Quirinburg - A piece of practice and 1st post

[MstrWelf]

Here we go, a city map drawn up in PS CS2 which I started a few days ago. The idea is a little town which started around an abbey. Well that's the story behind it but basically it is a piece of practice where I can try various techniques and read up some tutorials in between. It's far from done but I wanted to get some feedback now that I found this forum.
What I like is the cemetery adjoining the abbey, the woods and shrubbery and some shadowing. I haven't found the right color palette though, like the small river is quite off and in some spots a kind of neon-green slipped in
After playing around for a while on this map I finally see how much work the artists here put in their work!



The original is 2800x1900

[Meshon]

This is coming along great. The neon green is maybe just a bad seasonal algae bloom. I noticed that your city wall layer looks to be below the buildings in town and they thus appear to be taller than the wall where the two meet. Southern tower of the eastern gate, I'm looking at you!

I think you could even add a fine stroke to the walls to make them stand out a bit more. I'm really digging the crumbled gate out back of the abbey. Very cool.

cheers,
Meshon

[Ilanthar]

It looks like a very good start. The color palette is fine except for the river, imho. Maybe you could use a layer effect with your background texture and desaturate it a bit?

[MstrWelf]

Done and done, meaning I changed the layer order and desaturated the background but I have to admit that I made some mistakes I can't fix and that is drawing and putting effects on the wrong layer(s). I don't know when I will learn to pay more attention to this little but so important detail
No matter, I will finish this drawing as good as possible and show you the end result.

[Meshon]

Done and done, meaning I changed the layer order and desaturated the background but I have to admit that I made some mistakes I can't fix and that is drawing and putting effects on the wrong layer(s). I don't know when I will learn to pay more attention to this little but so important detail
No matter, I will finish this drawing as good as possible and show you the end result.

I'm looking forward to it! Also, I like to consider myself at least a little experienced with layers and all the wonderful things they can do, yet just last night I was trying to figure out where a bit of shadow was coming from in a drawing and when I hid the layer it was on I was like, "ohhhh, THAT's unfortunate..." So as far as when you learn to always pay attention to that detail? In my experience, ummm, never?

Seeing this finished when you're ready to call it finished is absolutely what I'm hoping for. Oh, and feel free to add updates even before it's finished. I would love to marvel at your latest changes!

cheers,
Meshon

[MstrWelf]

Quirinburg x4 or the best I could come up (so far).
This is the first map project I brought to, let's say, 90% completion and working intensively with PS in a long time. I learned a lot even knowing that I just scratched the surface but, one could say, I'm hooked.
Thanks to all the contributors to this forum there is so much to read and catch up on that I am not afraid I'd get bored soon.
Anyway, there is a final challenge and that is to decide on a finished style and I like to invite you help me decide. Which version do you like best?
Vers.0

Vers.1

Vers.2

Vers.3

[Larb]

I'd probably go for Version 1 myself but with the overall brightness raised a bit. Maybe slight desaturation on the red roofs.

I sort of like Version 3 but I don't think the outlining on the buildings is dark enough and it makes it looks as though it is in an arid region.

[J.Edward]

Ver.0 is nice but maybe too light.
I think ver.1 is too dark. I would agree with Larb though. Maybe lightened and desaturated a bit it might be best.
Ver.2 - I like it. Makes it seem like winter or really late autumn. Maybe some outlines are not dark enough.
I like ver.3 too, kind of like summer haze going on there.
I know that isn't real helpful. I would say - which one feels like your favorite?
Pick that one and we can give suggestions to try to make that one feel right overall.
I have to ask... why is the river so green?

All in all, seems like you've got a nice town going there.

[Chick]

I'm easy to please
I like
the trees in ver.1,
the roofs in ver.2,
the walls in ver.1,
the gravel in ver.0,
the crop fields in ver.1,
the bare ground in ver.3, and
the river in ver.2

[Ilanthar]

I'd say a mix between version 2 and 3. They both have my preference.