Grammahekaton

[Sapiento]

I've started a new map in a style I haven't used for a long time now (the last one was Techa, a commissioned map).

My problem is, I can't decide for a forest style. So I have tried a few different ideas. What do you think?
Or proposals for a better solution?

[Mouse]

Hey Sapiento

IMHO...

I think style number 1, because 2 isn't going to be easy to resolve with the hills if you have any forested hills (they will look like little bald heads sticking up through the green), 3 is too solid and similar to the hills, and might make the map look a bit bobbly in combination with the hills, while 4 is a bit messy in contrast with the tidiness of the rest of the map.

Style number 1 is light, tidy, won't look odd dotted around or even over the hills, and while they are obviously trees they aren't so large as to dominate the map.

[DanielHasenbos]

I would actually go with number 3, though slightly denser than you have it here. The reason is that the solid linework fits very well with the mountains and hills.

[waldronate]

I think that #2 is the most harmonious accompaniment to the mountain and hill styles for high-density forest areas because of the solid linework and relatively low tone changes on the hills and mountains. Fade that central core into style #3 in thinner areas and I think that it will work well. The mountain and hill symbols show significant overlap, and I think that the forests should as well. Style #2 is pretty much an abstraction of a solid block of #3. #1 has no visible linework to match what is a line-based map. #4 looks more like shrublands at this scale and lacks the same sense of depth as the #2 or #3. Inserting some of the tops of style #3 into the field of #2 would probably sell it (perhaps a few #3 along the upper edge of rivers or lower edge of the forests might sell it as well).

[Jaxilon]

And of course, I think number 3 fits the rest of the artwork best. None of them are so horrible though. I know, not much help.

[DaggerAndBrush]

I agree with Waldronate. Option 2, maybe in some places transitioning to option 4, would work well with the mountains and hills.

[Diamond]

I vote for #3, without question. As Jax said, the linework matches the mountains and just looks 'right' to me.

[Sapiento]

Hm, I'll probably go then for a mix between 2 and 3.

[Josiah VE]

This is looking really nice! The style is excellent.
I personally like #1 and #3.

[Sapiento]

Ok, new attempt.

The upper style is a mix of 2 and 3 of the previous image. The lower style a variation of 3.