[WIP] The 6 realms - private fantasy map commission

[Llannagh]

Like it already too. It's very interesting to see the steps from your client's layout to your version.

[xpian]

I find process-oriented posts to be very valuable. It's great to see what you start from and where the decisions are made. Thanks so much for sharing.

[arsheesh]

It's nice to see your workflow Max. This already looks beautiful. I'll be watching this with interest.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[- Max -]

Thanks everyone, glad you find it interesting/uselful or whatever

Damn you work fast!

I better have to

I find process-oriented posts to be very valuable. It's great to see what you start from and where the decisions are made. Thanks so much for sharing.

That's indeed an important part of the mapmaking process : make some decisions at some stages and go from there, while keeping some artistic freedom and a bit of expertise on what you propose. To find the right balance between that and your client's constraints can actually the hardest - though the most interesting thing in commissioned works.

Anyway, let's back to the map with a small update, after client's validation on the outlining. Here I've set up the map main's colors map that will give the overall tone of it. On a background texture at low opacity on a white layer, I've added color layers painted with a large fuzzy brush (with opacity set to pressure on pen) then overlaid it with another texture layer (actually one desatured layer set at overlay blending mode 30% opacity and the same, duplicated at multiply blending mode 30% opacity. Of course this set up isn't the only one I use, as it mainly depends on which kind of texture you decide to go). I use to add some slight adjustments layers (contrast/level or such) at the end of the process since it's easier to see what have to be balance after you've colored all the elemetns on the map.

The 6 webWIP5.jpg

[Troedel]

It´s comming along great! How are you doing your linework? I try it often but never seem to get it strong and clear at the same time. Do you oversample and scale down for the final image? Or just plain skill and the steadiest hand I´ve ever seen. It´s so very precise.
Looking forward to the next steps.

[- Max -]

Thanks Troedel No, you can't oversample and scale down when you draw if you want to keep some consistency in linework. So here's I'm using the basic PS round brush at 4px, shape dynamics set to pressure and that's it. Since I'm working with Photoshop, as a raster program, drawing stuff at a different scale than 100% screen size makes the brush line being blurry. But you can take an advantage of this : working at 200% screen size allow you to have a very slight blur which is quite interesting in my opinion. Your linework has some smooth but still be clear and precise at the same time. But as often, practising is the key to refine your own linework

[snodsy]

Thanks Troedel No, you can't oversample and scale down when you draw if you want to keep some consistency in linework. So here's I'm using the basic PS round brush at 4px, shape dynamics set to pressure and that's it. Since I'm working with Photoshop, as a raster program, drawing stuff at a different scale than 100% screen size makes the brush line being blurry. But you can take an advantage of this : working at 200% screen size allow you to have a very slight blur which is quite interesting in my opinion. Your linework has some smooth but still be clear and precise at the same time. But as often, practising is the key to refine your own linework

Well that makes me feel good and bad - the good - I've been using the same basic round brush with 4px with shape dynamics set to pressure sensitive for my linework -- the bad -- I don't have the steady hand and beautiful touch. As Max says, practice is the key. Thanks again, looking awesome and it was great to see how you took the clients sketch and turned into a beautiful map.

[Wired]

Watching Max's progress on this really wonderful piece makes a me a bit nostalgic about the time before I started drawing them myself. Brings back the wonder I felt back then because it all seems to flow together so quickly and naturally, and reminds me that there's always something new I can still notice and/or learn. Case in point: the feet of the mountains not stopping abruptly but rather fading out with broken lines. Just tried it out myself, and you wouldn't believe the kind of difference that little detail makes. Thank you, Max, for letting us take part in your process.

[- Max -]

Thank you Wired and Snodsy

Okay another update with mountains, hills and forests colored.

The 6 Realms webWIP7.jpg

And here's my detailed process here for the mountains colors:

Mountains coloring minitut.jpg

1. First, on a new layer, I paint the mountains basic color (with a desatured brown color not too far from the overall tone of the background) with a round fuzzy low opacity brush ( dynamic opacity set to pressure) to blend the color with the background.
2. I reduce the opacity of this layer to 40%. This isn't a necessarily stage, rather a choice I've made on this map. It helps blending more, having some transparency with the background colors (especially since there's some greenish, brownish and yellowish terrains on the map) so the mountains will keep some consistency all over the map while having some slightly different shade regarding the terrains where they're located.
3. On a new layer set to multiply, I use the same color with the same brush to add shadows. Assuming the light is coming from the left/up left, the shadows are applied on the right sides of the reliefs, with more pressure close to the main summits and the ridges then lighter pressure the more you move to the right, or on some secondary ridges that catch the light. No need to be overdetailed here. What you see on the picture is 100% screen size but the print size is likely the size of the main map above.
4.On a new layer set to screen, I use the same color with the same brush to add highlights. A quick wor with a light pressure on the pen, adding a general light on the left faces of the mountains. I didn't want overpowered mountains here, with higher contrast but this could be easily done with a stronger pressure for more lights.
5. On a new layer set to screen, I use the same color and the same brush to add more light, roughly focusing on main summits and top of the main ridges. Here again, regarding scale and print size, no need to go too fancy.
6. This is an optionnal stage I didn't choose to go with on this map but it's something I use sometimes : adding some extra colors on the mountains. I create a new layer set to color blending mode just below the shadows/highlights layers and with the same brush I paint some color starting at the top of the mountains and going lower on pressure near the bottom to blend the color with the mountain base. Here, some gray to give some natural rocky feel to the mountain but you can add whatever color you want depending on what you aim.

You can use other kind of technic/setting, for instance the overlay blending mode (with a dark desaturated color layer for the shadows and a very light desaturated color layer for highlights) also works well but it's up to everyone, depending on what you aim on the specific map you're making. The one I used here has the advantage that you work with only one color so its' easier and faster to do.

[tainotim]

This is awesome Max. I really enjoy following your progress on this (waited for new updates on your Workshop for ages!). The best part about this I think is how you handle the large landmass and ocean, nothing feels uniform or plain

Don't know if you are looking for feedback, but I think there is a slight perspective issue there at the bottom right, where the water meets the canyon.

Keep up the great work!

Cheers,
Tainotim