Sagus Cliffs

[Hugo Solis]

This one is for the Torment: Tides of Numenera Explorer's Guide

-> https://www.montecookgames.com/store...plorers-guide/

(BTW is Sagus Cliff, not Sargus Cliffs... my mistake!)

I'm putting it in here not only because it's a town, but because I'd like to share a little the drawing process, style and the back & forth between commissioner-illustrator. It won't be exactly a tutorial so it'll be in here

I hope you like it!



EDIT: I just noticed that the map was uploaded at full res, well, you'll get to see every nast detail. This map is meant to be displayed around a 5x8" size, so it won't look so nice if you zoom in too much, mostly because the details are crispy at all.

[Mouse]

Oh wow! Thanks for sharing this one. Its amazing - composition, colour... the water is fantastic

[J.Edward]

Wonderful work, as always, Hugo.
Oh, I will make the change to the title if you want.

Edit - there, I fixed the title for you.

[Hugo Solis]

Thanks John!

[Hugo Solis]

I'm checking with the commissioner if I can share in here some of their notes and the original sketch they sent me so that you cn see the whole process. It may take a few days thou.

[Hugo Solis]

Haven't got complete clearance to discuss commissioner details but lets continue:


(BTW I didn't created this gorgeous piece of art, it was given to me for reference)

The first image is the general art reference I got for the map, which is the landscape view of the place. I was given several other images (non-available for the public eye yet) of 4 specific locations which are locations that appear in the actual game, thou these locations look little like anything in the landscape scene, so, creativity starts there...

I'm also given a detailed description of a few areas and vague descriptions of several areas. Most artist will agree that the more creativity freedom we are given, the better jobs we do, and good art directors know this well and will be specific on art orders only when there is something very important that has to be done on a spefiic way. Then I have to pick the most specific details to flesh out the map so that it makes sense tying toguether the reference landscape art, the description and the rest of the reference game images that don't look much like the landscape art.

The juggling starts!


This is the first finished sketch for revision. It's simple pencil with tags created on corel draw (for a quick work).

NEXT: I'll explain more on the sketch (and corrections) further on.

[Bogie]

Butterfrog for the win! Great map Hugo, love the sense of depth.

[Hugo Solis]

The sketch gets revisions, mostly a couple yet BIG revisions, one of the areas (5) was "Cliff's Edge" was -as the name says- on the edge of the southern cliffs. Something not entirely shown on the art reference. Then area 6 "caravanserai" had a unique architectural feature, the long floating "pier" platforms, something that was entirely missing from the reference art. Shortly after I realized that the reference art was a very vague depiction of the final game maps, so I should had been using the game references instead of the overall art... a BIG mistake from my part.

this is the corrected sketch:


This sketch got approved. YAY!

Once the sketch is approved, I can start to lay final lines and colors, which will be the next step.

[Hugo Solis]

In this case (and most of the time) I use the same pencil lines of the sketch as the base drawing, this helps give an artsy quality to the map, but definetly doesn't work well on Hi-Res maps, mostly because pencil lines aren't sharp enough for hi-res unless you make the hand drawn sketch on a 1:1 scale (not the case on this map).

Then, I start separating the main areas with colors and textures, starting with the main areas.



Some of the textures I use are usually pictures filtered out and toned down with photoshop, so that they look less realistic and more within the realm of illustration. Other textures are simple textured brush strokes with the same filtering process.

Once I have the main areas colored I start adding the smaller details and making other less "notorious" separations, in this case, the multiple levels of the city.



More to come soon!

[J.Edward]

It's always interesting to see someone's process.
I am enjoying seeing how you work Hugo.