Heian Shrine

[Mouse]

Maybe something like this?

Pond.jpg

The ground texture is unbroken - its the same under the pond. The pond is a polygon drawn in darkish blue-green-black and blended by overlay. There is an Edge Fade Inner on it with an outer opacity of 40% and an inner opacity of 100%. Not sure how to describe that in PS terms though!

EDIT: I put a blur on the sheet (layer) that contained the pond polygon, so that the ground texture details in the depths of the pond would be blurred, as if viewed through a depth of water.

[Voolf]

Yeah, i guess to make that work i have to play with very suble shade or colour viariation, but i dont think this will match the rest of the map style. I will experiment with that. Thanks Mouse.

[Mouse]

You're welcome

However you do it in the end it will look great - your maps always look great

[Josiah VE]

This is looking absolutely fabulous!
Can't wait to see colour.

[kacey]

I like the subtle lines you put in the pond, I think they depict the water perfectly. I can't think of a single complaint, you're work is stunning as always and I can't wait to see it finished.

[Tom]

You could play with colors: algae, vegetation, differencies in depth or different sediments, rocks, etc.. Or you can play it differently, like painting cloud reflection on the surface.
Onneto_Lake_Aerial_Photograph.JPGnorth-twin-lake_aerial.jpg

Anyway, the water should "break" the details all around them (trees), artistically it could give a easy spot for the eyes, in contrast with all the details and cluttering of other elements. Just my opinion anyway

[Voolf]

Thanks Tom, i appreciate it. I will definately play with the former idea. I dont know if i can get it right though.

But the second image.. wow its the first time i see such a clear reflection of clouds and sky. It's almost unreal, like a mirror

[Mouse]

Reflections are very beautiful. I've seen the entire sea look like that second picture just once in my life when I was on a becalmed yacht in the middle of a large bay, about a mile from land. The sky seemed to be a globe, and the land a lumpy equator of darkness seen from inside that globe. For several hours (and even when we turned on the engine and motored back to port) We were the flying ship in the bay of a flying continent.

The thing is, though, that looking directly down I could still see the bottom of the bay through the water, and not the reflection of the sky, so there needs to be at least a slight angle involved to be able to see a reflection like that on water. Water is too transparent to reflect anything if you are looking straight down onto the surface.

The same applies to the plants around the edge. They won't reflect if you are directly above the water - nothing will. All you will see is a blurred and darkened view of the bottom of the pond and anything that happens to be in the water either on the surface or below it, like fish, or lilies, and maybe a few shadows from the trees darkening that view where the shadows just happen to fall across the water.

So Tom's first idea is the better way to go, in my opinion

[Voolf]

Reflections are very beautiful. I've seen the entire sea look like that second picture just once in my life when I was on a becalmed yacht in the middle of a large bay, about a mile from land. The sky seemed to be a globe, and the land a lumpy equator of darkness seen from inside that globe. For several hours (and even when we turned on the engine and motored back to port) We were the flying ship in the bay of a flying continent.

That must have been awesome experience. I can only imagine.

The thing is, though, that looking directly down I could still see the bottom of the bay through the water, and not the reflection of the sky, so there needs to be at least a slight angle involved to be able to see a reflection like that on water. Water is too transparent to reflect anything if you are looking straight down onto the surface.

The same applies to the plants around the edge. They won't reflect if you are directly above the water - nothing will. All you will see is a blurred and darkened view of the bottom of the pond and anything that happens to be in the water either on the surface or below it, like fish, or lilies, and maybe a few shadows from the trees darkening that view where the shadows just happen to fall across the water.

So Tom's first idea is the better way to go, in my opinion

Yes i agree, that is why i rull out that option before. I wonder whether it will look good in some isometric regional map...

[Mouse]

That must have been awesome experience. I can only imagine.

The strangest waking dream I've ever had, but totally real.

Yes i agree, that is why i rull out that option before. I wonder whether it will look good in some isometric regional map...

I don't think it would go with your usual regional style. Maybe a new style experiment with a small isometric village map?