WIP - Mordor (or Udun)

[Sarithus]

It's a shame I can't respond on the previous thread because it's locked and I'd rather not have to create a new thread, but I would appreciate some feedback because I value it. I really don't want to cause drama or any trouble, if I wanted that I would have continued posting and not have taken a short break. I just want to say I reacted in the way I did because it seemed pretty rude to me that people seemed to be completely ignoring my posts and talking amongst themselves. I really do NOT care for being lavished with positive comments and just because I said I think this could be a great map, I didn't expect people to agree with me by saying things like 'Wow, this is the best thing you've done. You're amazing, Sarithus'. I wasn't waiting for that, I was waiting for feedback, any feedback, positive or negative. I understand that sometimes people don't reply to threads but the way posts were going on that thread they seemed very dismissive of the actual map. It's up to the CL's if they want to reopen the thread and make this new thread a post there.

Anyway. I'd appreciate any comments on how to improve this. Udun is a small part of Mordor, but because of the perspective it's starting to look odd. Mordor itself looks tiny and I'm wondering how to change it so that it looks better. I'm sure you can see that mordor itself looks a bit wonky and I'm not sure if I can fix it because that's how the mountains actually are. Ered Lithui (Ash mountains) do curve in like that, and for the sake of my map I'd prefer they didn't. I might end up cropping it so it just becomes a map of Udun, as I realise now that this perspective probably wasn't the best way to represent the north of Mordor.

8.jpg

[Meriba]

Hi Sarithus, welcome back!

Maybe you could open the view at the horizon line. It's seems too regular (a perfect rectangle) to me. Also, I wonder if Mount Doom isn't it too big (maybe out of scale?)

Udun region looks great and I really like the font used (what is it?)

Nice map!

[torstan]

I see what you're saying. Mordor is much larger, but perspective and foreshortening (nicely done) are making it look smaller. In fact the combination of both are resulting in something that looks like neither.

A quick possible test is to add a little aerial perspective (see here for a good explanation, particularly tailored towards illustration). Lightening, and blue shifting the more distant terrain, will sell the viewer on the fact that it is more distant.

I'd also really emphasise the foreshortening and perspective. Have the mountains curve around to they approach a vanishing point together (so have the left hand range run towards the middle of the horizon, and the right hand range move towards the same point. Reduce the vertical height a little more rapidly as they tend towards the horizon. All of these will give you the forced perspective you're looking for.

The most famous example of this approach is this map - created for the cover of the New Yorker, titled 'View of the World from 9th Avenue'.

Beautiful mountains btw

[Sarithus]

Meriba - Cheers! I was also thinking about scaling down Orodruin, hopefully that helps a bit. I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean by opening the view at the horizon. I could bring it back so that the horizon is the top of the page, but it would probably still look like a rectangle. Edit: The font is called Cinzel Decorative.

Tostan - Thanks! This is my first perspective map so I expect it'll take a bit of time for me to get it right. I wonder if I can curve them while still keeping an accurate shape of the mountains. I'll could also try creating a curve at the horizon line, I guess.

[J.Edward]

Sarithus, maybe this pic will help some.
I knocked up a quick rough of mordor's shape in 3d and tried to put it in the perspective you are using.
It's a very basic shape of Mordor but I think it illustrates how the mountain ranges would go.
Mordor_rough_perspec.jpg

[Sarithus]

Sarithus, maybe this pic will help some.
I knocked up a quick rough of mordor's shape in 3d and tried to put it in the perspective you are using.
It's a very basic shape of Mordor but I think it illustrates how the mountain ranges would go.
Mordor_rough_perspec.jpg

Really appreciate the help, J.Edward. I think your image might come in handy, but don't the mountains actually go like this? I could be wrong as I sometimes have trouble with the ash mountains and they seem to change slightly from map to map.
Untitled.png
Very rough edits here. I think it looks better, but this probably isn't what Meriba or Torstan had in mind.
WDWQEDWQ.jpg

Edit: Either way it probably won't matter how the mountains actually are as they need to curve in for the effect to work, I think.

[J.Edward]

I'll do one using Tolkien's map. Should take a few minutes.

edit - ok, depending on how extreme you want the perspective to be here are 2 using T's map. They do curve in some.
Mor4.jpg
and a bit more extreme of perspec
Mor5.jpg

[Sarithus]

It's baffling to me that I can't get my head around how the ash mountains bend the way I have the map. o.o

If the image below and the lines in red are correct, I can't do the thing where they curve in to meet. Or maybe I can because of the mountains further back in that reach into the center. Woe is me!

Untitled.png

[Sarithus]

I think this is as good as I can get it and it looks pretty meh.

gfrhtgrhrth.jpg

It would be better if the mountains curved out like the white line, but they curve inwards.

[J.Edward]

Here's what I would do. It matches T's map in perspec. But just a suggestion.
Mor6.jpg