June / July '17 Lite Challenge: Herkunft to Reiseziel

[mixerbach]

For once, I think I've decided to go with exactly the kind of map the challenge was meant to encourage. As a matter of fact, I think Mr. Boges mentioned a trade route through a desert specifically! And that's what I've decided on. So far, it's been great! Who knew creating a map of a rather featureless expanse of land could be so fun?

About this map...
The affluent, haphazard city of Reiseziel is home to some of the welthiest of Arazael's desert dwelling family. Known to be a place where fortunes can be made in a single day, the city is as attractive to merchants as traveling to it is dangerous. It will be located at the top-left corner of the map. The closest town and natural staging area for caravans is Herkunft. Herkunft will be in the bottom-right of the mapped area.

From Herkunft to Reiseziel is a harrowing journey through mountainous coutry, then scalding hot desert, with few safe places to rest and resupply on water. However, to a select few brave enough to take the trip (and wise enough to hire reputable local guides), the risk is worth the opportunities to turn a caravan's worth of goods into massive profits.

### Latest WIP ###
CG_LiteChallenge_JunJul17 - WIP1.jpg

So far just the general "shape" of the land and the mountain range. As usual, getting mountains to "pop" is a big challenge for me. Any suggestions?

[Mouse]

Great start

Popping mountains - you could try taking the shading completely away on the side that the light is hitting? At the moment you have it all around.

Then you could try adding a bit of very subtle highlight on the side you've just cleared of the shading, because the sunlight would be hitting the slope more strongly than the level ground (providing you haven't decided the light is directly overhead, that is)

[Bogie]

Welcome to the Challenge MB nice mountains

[mixerbach]

Thanks very much, Mouse. I will have to give that a try. Do you have alternate suggestions for me, if I said that the light WAS from directly above? Just curious, because I play with both ideas in my head. Sadly, I had not read your lovely comment before creating the WIP below.

Glad to be here, Mr Boges! Always gets those cartographic juices flowing when I read your challenges and I'm so pleased when I get to make use of them!

Here's where things stand now. I'm really pleased with how the grasses turned out. And I think they even helped my "popping" issue with the mountains. Well, at least the mountains farther to the right. Also, I added Herkunft to the bottom-right and -Wait! Is that an oasis that popped up in the middle of the hot, forbidding desert? Why yes, yes it is.

### Latest WIP ###
CG_LiteChallenge_JunJul17 - WIP2.jpg

[HadrianVI]

This looks great so far. These are some nice mountains!

[Mouse]

Coming on nicely now

Are you serious about the light being from directly above? That's the trickiest possible angle, if you are

[mixerbach]

Hello all! My desert is getting ... cool? lol! At least, I'm having a blast playing with it!

Mouse, any tip you've got for that kind of lighting would be appreciated, but no, not for this map. I think I'll stick with the current lighting for this one. But I'd love to hear your thoughts on "straight above" lighting for the future!

So, I now have two oases, or three, if you count the little mountain spring that sprang up just south of the center of the map! Also got the city of Reiseziel added to the top-left. I have more ideas, but really feeling the deadline now. Only three more days? Ack! Here's where things stand now:

### Latest WIP ###
CG_LiteChallenge_JunJul17 - WIP3.jpg

[mixerbach]

Final WIP on this one. Got about 95% done with this project before hitting the deadline tonight. I think that's the closest I've come to 100% on any Lite Challenge, so I'll be happy with that. Also, this map was so much fun to put together! Thank you, Mr Boges, for another great challenge!

### Latest WIP ###
CG_LiteChallenge_JunJul17 - WIP5.jpg