hand drawn harbor town

[Vellum]

Well this is more or less finished, just another test run on different techniques. I'll figure out a name for it in the future. It's basic concept was a walled city constructed by a local lord with the realms prominent religious order set up also within the walls. Town / harbor developed outside the walled city and evovled into a shipping and ship building center. A few other religious orders have set up shop. This will be used to create another level of conflict in the world LOL. Tho the WIP post elicited no comments they are welcome as I'd like to improved both my freehand and computer methods. Water outline was just to show a better land / water layout.

harbor 3a.jpg

[jtougas]

This is really great. It has a very "organic" feel about it. I have some city hand drawing experience and you have nailed it with this one. I also really like the border. Is the character at the top the local lord? I think this could benefit from some color although if you decide to leave it alone (and it is in the finished map forum so that appears to be the case) the blue "glow" depicting the water works well. Overall a fabulous job !!

[Larb]

Oh, I must have missed the WIP thread. I've always liked hand-drawn maps like these. I think the subtle colouring definitely helps especially when you have large bodies of water. The harbour entrance looks particularly perilous though. How dangerous is it and is there any reason why people haven't set up a dock further up the coast? (maybe they have).

[arsheesh]

This turned out nicely, especially for a "technique experiment". Look forward to seeing more of your work.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Vellum]

JT no the face is not the local lord, that is the typical stylized version of Odin (Norse God of War) found on sword scabbard chapes, helmets, brooches etc in Viking age / Anglo Saxon artifacts. Just a cool face I particularly like. Not sure it’s the exact of the historical finds, just from memory.

Larb The thought behind the harbor entrance was that at first the walled city used the difficult passage as a bit of deterent, but that the lower passageway also allowed a less dangerous approach as a by pass and the ship building / trade increase anyway. I would think that the lords protection would be more important than using another location within a close distance (of course we will always have port of call completion ). I’ve not really built an indepth back story atm. But I might LOL

Arsheesh Thanks, everything I do is an experiment! I never truly know how they will turn out. Many a file 13 has occurred.

[jtougas]

JT no the face is not the local lord, that is the typical stylized version of Odin (Norse God of War) found on sword scabbard chapes, helmets, brooches etc in Viking age / Anglo Saxon artifacts. Just a cool face I particularly like. Not sure it’s the exact of the historical finds, just from memory.

Larb The thought behind the harbor entrance was that at first the walled city used the difficult passage as a bit of deterent, but that the lower passageway also allowed a less dangerous approach as a by pass and the ship building / trade increase anyway. I would think that the lords protection would be more important than using another location within a close distance (of course we will always have port of call completion ). I’ve not really built an indepth back story atm. But I might LOL

Arsheesh Thanks, everything I do is an experiment! I never truly know how they will turn out. Many a file 13 has occurred.

Ah... I'm a little rusty on my Norse mythology.

[Vellum]

A couple of things I think I need to add / correct
a. Needs more docks.
b. I don't really like how the Lords Manor / Church are on two islands, this really needs to be combined and more thought put into the design.
c. I don't like the appoach to the Cathedral, this needs to be on main axis in line with the ampetheater (the central vertical axis) not the loop around to the left i presently have.
d. Need to work out the contour interval better.
e. I need to refine the castle in the upper left. This could be either an abandoned structure or current construction but I don't like the layout.
f. Not enough agricultural land in the surrounding countryside. But then again this is an 8.5 x 11 sheet :-)

The clear spaces in the lower central are for place name and the clear space in the upper right is for and index of prominent features / structures (reason for blank space).

[Larb]

I usually keep a lot of my agricultural land "off screen" so to speak and usually just hint at it on the edges of a map. It depends how important they are for the focus of you map I suppose.

You need to finish that coat of arms. It'd help give the city more of an identity (and I love heraldry). =P

[Rhotherian]

Everything I said on the WIP thread. Truly a wonderful map to look at. ^^

[Vellum]

Hey Larb just for you MUHAHA I worked a bit on the town's coat of arms. Just a general concept atm, but I'll work it out

buccantowne coat of arms.jpg