[WIP] Colouring Dullvo

[DanielHasenbos]

Hello,

Recently I posted a finished map of the town of Dullvo and a couple guild members asked for a coloured version. I have no experience with colouring maps so I asked around for some advice here.

Yesterday I started working on colouring the map and this is where I'm at right now. I'll be posting my process here and hope to get your comments, critique and feedback!

Dullvo Colour 1.jpg

Let me know what you think!

-Dan

[EDIT] I just realised this thread should be in Town/City Mapping and not Regional/World Mapping. Please move this thread to the appropriate subforum! Thanks in advance!

[ChickPea]

Moved the thread for you.

I like that you've chosen relatively bright colours for this. I think I was half expecting the slightly more desaturated colours that Tainotim tends to use. The town itself looks absolutely wonderful. You could maybe try making the river a little bluer? It doesn't look at all bad as it is, and maybe too much blue would clash, but I think I'd like to see it with a hint more colour.

I'm really glad you decided to give colouring a try!

[Larb]

It looks like this map is emulating the style of old town/city maps and I think it has succeeded really well. But instead of making the river a more saturated blue, I think maybe lowering the opacity on the other colours would match that style more perhaps. Either way great job!

[Chick]

Your hues are very good, but I agree with Larb, most of the colors are too bright. I like the river, but I'd desaturate the rest of the colors to match it, so the whole map is gentle soft colors that blend with each other harmoniously.

[DanielHasenbos]

Sorry for responding so late, I've been busy with christmas but thanks for the comments!

Moved the thread for you.

I like that you've chosen relatively bright colours for this. I think I was half expecting the slightly more desaturated colours that Tainotim tends to use. The town itself looks absolutely wonderful. You could maybe try making the river a little bluer? It doesn't look at all bad as it is, and maybe too much blue would clash, but I think I'd like to see it with a hint more colour.

I'm really glad you decided to give colouring a try!

Thanks for moving the thread ChickPea! I happy you like the bright colours but it's not actually what I was aiming for ;p I was going for a more desaturated look but I suppose I had to get away from the map for a while to notice that the colours were too bright for what I was aiming for.

It looks like this map is emulating the style of old town/city maps and I think it has succeeded really well. But instead of making the river a more saturated blue, I think maybe lowering the opacity on the other colours would match that style more perhaps. Either way great job!

Thanks Larb!

Your hues are very good, but I agree with Larb, most of the colors are too bright. I like the river, but I'd desaturate the rest of the colors to match it, so the whole map is gentle soft colors that blend with each other harmoniously.

Thanks Chick, I'm indeed aiming for a softer palette (:

I haven't done much since the last update, just toned down the colours and tweaked some details here and there.

Let me know what you think!

Dullvo Colour 3.jpg

-Dan

[tainotim]

This is awesome Dan! I really like the coloring on both version, however, I think I actually prefer the first version. There is a certain appeal to strong colors on illustrative city-maps.

Very inspirational

Cheers,
Tainotim

[snodsy]

Beautiful job Daniel, I really like the muted color, not so crazy about the border, think it distracts some. I love the illustrative style, looks really clean and very appealing.

[arsheesh]

Wonderful! I tend to agree with snodsy about the borders though. A more traditional parchment background would seem better suited to this piece.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Chick]

The colors are super better!!

But I also don't like the border, however I don't agree with the others who have said so about what to do with it.

A border needs to bring out the elements of the map that you want to draw the viewer's eye to. That means if you want the viewer to look at the fields, make the border full of greens and browns. If you want the viewer's eye to be drawn to the buildings, then the border should be the red of the roofs and the darker brown of the ground inside the town.

Make a simple border with two or three colors, like this:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/al...chmentid=76846

and then try different colors to see what looks best to you.

Once you have decided on colors, you can make it more ornate as you wish (or not).

[DanielHasenbos]

This is awesome Dan! I really like the coloring on both version, however, I think I actually prefer the first version. There is a certain appeal to strong colors on illustrative city-maps.

Very inspirational

Cheers,
Tainotim

Thanks Tainotim!It's funny that you like the first version better, almost everyone seemed to dislike it ;p

Beautiful job Daniel, I really like the muted color, not so crazy about the border, think it distracts some. I love the illustrative style, looks really clean and very appealing.

Thanks snodsy!

Wonderful! I tend to agree with snodsy about the borders though. A more traditional parchment background would seem better suited to this piece.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

Thank you Arsheesh!

The colors are super better!!

But I also don't like the border, however I don't agree with the others who have said so about what to do with it.

A border needs to bring out the elements of the map that you want to draw the viewer's eye to. That means if you want the viewer to look at the fields, make the border full of greens and browns. If you want the viewer's eye to be drawn to the buildings, then the border should be the red of the roofs and the darker brown of the ground inside the town.

Make a simple border with two or three colors, like this:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/al...chmentid=76846

and then try different colors to see what looks best to you.

Once you have decided on colors, you can make it more ornate as you wish (or not).

Thanks chick! Also for that little lesson there! I had not thought of borders is that way yet (:

As for the border, I appreciate the feedback, but I'm not quite sure I understand what you guys mean with the border being distractive. Do you mean that I should fill it up with decorations, or is it simply that the paper texture shows to heavy on the border? Because the way I see it, this border is just some space map and paper edges for easier reading.

-Dan