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Thread: Desert Region

  1. #1

    Wip Desert Region

    Hi everyone,
    After testing out different styles and tutorials, I have settled on the following...at least for the moment...

    I have used some brushes and techniques by many people from CG and they deserve the credit for the brushes and my thanks. Unfortunately I can't remember who actually made the brushes, but thanks al lthe same. Using Photoshop CS2.

    As this is a WIP, I'm asking for guidance primarily on the 'desert' sections of this map- not the mountains or steppe (both of which are really just placeholders at the moment and brushes I have used).

    The 'desert' consists of rocky areas and sandy/duney areas, plus a few settlements. Some specific questtions:
    Firstly, does the brush I've made for the rocky areas look okay? Does it convey that they are rocky desert? Any ideas how to improve this- either techniques or whole new brush required?

    Secondly, the same question, but for the sandy desert and dunes? I'm no artist, so my attempt at dunes is not very good.

    Thirdly, how do the settlements work or not work? There are a few slightly different icons used, plus a borrowed palm tree brush (thanks).
    I think these need a lot more work to look good, so any suggestinos why they don't really work at the moment would be great.

    Lastly, any comments on overall style/look of the map.

    Thansk for all your help,
    Pete
    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2

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    I like your over all look. I'm not such an expert myself, but since no one else has commented. I like you stippling for desert. I see two dune symbols/brushes and I think they both look very good. My only suggestion would be to use more of them in a pattern to look more like dune wave patterns. perhaps. just one dune in isolation can be mistaken for a hill I think. The settlement symbols are a good choice. But the thin clean lines on those symbols look a little too clean for your map style. You might want to blur them just a little, maybe widen the lines a pixel and otherwise muss up a bit. I'm not sure how but they don't look hand drawn as they are.

    map style looks great. coast lines look great.

  3. #3

    Default

    I agree with gwynwas, the desert could use more dune symbols. The mountains look a little too repetitious to me, a little more variation in the brushes used would make much difference I think. Overall a very fine map.

  4. #4

    Default

    Hi gwynwas and Lyandra,
    Thanks for your comments, I really appreciate the feedback.
    I see what you both mean about the dunes. They do look like hills. I might have to redraw them and add some more dunes to the brushes.
    For the settlements I agree - blur could work. I just used the line tool mostly but maybe I might lower theopacity, trace over, then remove the orginal. Just worried my tracing will make it look very poor!! I'll give them some more work.
    Yes, I need to totally redo the mountains.

    Thanks for all your help. I hope to update the map soon and add the main feature missing from it. There should be a canal cossing the land between the towns, but it is taking me some time to work out how to draw it.

    Kind regards,
    Pete

  5. #5

    Wip

    Hi everyone,
    Finally have done a bit more. Trying out some icons/symbols.
    Tried a different town icon- one darker and with more detail, the other lighter (for the latter I will decrease the detail even more, but need to get some sleep).

    What about the canal? It is too big at the moment and I plan on using the 'sea' colour in the middle of it.

    What do people think? How do these look? I'm would love some C&C.
    Thanks,
    Pete


    Click image for larger version. 

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  6. #6
    Guild Journeyer Facebook Connected anstett's Avatar
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    For the canal I would not put in the banks at that scale of map. Just a water way of the correct color. It will be obvious it is a man made object because things in nature never run along straight lines like that for any distance.

    Then on any sub-map of the area you can put in the stone embankments, etc.

    BOB
    We do not stop playing because we grow old.
    We grow old because we stop playing.

    www.dragonslayers-society.org

  7. #7

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    Hi BOB,
    I was hoping someone wouldn't say that! Haha...you are no doubt right, I was just hoping it would work.

    Thanks for your wise feedback,
    Pete

    Edited typo
    Last edited by pete_p; 06-15-2012 at 10:36 PM.

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