first try at matte painting (composite)

[ravells]

Thanks Don. The hardest part is getting consistency of perspective, colour and key.

[pyrandon]

"Key"? What is that? (some Brit-ism?

[ravells]

Heh, not at all. It's making sure that all the composited images, if switched to greyscale have the correct range of blacks, greys and whites!

[ravells]

Here is my next trip into art...it's a copy of an illustration by an artist called Bilibine (nowhere near as good as his version).

[pyrandon]

Hmm! I like the serenity herein! Is this handmade, or an edit/composite, ravs?

You're having fun with this art stuff, aren't you?!!

[ravells]

This one is entirely handmade. I am having fun with the art...I think it does make you a better cartographer in the end!

[Badger]

Rav, I liked the horse and knight composite as well as this last one you posted. I'm not an artist by any means, but I think you are doing quite well. So well in fact, I think I want to take a page from your book and start trying it myself. But let me get this straight, you are essentially taking several different graphics from different art and making it into your own picture... sorta like a collage, but instead of a jumble you make it into one coherent piece.... ? (This is going to be a fun challenge for myself)

Did you only use PSP for the final composite? Were those free (copyright) graphics or since this was originally something for your personal self-teaching did you not worry about that?

On the last painting, did you copy that from a photo or from somewhere on the web... I'd like to see the original art is what I mean to say.

What a unique and fun way to further ones skill at both the software and as a cartographer... kudos rav, have some rep