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Thread: Dispatches From A Cartographer - Larithas maps the Indestructible

  1. #1
    Guild Expert Wingshaw's Avatar
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    Wip Dispatches From A Cartographer - Larithas maps the Indestructible

    Hi all,
    For those who haven’t encountered me yet, I’m the precocious newbie who, less than 2 months a member and already two maps posted.

    Well, since my arrogance knows no bounds, I wish to announce my intention of entering a map in the September challenge (I hope there was not some kind of deadline for making this announcement; if so, oops).

    I’ve been working on this project for about a week, and it’s all very hush hush. I’m hoping for a grand unveiling when its nearer completion. Suggestions would be useful though, and so I thought I’d give everyone a sneak peek:

    Below is the RNS Indestructible (closely modelled on the HMS Victory, with liberal alterations and many inaccuracies). About 20 years go, this impressive warship found itself in a bit of a pickle – nobody knows how or why, but it suddenly fell into a huge chasm. And not an underwater chasm, either. This one is above ground, and in the middle of a huge jungle.

    Miraculously, some of the crew survived the impact, and one ship’s officer (the bosun), who became the leader of the rag-tag company. Twenty years later, their temporary huts have become a town called Indestructible, and they have managed to supply their various needs. The jungle (and its inhabitants) have also begun to colonise the ship.

    Enter my adventurous friend, Mr. Larithas Stone, who has joruneyed to the shipwreck to make the first ever map of Indestructible, and its surroundings.

    Still to do:
    • Damage the ship a bit (it looks a bit neat and pristine at the mo');
    • Add the rigging, and wreck that too;
    '• Increase the presence of the jungle, both in the chasm, and across the ship’s decks and rigging;
    • Draw (by hand) a cross-section map of the town of Indestructible in the gap between the canyon and the stern;
    • Add a village of native rixies (those pesky little mites!);
    • Add Larithas’ commentary;
    • Possibly, if time permits, add hand-drawn details of some of the plants and animals that now inhabit part of the ship, a portrait of the Bosun, close-ups of the town and the rixie village etc.;
    • Add the finishing touches.

    Enjoy, and please comment,
    The Hoarse Whisperer

    ### LATEST WIP ###
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	The Indestructible 1.jpg 
Views:	583 
Size:	4.69 MB 
ID:	48280  

  2. #2
    Community Leader Bogie's Avatar
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    Extremely clever idea!

  3. #3
    Guild Artisan lostatsea's Avatar
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    I agree with Bogie . Very different !! I love different !! Good luck!
    "Aye The skies be clear , the seas be calm and the winds be with us .....

    ARGH!! but the damn compass be broken!! "

    Capt. Noah Swalter Last voyage of the " Silver Crest"

  4. #4
    Community Leader Guild Sponsor Korash's Avatar
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    I like the idea as well/ Getting away from the tried and true water paints I see (Which in challenges is always good - leaving your style behind to try something new ) My only quibble atm would be the all powerful cross hatch...makes my eyes hurt...if you could tone that down or eliminate some of the interior (like maybe have it continue to fade from black to none), it would also leave some room for the commentary.
    Art Critic = Someone with the Eye of an Artist, Words of a Bard, and the Talent of a Rock.

    Please take my critiques as someone who Wishes he had the Talent

  5. #5
    Guild Expert Wingshaw's Avatar
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    Thanks Korash. Duly noted and applied.

    Here is the latest update of the map, and these are the major changes since previously:
    - wrecked the ship and its newly added rigging (the visible rigging is highly inaccurate, for any navy buffs out there)
    - added the rixie village in the bottom right
    - increased density of jungle
    - added the first part of the town in the top left
    - added a rock-face background
    - started adding commentary

    Here's what remains:
    - finish the town
    - finish the jungle
    - finish the commentary
    - add the hand-drawn insets
    - finishing touches

    I know there are a lot of problems (the rixie village looks wrong, the text is too neat, the jungle doesn't entirely work) but Im working on those. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

    The Hoarse Whisperer

    ### LATEST WIP ###
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	The Indestructible 2.jpg 
Views:	194 
Size:	4.29 MB 
ID:	48359  

  6. #6

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    It's starting to look very nice now. I think maybe lowering the opacity or lightly erasing some of the striped texture just where it is behind the text might work better.

  7. #7
    Guild Expert Wingshaw's Avatar
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    Greetings again,

    I'm hoping this will be the last update before the final map is posted next week. Still hoping to hear what people think.

    Since the last update, I have:
    - redone the rixie village and added the main town - both I am quite pleased with;
    - removed the jungle (I'll be trying to redo it by hand, as I never liked it too much before)
    - added different effects to the ship, t make it look mouldy and dark
    - finished adding text
    - toned down the hatched cliffs, as per Larb's suggestion (thanks for that!)

    Still to do:
    - the jungle on board the ship and in the surrounding cliffs
    - the food baskets hanging from rigging, with walkways and ladders leading to them
    - the text looks kinda awful at the moment, but I'm hoping to make it look messier and more realistic
    - I might also fiddle around with the layers for the ship and towns, but their overall shapes won't be changing (they might also get windows and doors, but only if I have the time)

    Thanks to everyone who commented.

    The Hoarse Whisperer.

    ### LATEST WIP ###
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	The Indestructible 3.jpg 
Views:	173 
Size:	3.54 MB 
ID:	48411  

  8. #8

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    It looks really great. I'm a little confused on the purpose of some of the shapes outside the ravine.
    *Most of my Maps can be seen in full resolution on my blog*

    *I've made some of my maps into full adventures available for download at DriveThruRPG.com or Paizo.com

    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License unless stated otherwise in the thread.

  9. #9
    Guild Expert Wingshaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anomiecoalition View Post
    It looks really great. I'm a little confused on the purpose of some of the shapes outside the ravine.
    They're caves. I'll try to make that more obvious in the final.

  10. #10
    Guild Expert Wingshaw's Avatar
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    Well here it is, the finished version of the Indestructible.

    Enjoy.

    The Hoarse Whisperer.

    ### LATEST WIP ###
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	The Indestructible 4.jpg 
Views:	219 
Size:	3.80 MB 
ID:	48488  

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