Reply With QuoteVillage 3.87R Final.png
Changed text and and sized labels to better match size of text on panel.
Village 3.87R Final.png
Changed text and and sized labels to better match size of text on panel.
Village 4.0 Final Resized.png
Made a correction in the text on the panel. Redid frame on panel (right side was slightly off-kilter) and made minor adjustments. Now, it should be finished.
Now that I have finished the map, I thought I would share some observations and lessons learned. Hopefully my sharing these things will be of benefit to others.
1) I created entirely too many layers and need to streamline my process.
Part of this I can attribute to my inexperience and being afraid of making a mistake that could not be easily corrected. As a result, I used separate layers for almost everything to provide a plethora of escape routes. For example, instead of creating one layer group all buildings I created a separate group for each building. By the end of the project, the number of layers had become an enormous burden, resulting in a growing chaos that threatened to overwhelm the project. Along the way, I discovered that as long as objects are properly separated from their background (i.e. on a separate layer than what is behind them) the eraser makes a very good and efficient go-back button.
2) Through the process, I developed/used the following overall approach to layers:
a. layer for rough-in/layout sketching. I would rough it in then redraw and clean it up on another layer using the rough sketch as a guide.
b. layer group for background (line-work, color, contrast, highlights)
c. layer groups for houses, people, and other objects.
My layer groups consisted of separate layers for line-work, base color, contrast, and highlights. The contrast layers were multiply @ ~25-30% opacity. The highlight layers were overlay @ ~30-40% opacity. I would apply contrast and highlight to the first object in the group, then adjust the opacity to get the desired level, then leave the opacity set and adjust the effect through brush application and blending from there.
d. layer for shadows. I created shadow layers in the separate groups, but moved to one universal shadow layer as I got further along. Back to observation one, fewer layers is better whenever possible.
e. layer for sunlight. Added this last using orange on a glow layer. The opacity is around 85% I think. I tried soft glow first and really like the effect, but when I adjusted opacity it died almost immediately resulting in little ability to regulate the effect. I applied the color with a pencil brush to areas that would show the sunlight like the edges/peaks of roofs and edges of objects or faces of building that the sun was shining directly on. I was very selective and tried to ensure I did not over do it. I wanted it to accent the drawing and not take it over. When initial applied it appear like a normal highlight, but when blended with a dry brush it showed color and the light came alive, then toned down as brushed out further. The sunlight added quite a bit to the mood and created a late afternoon feel.
f. I had layers groups for the river and for the rocks in the river. The river had several color layers and a medium-gray multiply layer to add depth and wetness. I think next time I will draw the river bed with details (rocks, debris, etc.) than apply the water over it.
3)I have noticed that many people finish the sketch work, then add coloration. I suppose that is more the standard way of doing things and there is certainly a lot to say for that approach. As my sketching ability and line-work improve, I will probably move further in that direction. At this point, though, adding colors and shading and highlights helps me see the scene better and aids my creation process (plus I get impatient and want to see something more dramatic). I do need to be more cognizant of what I have done because replicating the process when you have forgotten what you did can be extremely difficult. Matching color on the river was a challenge and the rock ledge/outcropping just up the path from the village I could not match as closely as I desired. I was using several interacting layers, it was difficult at the time to determine what colors I had used. Looking back now, I suppose I could have isolated the layer and temporarily switch to normal to determine the color, but that did not occur to me at the time. Also, some areas the layers were numerous and scattered and I wasn’t sure how many and which layers were involved which points back to my first observation—too many dog gone layers!!!
4) My line-work, and other skills, improved a great deal during the project, I think. They still has a long way to go. This was a good exercise to develop my ability. I am very grateful to the fine work on this site that challenged me and encouraged me to push my abilities and try something different. Part of getting to the point of taking on this challenge was dipping my toes in the water as I edited existing symbols then began to create my own symbols to use in Campaign Cartographer 3 (CC3). If it wasn’t for CC3, I never would have had the confidence to get into making my own maps. Now, I just completed a hand drawn map and created something that I never thought I had the talent or ability to do. This has been a very rewarding experience and I know that on future projects I can improve on what I have just achieved.
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