Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 27

Thread: August Entry: Oten-jo by CoyoteMax

  1. #11

  2. #12
    Professional Artist Facebook Connected Coyotemax's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,945

    Default

    I was thinking about it as I was working on the map, and I now recollect most of the thought process.. I was originally not going to enter anything at all, I was rather busy with a number of other projects. I finished most of them and found myself casting around for ideas (still working on the city map on and off but i need breaks from it). Then I looked at the Kaidan challenge again, and thought maybe I could jump on with somethng a little more off the wall for something fun. I was originally starting off with an antique style map - I had the shoreline for the river done up and was working on the other waterways when I took a break and went looking for actual antique japanese city maps. I found a few, and they were all in a perspective style that I'm not particularly familiar with doing, and was dreading the attempt. While i was looking at one in particular and pondering, that's when it hit me - why not??

    I'll likely run some aging techniques on this when it's completed to do that antique effect that started me off on the journey

    I think the longest part of the process is combing through google looking for good source material - buildings that are the shape i want and at the angle I want. I'm not an architect by any means, so when I'm sketching out, I need a pretty accurate model to work off (at this stage, anyhow).

    I started off by taking the initial concept layout for the city on it's own layer and strecthed it out, then perspective distorted until I got the angles I was after, and this was my underlying guide. I played around with the Vanishing point filter for a bit until I determined it would take me longer to get the hang of it than I was willing to put in right now, and started working with paths and straight up brush strokes. The entire map (piece?) consists of using the spatter size 59 as a basis, and various sizes and fade options. To keep myself honest, I made a new brush set consisting of just that brush and the 19 hard round for erasing (I thought of using the spatter for erasing too.. but that might be going too far). I'm waffling about aging it at the end, it's kind of nice in it's stark grayscaleness

    oh, and I did redo the copy/paste clones of the buildings and bushes - as soon as I redo the mountains, it will be 100% original strokes throughout. Yay!

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

  3. #13
    Professional Artist Facebook Connected Coyotemax's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,945

    Post

    Updated with new mountains and hills to be more consistent with the style I settled on, fixed the stream and finally got a workable road and bridge.

    Now 100% unique brush/path strokes!

    ### Latest WIP ###
    Attached Images Attached Images

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

  4. #14

    Default

    Looking good Again! I guess it takes some time to draw all those houses by hand. What's your estimation of time usage on the map up to this stage?

  5. #15
    Professional Artist Facebook Connected Coyotemax's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,945

    Default

    I'd say 8 hours on and off. Once I get moving on the residential district i should pick up some speed, I expect to be finished well before the deadline, assuming the wife stops trying to drag me into the pool every chance she gets

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

  6. #16
    Professional Artist Facebook Connected Coyotemax's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,945

    Post

    I think I'm going to call this bad boy done.

    I did say once I got the residential section moving, it would go quickly

    I would estimate around 20 hours total work on this one (probably closer to 30, I did a lot of work a bit, take a break, work a bit, swim in the pool, etc, plus I completely lose track of time when I'm working on these).

    I'd originally started hand-lettering the labels for the districts, but then remembered it was supposed to be unlabelled, so that got scrapped.

    Incidentally, the map (or painting) that inspired me for this is of Himeji Castle (apparently quite famous).
    Here goes nothing!!
    ### Latest WIP ###
    Attached Images Attached Images

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

  7. #17
    Community Leader Gandwarf's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    3,012

    Default

    Very nice, very unique style. You continue to amaze me!
    This is definitely a map that could get my votte. This is going to be a tough choice.
    Check out my City Designer 3 tutorials. See my fantasy (city) maps in this thread.

    Gandwarf has fallen into shadow...

  8. #18
    Guild Member Flaterectomy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Netherlandistan
    Posts
    65

    Post

    This map makes me feel like I am looking at a progress map of some computer game. All it's missing is a 'you are here' symbol, and of course the 2d ninja platform action that propells me from level to level, eventually leading to the samurai emperor boss up in the castle.
    Alas, my website features music, not maps. I do have a portfolio of some other things, though.

  9. #19
    Guild Artisan Facebook Connected AslanC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    Posts
    584

    Default

    That's amazing!

  10. #20

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 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
  •