September 2016 Challenge: The Hamlet of Coldfern

[ChickPea]

I don't want to miss this challenge, so I'm starting a thread to motivate myself. I don't have a map to post yet, but I've been playing around and have a definite idea about what I'm doing, and should have something in the next day or two (hopefully!)

The palette I'm using is Livid Pinkgill...

1.png

I'm going to do a small village and I want to try making it entirely in Inkscape. I'm going to stick as rigidly as I possibly can to the colour palette, so vector's the ideal medium for that. I've wanted to do a vector village for a while, so it's scratching an itch too. I got the name 'Coldfern' from an Elvish name generator a while back, and it fits because the palette (or, at least, the way I'm using it) has a cool, wintry feel.

I'm also thinking a little about my neglected GuildWorld map, where I have an Elvish nation. I thought this map could be a (very) small part of GuildWorld, so 'Elvish' is my explanation for why the trees may have rather strange hues! I think it's the singing. Or something.

Hope to post an update soon.

[kacey]

Can't wait to see what you do with these colours.

[Ilanthar]

I hope you'll find time for this CP . I've not really used Inkscape except for a few filters, and I'm curious to see what you'll do with it.

[ChickPea]

Thanks for the encouragement, kacey & Ilanthar.

I'm doing reasonably well with my work on this, but I keep forgetting to post (it feels like I'm always halfway through something when I stop every night, and I don't want to post until the thing I'm working on is done... and then I get caught up in the next thing!) But it's going OK, and I'll definitely have something up this weekend.

Apart from my trees being slightly unusual colours, I haven't found the limited palette to be especially restrictive (so far!) which surprised me a little. Of course, it might look like crap...

[- JO -]

I'm looking forward to see those "elvish" trees !
That's a real challenge !

[ChickPea]

Finally uploading a pic. Wanted to get more done this morning, but I've run out of time and there are a whole bunch of things that are only half-done (last thing I was working on was snow along the edges of the cobbles). I think my trees might be a little over the top, but I kinda like them anyway!

The buildings are only placeholders. I'm going to make more interesting shapes, and I might delete a few of them if I feel it looks too cluttered. I think there's a whole bunch of other things I've still to work on, but I can't remember right now. Unless I've screwed up, I've stuck faithfully to the palette and the only 'cheat' I've used is opacity.

### Latest WIP ###

coldfern.png

[snodsy]

Really nice start, like the title panel. I don't think there are too many house, but I think they are too evenly spaced, maybe a cluster then some open space? just a thought. I think you have the wintery feel so far, great start.

[Greg]

Lovely start here ChickPea and great to finally see an image!

"Coldfern" certainly sums it up, as it's already make me shiver and you've barely got started. Those trees certainly have a unique look to them too, though I agree they may be a tad over the top. I guess it's hard to tell, especially if you're planning to redo the houses. As I said, a great start here. The layout shaping up nicely and your title plaque works well.

As for the overcrowding, maybe a tad, but not too much I don't think. I look forwards to all your new shapes for them though!

[kacey]

This is really cute ChickPea, and I don't think it's over crowded at all. I really like the snowy detail overlapping the stone path, but I had to zoom right in to really see it, are you going to be adding more pronounced detail to the snow? I'm just curious because that's my favorited part, I'd just like to see it a little easier. Can't wait to see what else you do with these colours, it's looking good so far.

[Abu Lafia]

Great to see you joining the challenge ChickPea! I love what you have so far. The general layout of forest, river, houses and the cobblestone path looks very nice. The wintery atmosphere is already there, though a bit of hard to immerse with ~30° C around! I agree with kacey on the snow details. Looking forward to see more of them. Keep up the good work!