Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: Not a Challenge Map...

  1. #1

    Wip Not a Challenge Map...

    This is not an October Challenge Map, because I said so!

    Wait a minute, I don't see a map, just a fancy border - just getting started!

    I'm retired from the Challenges, I said I was, but I also hinted at maybe doing a challenge "off the record" on the WIP forums instead, this way I can stick it in the Finished Forums when I'm done. Juggernaut's idea for a trade map has my mind buzzing - how would I do it?

    Now I know the theme and story behind the map, I just haven't decided how I'm going to lay out the land. Definitely a central mountain range and some volcanoes, with a confusing area of passes. One side of the mountains are lands controlled by the Witch King of Ambrathas, on the other side is the wilderness including the Lands of Dernallion. Both sides are Celtic in origin, though one is an advanced society ruled by sorerers, while the other a backward society of druidic farmers.

    This is Slave Trader's map, Ambrathas needs more slaves...

    I think I'm going to hand-draw the rest of the map, then put in some muted colors to better match the colorful framework. How's that for the cart before the horse, here's a heavily decorated border but no map!

    GP
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	slavers.jpg 
Views:	86 
Size:	661.5 KB 
ID:	17544  
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

    Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations

  2. #2
    Community Leader Facebook Connected Steel General's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Ft. Wayne, IN
    Posts
    9,530

    Default

    Will be interesting to see what you do with this.
    My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...

    Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.



  3. #3
    Professional Artist Facebook Connected Coyotemax's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,945

    Default

    Nothing wrong with starting with the border, I've done that a few times (not just with maps either, most of the celtic pieces i've got that have borders were done in that order, heh)

    Besides, it helps to keep the fool of the map in mind as you go

    My finished maps
    "...sometimes the most efficient way to make something look drawn by hand is to simply draw it by hand..."

  4. #4
    Guild Artisan Katto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Dortmund, Germany
    Posts
    709

    Default

    I have never thought of starting with the border. At the moment I only see disadvantages. You will have to in- or decrease the canvas for your map (even if you have in mind how it will look like). That means more work to adjust the frame. It's like starting with the end going up to the start.
    Nevertheless I am interested how it will continue.

  5. #5

    Wip Nah, its easy enough to work with...

    Believe me, I've designed dungeons where I created the two key rooms before I even knew what the rest of the dungeon looks like. I actually did have a good idea how I was going to develop the map for this one, just I really wanted to get the border right, so I created that first. (I will resize nothing - everything should fit fine!)

    Actually because its hand-drawn and I'm drawing at 100% scale to the actual map dimensions, I just cut out the piece of paper to the same size as the drawing area, and "voila" perfect fit!

    Placed the central mountain range, though I'm not quite happy with the hills. So I might redo those, sea color isn't to my liking either, but we'll see as I move along. I really need to decide where the pass is located, whether I remove some mountains to place them, or just suggest "the pass is here" - I'm thinking the latter, on how to do that.

    I'm going to create an escarpment and extensive forest lands to the east of those mountains, and a big river too. Dernallion (the destination) will be located in the southeast corner of the map, while Ambrathas (the start) will be in the northwest corner of the map. That's it so far.

    For some reason this reminds me of a reverse version of Middle Earth; Misty Mountains in center, Ambrathas (evil kingdom) where the Shire should be and Dernallion (good farmers) where Mordor should be. Not perfectly, but reminds me of ME...

    Enjoy!

    GP
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	slavers.jpg 
Views:	73 
Size:	1.51 MB 
ID:	17556  
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

    Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations

  6. #6
    Community Leader Immolate's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Central Florida
    Posts
    986
    Blog Entries
    6

    Post

    Good stuff GP. You are the old-school hand-drawn map master.

  7. #7

    Wip Changed the map, I like this better

    Quote Originally Posted by Gamerprinter View Post
    Placed the central mountain range, though I'm not quite happy with the hills. So I might redo those, sea color isn't to my liking either, but we'll see as I move along. I really need to decide where the pass is located, whether I remove some mountains to place them, or just suggest "the pass is here" - I'm thinking the latter, on how to do that.
    Quoting myself, to save the explanation, I decided to change things up entirely for the map. The mountains I realized were just "fill" in the last map, I even forgot the pass. So, instead, I redid the mountains, placed my distinctive escarpment like hills, threw in a lake fed by rivers in the mountains. It looks like what it is, "I put some thought into the geography". I am redoing the coastline. I don't look forward to drawing the forest, but I'm thinking of doing it the hard way, drawing every tree, rather than just duplicating a bunch - we'll see how that goes.

    I'm much happier about the mountains though, and the confusion of passes, making the map a necessary tool for slave traders.

    GP
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	slavers.jpg 
Views:	77 
Size:	540.0 KB 
ID:	17559  
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

    Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations

  8. #8

    Post Finished hand-drawing

    I pulled the colors from the previous map - too garish, I thought. I also pulled the text panel, will replace but with better wordsmithy. However, I needed to finish up the hand-drawn portion of the map, which I've now done. Its fully geographically featured - got my mountains, mountains passes, central lake, a large river to the east, with my planned escarpment, completely hand-drawn woodlands, got my coasts, rivers and hills on the west side.

    As you can see, I'm starting to recolor the map again, starting with the woodlands, I say a couple more days and I'm complete. At least the hard part is done (the hand-drawing portion).

    Enjoy!

    GP
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	slavers.jpg 
Views:	71 
Size:	1.11 MB 
ID:	17608  
    Last edited by Gamerprinter; 10-11-2009 at 06:04 PM.
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

    Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations

  9. #9
    Community Leader Facebook Connected Ascension's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    St. Charles, Missouri, United States
    Posts
    8,392

    Post

    Pretty cool.
    If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
    -J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)


    My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps

  10. #10
    Guild Artisan Juggernaut1981's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney Australia
    Posts
    677

    Post

    In an entirely flattering and self-interested way, I have to say that I'm glad GP has retired...

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •