March 2015 Entry - Karsthaven

[anomiecoalition]

IDK - I do like this version better myself - you could try increasing the overall contrast on the image - or adding a border to tie the whole thing together.

[Meshon]

I also like your latest version, but this is my own very subjective opinion. If the more colourful one is more beautiful then go with that one; ultimately it's your map and the rest of us can go take a hike up an isometric mountain . I think your layout is spot on and the colours are a good way to tie it together. And Chancery, despite being quite ornate, is really readable. I'm also respecting the time you've put in to make it work.

Some possible errors I've spotted:
Entrance Passage: The passage in is a bare stone...
Waterfall Cave: "The rock is slippery near the stream." Really? I'm already terrified of falling into that pit!

This looks great, I'd say you are near done!

cheers,
Meshon

[ChickPea]

I'll throw in my opinion too, for what it's worth. I'm normally in the camp of liking desaturated colours better, but this time I think the last version you posted looks too washed out. It looks like it's been left out in the sun too long and the background has faded away to almost monotone! I like the version in comment no. 35 best, where the colours are dulled a little but they still noticeably stand out from each other. I like the parchment background better than the white.

I think this is a fantastic piece of work overall!

[Chick]

OK, another try at keeping colors bright and still having some parchment texture show through. I know I'll never please everyone, so I'm hoping this is good enough, before I start eyeing the "I hate this map" thread

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Cheers,
Cornelia

[Meshon]

My vote is for "more than good enough" as long as you're happy with it. I put the last three images you've posted over top of each other so I could switch between them and quickly see the changes. Did you do more work on the pit for the last version, or is that just a function of blending changes? Whatever you did, that pit looks really good now, best version yet. Great work!

cheers,
Meshon

[Chashio]

I think that works. My eyes kept losing the distinctions between the colors in the previous version. I do still wonder if it might help to remove the colors from the intro and legend, like the side view at bottom right, and maybe the title and bottom row of text as well, because none of that is pointing to a specific section of the map and it's still a little confusing to my eyes because of this.

Side note: Another thing you could try, not that you need to on this one, is taking a grungy eraser (preferably on a mask) to the edges and/or interior of the color pools, which can be a handy alternative to just adjusting layer opacity. I do that with my watercolor-styled pieces and it works well.

Aside from that, I have to say that this is a very well done map; clear, concise, with wonderfully descriptive summary to visualize the space. I haven't paid attention to dungeon maps before, preferring the open landscape, but this one has caught my imagination (it's like an excellent short story adventure--with puctures!) and I may even be inspired to try making one or two in the future. So, thanks for that, and great work!

[ChickPea]

Yes, I like this version better too. The colours are distinct but they don't overwhelm with their brightness.

Agree with Chashio's thoughts above that it'd be interesting to see the edges slightly erased or feathered and I also wonder if the title especially needs a background? But please don't start hating your map!!

[Chick]

Thanks for all the really good input! I tried feathering the edges of the colors way back, and I hated it. It made it even harder to distinguish the regions and tie them to the map component they described.

I did try taking the color off the Title and Intro and Signature lines, but I'm not sure I like this ... it seems too bland now.

However, Chashio's suggestion about a "grunge" eraser was brilliant. I don't know exactly what a "grunge eraser" is, but I tried a low opacity soft brush eraser and knocked down the color in the center of the color regions, without touching the edges. That left full color edges to help outline the areas of interest, while letting the parchment texture show through more in the centers.

Do you like this one better or worse than the previous?

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[Chashio]

That works too, although you have a point about the. ... I wouldn't say blandness but it does need to stand out a touch more. What if you add a small bit of corner flare (think like flourish line art border element in the corner) just left of the title to draw the eye there? Or you could go back to the color backgrounds, but perhaps change the hue so it's not so close to others that are on the page.

[Chick]

I'm going to go with this one. It has a lot of the ideas that many people have suggested, and it's the one that I like the best out of all those experiments.

Thank you so very much to all the people who made suggestions or just commented on it. I learn so much from these challenges and it's due entirely to the great people here who share their ideas, skills, and knowledge.

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..... Now to go work on the village .... so many challenges, so little time