Viridia - a regional map again!

[Caenwyr]

Okay, here's a rework of that frame. Client felt exactly the same way! Are you ever not right, Voolf?

Viridia (11).jpg

[QED42]

I think the attachment on that one failed, it isn't displaying.

[Caenwyr]

Huh, weird. I think I fixed it (see above)

[Caenwyr]

Okay something weird happened. Client wasn't a big fan of that last iteration of the rose frame: they want something more stark, spiky, harsh and forbidding, which of course better fits the atmosphere of the land, as Voolf so rightly pointed out. So I went back to the drawing board.

The fact that client wanted something else isn't weird in itself, after all that's what this sketch-and-burn stage is for! I propose something, and they get to say if they like it, and if not, how they want me to change it. It's all part of the regular back and forth. What's weird is that I (the cartographer) actually kinda fell in love with this rose vine design! So! While I won't use it in this particular map, you might see it pop up again in the future. It's not the first time this happens: elements rejected by one client are sometimes loved by other clients, and even if that fails, I'll just go and use it in one of my own maps

So I started over on the frame, this time more creepy crawly edgy spiky. And what do you think? Client loved it. Phew!

Viridia (11c).jpg
Attachment 119996

So the next few days I'll be working on that frame. It looks simple, but each vine is going over-under-over-under the others, plus there's all the thorns (some of them growing up, others growing down), so I gotta pay attention. Once I've worked all around the edges, I'll probably go back to the map itself and start shading and colouring!

[Kellerica]

What's weird is that I (the cartographer) actually kinda fell in love with this rose vine design! So! While I won't use it in this particular map, you might see it pop up again in the future.

Heh, nothing weird about it as far as I'm concerned - I think it is absolutely gorgeous too! I was not completely convinced by the initial rough sketch, but when I saw the lushness of the finished bit... well, damn! Such a simple idea, yet a careful exexution knocks it out of the park. I for one look forward to possibly seeing it again!
Note to self: map design + plants = potential goodness.

[Caenwyr]

Note to self: map design + plants = potential goodness.

Oh yes, there's tons of potential there. Gonna experiment with that for a bit myself too. But not in this map, the guy really knows what he's after and it's not flowery fluffy plants. He wants thorns! And strangling vines! And other cool, horrible, frightening and exquisitely terrible things! And I love to deliver, obviously.

About that, I managed to get a bit more work done on the vines in the bottom left, and of course I dropped the rosy bit in the top left to make way for the rest of the vines. And of course I created another draft version of the entire frame, plus 8 little insets that will show the different magical trees that enchant (but not in a rainbows-and-unicorns kinda way) the different forests in all kinds of scary ways. There's one tree already, although it might undergo some changes between now and the final product.

Viridia (14a).jpg

[jshoer]

Looking great in general!

I'm not a huge fan of the way the border color abruptly ends at the outermost vine. But... I've done exactly the same thing myself, because I don't really have a better idea other than to make the transition when it's lost behind tons of leaves. I don't know, what does everybody else think?

[Caenwyr]

Looking great in general!

I'm not a huge fan of the way the border color abruptly ends at the outermost vine. But... I've done exactly the same thing myself, because I don't really have a better idea other than to make the transition when it's lost behind tons of leaves. I don't know, what does everybody else think?

Yeah you're right, I don't like the effect either. So I think I'm gonna work with a fade effect. Not perfect either, but better at least!

Sent from my SM-A705FN using Tapatalk

[Caenwyr]

Alright, another update. And finally, FINALLY the frame is done — whoo-hoo!

Viridia (18a).jpg

...

Jshoer, you'll notice I applied the fade effect I referenced in my previous post, and I think it works fairly well. Will have to see how it holds up once I start colouring and shading the map itself of course!

[jshoer]

I think you've struck a good balance! Is there an additional glow around the vines over the water?