Test map (Eguisheim 1400)

[Chlodowech]

I'm taking a break on my large (or rather tiny ) town drawing, to test out a few things, mainly nature details like forests and vineyards, and also to try a slightly larger scale. I could do those tests as random sketches, but instead i decided to start a smaller new town drawing for it, which will show the Alsacian town of Eguisheim by the year 1400. I picked that subject for a few reasons - first of all, it has all the nature stuff in it that i want to try out, then the town has a few very special features that make it stand out even in its region which is full of pittoresque historic towns, and at last it's not that big, so drawing it will hopefully not take too long.



To give a quick description: By the year 1400 the town already had the same shape as it has today, featuring an almost unique octogonal castle, a romanesque church (it has been replaced by a new one except for the tower by the late 18th century, the plan of the old church is known though), a double town wall and an exceptional set of 5 monastic granges formerly belonging to well-known alsacian monasteries like Unterlinden at Colmar or Marmoutier, and one owned by the Strasbourg diocese. Those yards, the castle, the church and its presbytery leave rather little space only for houses of the normal population, which explains why the double town wall was built over by houses already by the 16th century.

For the houses of this drawing (which all have to be in a 14th century and older style) i have a few references, mainly at Colmar, Riquewihr and some other small places in the region. The castle is semi-properly researched (mainly old works of the 19th century), but i think it is sufficient to produce credible reconstruction of it.

PS: I just decided to link a few images of the references that i've got:

Colmar, place de l'ancienne douane, late 14th century
Colmar, place de la cathédrale, also late 14th century
Wissembourg, rue de la laine, late 14th or early 15th century
Amorbach (Bavaria), Templerhaus, 1291

[MistyBeee]

Ok, you already got me
*sitting in the corner by the window, eating a bretzel*

[Chlodowech]

Not much progress yet on this one, but at least one bit can be called done: The grange of the monastery of Pairis, with its own chapel.

[Chlodowech]

A bit of progress on this map, including the church. Another update will probably come later this evening.

[Tonquani]

Yup, you’ve got me hooked too!

[Weery]

I'm genuinely excited to see your progress each update! This is looking great too and I can't wait to see how you work in some nature

[Chlodowech]

Thank you all for the kind words!

I announced another update yesterday evening, and it didn’t happen, so i gotta do it now.

By now, a good third of the town is visible in a three-dimensional way, and a decent bit of its southern half is already detailed. The latest progress includes the castles and with it a first test of techniques, in this case the visualization of still water, like in that moat. In my opinion, drawing reflections is the most efficient way, and apart from a bit of refinement on future works, i‘m quite happy with the result.

First, the whole town in its current condition:



And now its central part with the castle and the already mentioned water reflections:

[XCali]

Fascinating way to go about things. I think this is a great way going about this perspective for a city or town

Though, I have to be honest that the buildings seem to be leaning. I know you are a ways into the map. But, I just wanted to make a note of what I'm observing.

Anyway, love this so far. The attention to detail is lovely!!!

(When you draw the buildings, try to draw the vertical lines straight up, not skew. It will help with the leaning thing.)(Good luck.)

[Chlodowech]

Thanks to you as well.

About the leaning, it depends on two factors. First of all, i sometimes have quite bad cases of leaning buildings. But in this case it’s all the fault of me taking photos with my phone without paying attention to an orthogonal photo angle. To show an example.

This photo creates an image of a moderately leaning town with a badly leaning gatehouse.



When i move it over a bit, where i‘ve placed a ruler aligned to the edge of the paper, it becomes obvious that the photo angle is the problem.



And now, to give an absolute proof, the whole sheet with the ruler.



I gotta admit though that i had to correct bits on the east gatehouse and the castle before today’s first update - and the chapel, which is still leaning a bit though.

[XCali]

Thanks to you as well.

About the leaning, it depends on two factors. First of all, i sometimes have quite bad cases of leaning buildings. But in this case it’s all the fault of me taking photos with my phone without paying attention to an orthogonal photo angle. To show an example.

This photo creates an image of a moderately leaning town with a badly leaning gatehouse.



When i move it over a bit, where i‘ve placed a ruler aligned to the edge of the paper, it becomes obvious that the photo angle is the problem.



And now, to give an absolute proof, the whole sheet with the ruler.



I gotta admit though that i had to correct bits on the east gatehouse and the castle before today’s first update - and the chapel, which is still leaning a bit though.

Ah! Taking photos of maps are notoriously hard. So, I know the feeling.