May/June 2014 Lite Challenge: The Ledge and Dairy Inn

[Meshon]

*chomp* That might be the sound of me biting off more than I can chew... I've been fiddling with this for about a week now, trying to decide if I should enter. So I will! I'm not sure yet if this is going to be an exterior illustration map, or if I will try to do plans. It's my first attempt at something isometric, so I think I will probably stick with exteriors and if I do interior maps they will be top-down, alongside the isometric exterior view. This first is an illustrator rough draft to get the layout and all the peaks and valleys of the buildings clear in my head.

### Latest WIP ###
LedgeAndDairy1.jpg

This is the place where one of my old characters retired, but it never got a proper map treatment. Quinn Fisher used to travel with the Twilight Company, and always dreamed of sailing the seas with his own crew. Sadly he made a terrible ship captain and so decided to open a seaside inn...

(A story, if you want to read it)

 

The ogre was close. It’s footsteps thundered rhythmically in Quinn’s ears. Maybe it was a giant. Inarticulate roars of rage filled the air. And another voice, closer, insistent.

Quinn’s eyes snapped open as he woke, and he leapt to his feet, noting immediately that his breeches were missing. Again.

He was in his room. No, not his room, but similar. At least the plaster of the walls and the furnishings looked similar. And his room didn’t always have a beautiful woman hissing angrily at him.

“Terribly sorry, my dear, I’ll be off like a bolt!” Quinn declared, bowing slightly. This move reminded him that his breeches were missing, and his hat as well. He reached back and pulled his massive leather hat off of the bed post, jammed it on his head, and leapt for the door, dodging around the goat on his way. He skidded to a halt and turned to the woman, who looked both frightened and enraged.

“Are you buying this goat?” He furrowed his brow. “Did we settle on a price?”

The woman nodded curtly and stabbed a finger towards the door.

“Right, on my way,” Quinn replied, but skidded to a halt again as he realized that the pounding footsteps were still thundering in his ears. He cocked his head and looked at the door. It was shaking with each heavy thud, and bellowing with rage. Or at least something behind it was. He slowly turned towards the woman and gestured at the door, raising an eyebrow.

“My husband!” she snapped.

Quinn nodded. “Don’t worry, sweet lass, I’ve lived through greater dangers than you might ever imagine. I’m good in a crisis!” He grinned at her hopefully. Her eyes rolled.

“Yes, I’ve heard. At length. From you,” she sighed.

With another quick nod, Quinn grabbed at the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around his middle.

“My dear, it has been the greatest pleasure, but I must depart.” He made to leap over the goat, but got fouled in the sheet wrapped around his legs, fell to the floor and rolled towards the window. Checking that his hat was still in place, he stood, pushed open the shutters, and stepped up and over the sill. Below were waves crashing against the rocks at the base of the cliff. Above, the wall of the inn stretched towards the roof, several stories above. As Quinn exited the window and began his ascent, he muttered to himself.

“Retire in peace, he said, live by the sea, he told me, put the danger behind you…”

“The young lady poked her head out the window. “Who gave you that terrible idea?” she asked.

“Er… me.”

Her head disappeared inside, quickly replaced by the goat, who had the trailing end of Quinn’s sheet in it’s mouth. As the beast pulled on the sheet and it slowly began to flutter down towards the churning sea below, Quinn sighed.

“An amusing name for the inn, yes, that will bring people. And cows. And goats.” He spared one final glance down at the goat. “So glad you’re leaving.”

"Really must remember to get ladders put on the outside of the walls," he grunted to himself as he climbed.

Quinn imagined the complaints he would later hear from customers, both amused and irate no doubt, about a half-naked man scaling the walls of the inn. Well what was the good of owning your own inn if you couldn't climb about the place half-naked once in awhile?

[jtougas]

Inns and retired adventurers there is simply no better combination !! This looks great and I will be watching

[Meshon]

So I thought I was going to skip the interiors, but then I started work on the interiors. Time to make some decisions about where this map will do in the next two days. I started scribbling over the exterior, to make it look more like an illustration, which has been satisfying, but I only spent a couple of minutes. Then I started working on an interior map and, I gotta say, isometric stairs are killing me. Anyway, no WIP tag for these, they're just bits and bobs. If anyone has ideas about stairs, or even suggestions as to which path I should pursue (exterior or interior), I'd be happy to hear!

Screen Shot 2014-06-11 at 3.34.11 PM.pngScreen Shot 2014-06-11 at 3.34.21 PM.pngScreen Shot 2014-06-11 at 3.32.22 PM.png

cheers,
Meshon

[Meshon]

Some time ago...
Quinn quaffed at his mug his mug and wiped foam off his moustache to reveal a smile. "It's good of you to come, it's so rare to find someone who understands the importance of a good cup of ale in the morning."

His dwarven companion raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Not exactly morning."

Quinn gestured at the table between them, spread with diagrams, plans, and notes for his inn-to-be. So far the repairs on the old building were going well, but Quinn had several additions in mind. "Well Urin, what do you think?" He beamed broadly.

Urin took another swig of ale before he answered. "It'll fall down."

Quinn shook his head vehemently. "No, no, I'll put in... you know... beams and such."

Urin sat back in his chair. "You remember the caves of the Undema? A thousand years gone but their foundations still holding up the roots of the world. You need some of those special kind of stones they used."

"Ah yes," Quinn replied. "And which type of stone was that?"

"Big ones," replied his old friend. "Also very, very heavy."

### Latest WIP ###
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I've laid in some foundations after discarding a couple of styles. I'm learning a whole heck of a lot about my tablet in a big hurry though, which I think this project is mostly an excuse to do:

1. The scale is tricky to keep consistent. I zoom in to work, then zoom out to look and realize all my little details won't show up anyway.

2. I have to sit up really straight and pay a lot of attention to how I hold my arm and wrist, or it gets tired.

3. It's so much fun!

4. I stick my tongue out when I'm drawing.

Next up, a visit from Eva to talk about Quinn's wood.

cheers,
Meshon

[Meshon]

Tried a thing, it's not quite right, so I'll be back later with an improvement on this. I was thinking of doing all the timbers in a modular fashion, building the elements first and then copying and pasting, but there's too many instances where this won't quite work. Back to the drawing board!

### Latest WIP ###
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[Meshon]

Almost. There's still lots to finish and clean up, so unfortunately this isn't complete, but here's how far I got! Labels were next, but my five year old is taking me to a movie for dad's day!

### Latest WIP ###
L&D-fills.jpg

[Domino44]

Wow, it's coming along nicely.

[Bogie]

Yeah, priorities! Enjoy the kids while they are young. Both of mine are 3000 miles away. So I won't be seeing them on Father's Day. At least they will be home for a visit in 2 weeks.

[Meshon]

That new movie with the dragons is terrific! And without further ado, The Ledge and Dairy Inn.

### Winner ###

LD-penultimate.jpg

Meshon

[Bogie]

Excellent line work! ( not that I know anything about that, but it looks good. )