it. I'd produced a world map and a hand-drawn, digitally-coloured map of the vampire capital, Brannstadt, but for this challenge I thought I'd address one of the equatorial settlements, on the desolate island continent of Ar Drennor.

    The story as I see it is that Saren's particularly magic-attuned race, the dryans, were exiled for the supposed safety of all the other factions. Back when the kingdoms were united, it was the humans of Midhaven who were tasked with the exile of this increasingly-powerful race, who once dwelled with the dwarves in Unnoria. The dryans, physically weak but intelligent, dwelt above ground, while the stout and narrow-minded dwarves tunnelled below. Humans, being neighbours to both these peoples, and a generally sea-faring race at that, were a natural choice to deliver this judgement. So, with the help of the elven army, the dryans were rounded up and deposited on Saren's southernmost continent, there to suffer in prison colonies.

    Penance City was established in a tight cove to serve as chief port for this region, with the combination of restrictive geography and alarming, stepped elder architecture making it an ideal prison. Walls and forts were erected to cut off any escape over narrow mountain paths, while a great gate was erected in order to buffer the sea and isolate the cove. Dryans could then be delivered by the ship-load to a small marine cavern just north of the compound, there to be led through fortified tunnels into the city proper. Escape from here was deemed impossible; no architect could break the elder stone, keeping each tiered set of steps in tact. Furthermore, the area was surrounded by impassable mountains, so that in combination with city walls and a small army, touring every four months, kept the dryans in check for nearly a century.

    Of course, the humans were overthrown, and within a single generation of the dryans' expanded lifetime, they've sought to claim Penance City as their capital. Human settlements still remain outside the city walls, and although any remaining supplies have been pillaged, they still stand until a time comes that the dryans will either move in or renovate. For now, they've simply sought to build passageways and breach the defences which were once designed to keep them penned in.

    </lore waffle>

    ### LATEST WIP ###
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    Also, a wider shot since while pencil doesn't come out at all well on a camera, I can at least show my working environment - and the map which I'm using as a style reference:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    "Leave nothing but journey histories, take nothing but pictures; speak softly and carry a big lightsaber."
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    Community Leader mearrin69's Avatar
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    Nice work! I like the style.

    Last time I did a hand-drawn city map my neck (and hand) hurt for weeks. Looks as if this one will be worth it, however. Keep going!
    M

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    Community Leader Bogie's Avatar
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    Looking Good!!

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    Community Leader Jaxilon's Avatar
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    Wow, that is great going so far. I think I have the same desk lamp btw, only mine is white. It's bright and I like it.

    I need to scan my entry now before I chicken out or convince myself that I don't have time to finish it.
    “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

    * Rivengard * My Finished Maps * My Challenge Maps * My deviantArt

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    Guild Member Facebook Connected Sinnyo's Avatar
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    Thank you for the encouragement, everyone! Thanks to a rather social weekend I'm now a little bit panicky over actually finishing it.. not a great time to have revived my "WoW" subscription. XD

    Quote Originally Posted by Jaxilon View Post
    I think I have the same desk lamp btw, only mine is white. It's bright and I like it.
    Hee! It seems to get about quite a bit. My only complaint is that I end up feeling like my eyelids are two sizes too small after I've used it for too long, no matter how much background light I use. So bright!
    "Leave nothing but journey histories, take nothing but pictures; speak softly and carry a big lightsaber."
    raygungoth.net | @RaygunGoth (known by that handle most places but here!)

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    Guild Adept Facebook Connected RjBeals's Avatar
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    That looks awesome! Can't wait to see how it turns out.

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    Community Leader Jaxilon's Avatar
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    Question for ya - What kind of pen do you use for inking? I don't have much experience doing this so I'm wondering if it matters. I do know that I'm a pen biggot so if the pen sucks I'm going to hate it.
    “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

    * Rivengard * My Finished Maps * My Challenge Maps * My deviantArt

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    Guild Member Facebook Connected Sinnyo's Avatar
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    To be honest I've mostly used the same brands since I started GCSE graphic design, which alarms me deeply in itself. Not the exact same pens, of course, but it seems I've been buying Faber-Castell fineliners for 10 years. I should get out and buy the thinnest nib, 'S', but I'm using an 'F' since that thinner pen ran out some years ago. It's fair to say these are long-lasting! My thicker outlines are drawn in an Edding 1300 #1 - dunno much about it, since it came as an overall present with my A3 sketchpad, on my last birthday.

    Faber-Castell do a set of four pens, three of which (S, F, M) have a nib which I have no idea how to describe, while the 'B' is a brush. It's a good brush (until it runs out, as mine did), but personally I've begun to favour the Edding, as it has a stubbier and quite solid felt tip. Much better for drawing longer lines, but of course not a patch on brushes when it comes to shading and fancy flicks (the latter of which I can't do anyway).

    I hope that's not too verbose a description! I reckon they're good choices - for my style, anyway.
    "Leave nothing but journey histories, take nothing but pictures; speak softly and carry a big lightsaber."
    raygungoth.net | @RaygunGoth (known by that handle most places but here!)

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    Guild Adept Facebook Connected RjBeals's Avatar
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    Just ordered these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._ya_os_product

    Not to jack the thread, but you made me want to try an ink map myself. I think I'll be entering this comp

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    Community Leader Jaxilon's Avatar
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    Those look good and I in fact found one in my cup of pens...it's blue though but it writes well. I'm not sure about the price your link shows as that is a huge savings that doesn't compare with the price if you click on the link for the 'blank ink' 6 pack. Why are 6 pens normally worth $176.99? If that's accurate I'm going to order them as well but I think the are more like 15 bucks.

    Also, sorry for the hijack continuance. Maybe I should move these two comments into the overall thread?
    “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

    * Rivengard * My Finished Maps * My Challenge Maps * My deviantArt

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