January/February 2014 Lite Challenge: Jannah Manor

[Jalyha]

shmmm I'm really struggling here.

I already lost my square, and, in trying to fix the lake to be in perspective with the mountains, I lost my circle.

If I KEEP the lake, and change the view of the mountains/castle, I'll lose my triangle. (and most of like, all the work I've done on it) so...

I'm not sure what I'm going to do here. I may have to restart. If I DON'T restart, I have to find a new circle and a new square, but I don't want to work on something for very long and THEN change, because it won't leave me enough time.

I'll start by turning the "lake" back into a forest, and see if that helps at all. I'd ask for suggestions, but that seems a bit unfair, as everyone else is being so creative with their own entries.

Soo.... I'll update once I know what I'm doing.

[Carbus]

Why don`t you make it an Artificial Lake? A perfect circle, made by some master stoneworkers..

[Jalyha]

I had it like that, but the *perspective* was different from the perspective of the mountains, and it didn't gel.


I don't know how to draw top-down mountains (I've tried the tutorials, somehow, even when I do exactly what it says, it looks like a side-view)

[Carbus]

Following your castle perspective, I think it should be kinda like this:

Untitled-1.jpg

[Jalyha]

yeap. I had the same idea:

Entry.jpg

Unfortunately, that's no longer a circle, but an oval. :/

The contest is very specifically: Include those shapes. It's the *only* guideline. So I can make it work... but then I need to find a new circle, and I STILL need to find a new square

Oh well, it wouldn't be a challenge if it wasn't challenging, would it?

[rgcalsaverini]

Great castle! Which software are you using?
But if your map have some perspective, I think its understandable that the shape is perceived as an oval, it's still a circle, just with a different representation, I don't see a problem with it.

[Jalyha]

Ummm thanks! I'm using GIMP

I wouldn't worry about it if it weren't a contest, but everyone else's entries are so great, I feel like I must comply strictly to the guidelines. It's okay though... I think I've figured something out.

Probably won't work, but I have something to try, at least

[Jalyha]

Okay, so, I was experimenting with some colors on a duplicate layer, and thought I would share it so people don't think I've given up

(It doesn't look proper, because I didn't color in everything, but I am selecting my palette.) What do you think of the mountain colors? Too dark? Too light? Too boring? I haven't selected a midtone yet, but I think I like the darker shade?

### Latest WIP ###
latest wip.jpg

[Jalyha]

So.....


My 4 year old was watching me work, and asked why I was "furster-raided". He's been watching the maps here on the forums with me a bit, even comments on some of them, so I told him I was making a map for a contest.. He asked "map of what?" and I said "A circle, a triangle, and a square".


He ran off, and I went back to avoiding making my map.

Then he comes back with this:


david's map.jpg

(I did the crayon labels you can barely see... woot woot...?)

Anyway, he asked me to "put it on the contest" and "tell me when I win it mommy" and he walked off.

My son is autistic and rarely says anything, so I didn't have the heart to tell him he can't enter. But I figure he'll get a kick out of clicking it on the forums anyway.

(If you're curious, it's (top to bottom) two mountains a house and a tree)

[Jalyha]

And I lost my triangle.

Now I have none of the shapes for the contest!!

I decided to start over and try something more focused on the shapes. Since I'm having so many problems with perspective for mountains and things on the maps I've tried, I'm going to go for something smaller...

I found a couple of pictures of MANOR and CASTLE maps: Harewood and Wentworth and I was thinking I might try something like that.

In my artwork, I have no trouble with landscapes, and tons of trouble with buildings. In mapping I've had tons of trouble with landscapes, and I'm hoping I won't have as much trouble with buildings.

So, while my son was drawing shapes, I was working on the start of a huge estate.

Since the shapes are obvious, I won't point them out, but here is what I've done so far:

manor house.jpg

I'm sorry for the abrupt switch, but I'm simply unable to complete my original entry in a manner that complies with the competition.