This was my entry for the August/September Lite Challenge, to map a village. The WIP thread may be found here.

I wanted to try something new so I started to do this with pencil and paper, and colouring it and labelling it by hand. However my drawing skills were found wanting so I scanned the drawing and used it as a template to finish it off in GIMP. This is the first map of mine where layer masks have featured. I used them for the texture painting - the fields and gardens, the paths and roads. I don't know how I managed before I decided to find out how they work. I pilfered some textures from Mouse, the fields and the gardens, and also from Robbie via a Redrobes thread (link in my WIP thread) for the thatched roofs. I have forgotten where I got the other one from but I think it must have been one of the built-in patterns that I just colour adjusted.

The village doesn't have a backstory or any significance other than to fulfil the requirements of the challenge - to map a village. Mossford and the Casevale, indeed the River Case itself, are all fictitious. Since their creation, however, there is a story brewing and I think I'll have to map a larger region of which Mossford is just one settlement. Perhaps the Casevale itself, but that is for a future consideration.

Once more I enjoyed taking part and I pushed myself to learn some new skills with GIMP and other software. I swore a few times and CTRL-Z is my best ally

As always, even if I don't mention it, comments and criticism are welcome.

mossford-finished.jpg

Oh yes, since the Challenge entry the gardeners have been round and dug the fish pond out again. It had somehow become clogged up with weeds.