January/February 2025 Challenge: Tyr and Levan

[Ifrix]

Oh boy, time to dig out one of my earliest ever maps, back before I really started looking into how to draw digitally orstart doing more maps, which wouldn't come till quite a few years later.

So back in 2013 I was in my students and I, like most nerds, was in a D&D game. Wanting to maybe run my own game at some point, and to scratch my wordbuilding itches, I started concepting a world which never made it beyond a map and a word doc of bullet points that seems to be only decipherable by knowing what I was thinking at the time.
Anyway, this is the map (starraven brushes and all) which my computer tells me was made in November 2013:
Map_towns copy.jpg

I do like the coastlines (made using a landmass brush, but couldn't tell you which) and the placement of features so design wise I don't want to do too much shuffling around or redesigning. One weird note from the document was that the map was aligned vertically NE to SW, so mght want to add a compass rose to reflect that.
Regarding the lore, it mostly takes heavy inspiration from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki, in the fact there is a large toxic jungle spreading from Levan, the lower landmass. There are a number of countries and regions which I do actually have the names of. There is also a ruined wasteland in the middle of the continent of Tyr, the remnant of some fallen Elven kingdom.
Stylewise I've been wanting to do a larger continent map in my painterly style for a while now. Would like to do a border but don't think I'll get the time to add one so planning without it for now and left enough space that I could add one later.

Anyway, here is progress so far:
### Latest WIP ###
TaLwip1.jpg

Got the shapes and majority of the mountains done. Highlights, foothills, and regional colouring needs finished in that department. Then on to trees and the rest of the map...

[Diamond]

Amazing improvements all around. I think you've shown the most 'growth' of any of these maps so far.

[The Elderly Cartographer]

Looking great!

[Ilanthar]

Apart from the colors, the more detailed coastline, the rivers and the quality of the mountains is more than obvious.

[Ifrix]

Last couple days progress. Tried a few variations before I settled on a way to do snow that I liked and also didn't take forever

### Latest WIP ###
TaLwip3.jpg

[Diamond]

All I got to say is... wow. This already looks pretty epic.