Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: WIP: The Ice Pyramid

  1. #1
    Guild Adept Facebook Connected
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Plouguerne; Brittany
    Posts
    287

    Default WIP: The Ice Pyramid

    The idea is that this is a small outdoor temple long abandonned on top of a pyramid.

    The twist is that it's all frozen and snowed in... (I tried to use a bump map to get the impression of snow accumulating around the various pillars...)


    What do you guys think? (I think the base of the pillar could use some work, normally, I thought they would be covered with snow too...)


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Ice Pyramid.png 
Views:	690 
Size:	2.03 MB 
ID:	52254


    As usual; the actual furniture and other pretties come from Dundjinni...

  2. #2
    Community Leader jfrazierjr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Apex, NC USA
    Posts
    3,057

    Default

    It's really hard to figure this out. The steps look pasted over the top of a 2D image as there is no depth either on the pyramid itself or to the steps that would be carved into them. Realistically, from the POV, the steps should appear to be spaced closer together the lower down(further away from the center) they go the sides.

    This lack of perspective is made even worse by the quite heavy shadows on some of the objects at the top while there is no(or no consistent) light source on the actual pyramid itself. My suggestion here is to start with the base of the pyramid and get it and the steps in place and looking good(Just use a solid color temporarily and you can add the snow effect later on). Then start adding in the other objects.
    My Finished Maps
    Works in Progress(or abandoned tests)
    My Tutorials:
    Explanation of Layer Masks in GIMP
    How to create ISO Mountains in GIMP/PS using the Smudge tool
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

  3. #3
    Guild Artisan Jacktannery's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Dublin, Ireland
    Posts
    924

    Default

    I love the snow, but I agree with jf. You should focus on the thing that really works brilliantly on this map - the beautiful snow and lighting. If I were you I'd get rid of everything else, then very gently start making your own snow-covered columns and a snow-covered altar (those dunjinni ones are never going to work here). Making a top-down column is a lot easier than you might think, ditto a snow-covered altar. Once you picture in your head exactly what you want it to look like (do a doodle on a scrap of paper) you'll realise that you can make it in a few minutes. After that, I'd focus on getting the steps right (it's all in the shading), and forget about the flag and spears. You might even be able to add a bit more brightness to certain parts of the map to really bring out the snow.

  4. #4
    Guild Adept Facebook Connected
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Plouguerne; Brittany
    Posts
    287

    Default

    Thanks for the advices...

    I wanted to try something different and it did not really turn out very well...

    I may revisit this map but , right now, I am feeling a bit disapointed...

  5. #5
    Guild Master Facebook Connected jtougas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Wales Massachusetts
    Posts
    2,813
    Blog Entries
    27

    Default

    Don't get discouraged. I have to agree with JT that the snow and the lighting are AWESOME. I think you have a great idea to build on and I hope that you continue working on this as I am sure it can be really great.
    I am the breath of Dragons...The Song of Mountains...The Stories of Rivers....The Heart of Cities.... I am A Cartographer....

    Finished Maps
    Kingdom Of Shendenflar Campaign Setting (WIP)

    Everything I post is free for use and redistribution under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 licence, except where noted otherwise in the thread.

  6. #6
    Guild Adept Facebook Connected
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Plouguerne; Brittany
    Posts
    287

    Default

    Thanks for your kind words, once again...

    Yeah, I wanted to try something new and collided with the wall of my limited abilities... I still like the basic idea, though, and would like to re-visit this map at some point...

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •