July 2018 Challenge: Alphas - The Walled Lands

[Diamond]

I like the different approach by makikng a round world map with this style. Looks really fresh and interesting.
If i may ask, how do you do your maps? Is it a texture drawing ?

It starts out as real-world geography, cut and pasted until I get something cool looking (I've used parts of this terrain before, notably the big canyons, which are mash-ups of some terrain in Africa and Mars). Then it's all filters and experimentation to get the effect I want. In this case there was a lot of posterization filters.

Have you considered using spherize after you're done to get a globe effect?
I did a quick run through and I think it would look awesome.
I can show you that, if you're interested. It looks very cool as a globe.

I like it as is, but I'd certainly be interested in seeing it with a globe effect! The rune-encircled no-go area and ley lines look fantastic.

But... it's not a globe. Not really. I'll give you guys some more detailed lore soon, but basically this is most of a hemisphere, maybe tidally locked, don't know yet. So if I spherize it, it will be technically more accurate, but I won't be able to show stuff around the edges as clearly as I want to.

[J.Edward]

That's true. Spherize did pretty much smoosh the outer edges.

[AzureWings]

Gorgeous as usual, Diamond! I especially like the runic seal zone...

But... it's not a globe. Not really. I'll give you guys some more detailed lore soon, but basically this is most of a hemisphere, maybe tidally locked, don't know yet. So if I spherize it, it will be technically more accurate, but I won't be able to show stuff around the edges as clearly as I want to.

...and I can't help but wonder if that would be the solar-facing point if the world does turn out to be tidally locked? (although that would make some of the nearby regions as shown seem unusually verdant given the probable temperature patterns... but then, magic.)

[Greason Wolfe]

Man, love your texture work on this. Then again I always seem to love you texture work. Have you put any thought into what you'll do with the background? I am kind of picturing something nebuelous as if its floating through an outer dimension or some such.

[Diamond]

Gorgeous as usual, Diamond! I especially like the runic seal zone...



...and I can't help but wonder if that would be the solar-facing point if the world does turn out to be tidally locked? (although that would make some of the nearby regions as shown seem unusually verdant given the probable temperature patterns... but then, magic.)

Yep, that's the focus - the regions in the lower/right areas are in perpetual twilight and overrun by all manner of nasty things.

Man, love your texture work on this. Then again I always seem to love you texture work. Have you put any thought into what you'll do with the background? I am kind of picturing something nebuelous as if its floating through an outer dimension or some such.

I may have to end up doing that, though it wouldn't be my first choice. The original plan was to have a title and brief world lore in the upper left, some heraldry in the upper right, and some regional maps in the lower corners. But I'm quickly running out of time. I may not even finish the main map, unfortunately.