Ganador

[Caenwyr]

Oooh! It's beautiful! I really love it!
How did you achieve the fantastic lighting for all the buildings?

I tweaked and played around with bevel and emboss like a crazy person. Turns out if you draw a red blob and start erasing tiny strips of it, the bevel & emboss filter treats those blobs like a series of independent mini-blobs, each with its own bevel

Looking good

Maybe switch the lighting to the NW? I prefer the one without the linework, even though some of the detail is lost. Maybe a half way version with much reduced opacity or overlay blend mode of the lines layer(s) with them on top of the rest would improve the sharpness a bit?

About switching the light to the NW: I thought of that, since it seems to be kind of a convention, but I decided against it since light seldom comes from the NW - at least not around noon at these latitudes. So I went for realism instead and chose a light direction that fits with about eleven-ish instead
About the linework: I think I'm gonna go for a version without! I can always use the linework-only in my book (if that ever gets published ), but for this forum I'm gonna work without the linework altogether. It's a way of working I intend to evolve in a little more. In the past I noticed it also kinda works in regional maps, although I still need to get substantially better on that front before I can do away with the linework to hide the ugly border effects between light and shadow. On this map, I think it works already!

I like the one without the linework. It's lighter and brighter, and much more 'open' if that makes sense.

I couldn't agree more ChickPea

I think both are nice, but I tend to prefer the one with lines. If it were a regional map I'd say without lines, but I think the buildings look better with... either way you can't go wrong both are equally beautiful in there own way, great job on this.

Thanks, and I agree for the most part! But I really like the kind of satellite map feel this lineworkless version has, so for this particular map I'm gonna drop the linework entirely - at least until I run into something I can't fix without a little inking

I love it ! I'd say without linework it almost looks like an aerial photo. I'd just add a very very low opacity blue on the rim of the lands with a soft round brush or grunge brush softened. That's really beautiful Pieter !

Oh yes, that's a very good suggestion! Will certainly take that with me in my next update of this map. Thanks a bunch, Thomas!


Alright, and here's my current update! Added a few forests (not too fond of how sharp they are set against the background, will probably have to add some darker ground cover to alleviate that), and a series of farmlands.

Ganador_16.jpg

What do you think?

[Josiah VE]

I think the forests look great.
To me it doesn't look quite right for the forests not to come even close to the coastline.

[snodsy]

This looks great, I like the one without the line art, ties in much better with the water, and has an overall softer feeling, really nice forests too!

[Caenwyr]

Hey all,

I'm back with a new update.

Ganador_17.jpg

I added a frame, a title cartouche and a sh*t ton of labels. I'm exhausted!

Still to do: a compass, a scale, and a bit of love... and then I'm done!!

Thoughts?

[J.Edward]

Hey all,

I'm back with a new update.

Ganador_17.jpg

I added a frame, a title cartouche and a sh*t ton of labels. I'm exhausted!

Still to do: a compass, a scale, and a bit of love... and then I'm done!!

Thoughts?

A bit of Love ?
This thing is a whole big lump of Love man
This is so darn gorgeous. A true work of art sir, truly.
Totally love this map Caenwyr.

[Chashio]

[Insert imaginative expletives] that's beautiful!

[Kellerica]

... gods, how I hate you talented people sometimes.

Seriously, this is just outstanding - not that I expect any less from you. The usage of real-world data in regards of the landshapes shows, they look very realistic.

[- JO -]

Crazy work! A realistic rendering really breathtaking! It is a beautiful and absolutely fantastic city! Very impressed with the details ... I am a little less fan of the sea, but it is really a matter of personal taste

[Caenwyr]

Geez people, you're making me blush! I can only say I'm glad you like it, and in the same breath I'd like to present my final WIP... unless of course you suddenly have all sorts of critique (which I'll be happy to address!).

So here goes. I added a compass and a scale as promised. I might do some teeny tiny contrast and luminosity tweaks before I post it in the Finished section, but other than that I believe it's completed!

Ganador_18.jpg

[Voolf]

What can i add? I can just simply agree with everyone, this is splendid.