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Thread: Shattered Glass -- Hand drawn isomorphic city map/scene

  1. #1
    Guild Apprentice veracusse's Avatar
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    Wip Shattered Glass -- Hand drawn isomorphic city map/scene

    With all the discussion on isomorphic projections and city maps (here), I felt that I just had to draw one myself. Originally, there was a thread that inspired me to begin my own project, but I can't seem to find it. I wish I could remember the author of the thread, since that author provided a pattern for making isomorphic grids in photoshop. I am mainly drawing this in photoshop (CS 6 ), but I am also using Illustrator to make some of the objects. Here is a link to making iso projections in illustrator. It has proven to be very useful.

    Anyhow, I have been working on this project for over a month now, and luckily I have saved progressions of my work so I can post them on Cartographers Guild.

    Here is the basic plan and layout of the main city features included in the city. Although, I have changed some of these features as the project's progressed. For example, I originally planned to make a prison in the upper left corner, but felt that a grand bazaar or souk would fit the theme of the city better. I decided that I would draw just a section of the city, instead of the entire thing. This city is supposed to have over a population over a million. It is inspired from the Exalted rpg city, Chiaroscuro. I am intending to give it a southern Mediterranean feel to it.

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Name:	Chiaroscuro_01.jpg 
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    Next I made the basic shapes of the buildings and a few other features in an isomorphic projection.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Chiaroscuro_02.jpg 
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    Then I started the long task of adding details to the shapes so that they would look like buildings, temples, bazaars, towers, walls, etc.

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Name:	Chiaroscuro_03.jpg 
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    Here is where I am currently at. I still have quite a bit more work to do. For example, I plan to add more details to the bazaar in the top left hand corner of the map. I also added little blob people to remind me of the scale when I am adding building features.

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Name:	Chiaroscuro_04.jpg 
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    This is where I am currently at on this project. I am hoping to finish it sometime soon. This is not a commission or anything like that, but more of a personal project to see if I can develop the skills to work on projects like this.

    Any thoughts, criticisms, questions or comments would be highly appreciated. As I make more progress I will try and post regular updates.

    Jamison

  2. #2
    Community Leader Bogie's Avatar
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    Looks very good.

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    I commend you for your patience. It's looking great but you've got so many details left to draw! =P

    Also do you plan on colouring it?

    I posted an isometric grid pattern a while back in this thread. I don't know if that is the one you are referring to.

  4. #4
    Guild Apprentice veracusse's Avatar
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    That is exactly the thread I was referring to. I thought it was one of your maps, but I was not sure so I wanted to ask the forumites. That grid has proven to be very useful for this project. I am amazed at how you and others can put down details on a map like this in fairly short amount of time. Currently I am trying to finish up a dissertation and also tend to my personal responsibilities, so sometimes I may only find 10-15 minutes to work on this map. I intend to finish it, and I will definitely color it too. Although, I am sure that the coloring of this map will be a learning experience for me.

    I look at the scale of this map and I suppose that it is quite ambitious, especially since this is my first map of this type.

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    Community Leader Facebook Connected tilt's Avatar
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    Hi veracusse, that looks great ... one thing I wonder about though is that if you have a city of millions (or even thousands) one would expect the houses to be much closer together, ground prices tend to go up and every square foot get used if possible... but very nice looking city already, looking forward to seeing it progress... have some rep with my +17 broadsword of cool repping
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    Guild Apprentice veracusse's Avatar
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    Thanks for the replies. Here is the latest update. I finished a bit more of the North side.

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Name:	Chiaroscuro_05.jpg 
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    I plan to finish the north side and the wall surrounding the are next. I am going to densify the city a bit more, according to Tilt's suggestion.

    Thanks for the comments and replies so far.

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    Professional Artist Facebook Connected Blaidd Drwg's Avatar
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    Wow ... This is a map after my own heart. You must have huge stores of patience to get all the details in. I'm kinda jealous, actually. I always manage to get a lot of the details wrong.
    Very, very nice work!

  8. #8
    Guild Member Facebook Connected BISHDP's Avatar
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    This map is amazing. I have to agree with Blaidd, the amount of detail in this map is impressive. How big is the original?

  9. #9

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    Ooh, this looks very nice. Great job so far Beracusse.

    Cheers,
    -Arsheesh

  10. #10
    Guild Apprentice veracusse's Avatar
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    It has been a while since I last posted my progress on this map. Life, dissertation and all sorts of stuff just keep on getting in the way. However I was able to finish the drawing of the map--the buildings, roads, walls, etc. I am not starting to add little details and am also starting to color it.

    This is a huge map (2000 x 2000 pixels), and a long project.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Chiaroscuro_07.jpg 
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