Hand-drawn WIP: Braid

[jshoer]

Here's what we've got now: I'm roughing in where to put the buildings, roads, and dirt tracks. Roads will be textured in ink, and tracks will just be colored brown in pencil. Thinking a little bit about whether it's going to be too crowded, but I believe it's OK. Once I get all that stuff laid out, I will figure out where to put labels and then start inking.
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On the scratch side of things, here are a few ideas for bridges, flagstone roads, and some playing around for the compass (which will go in the lower left of the map). I'm going off of ChickPea's idea of celtic knots - that wasn't actually what I originally thought of for the river, but that idea seems perfect! I should look at pictures of actual celtic knots instead of trying to invent something, though.
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I am thinking of taking the bridges on the right - probably the arched one - and making sure that the posts look more vertical and isometric; then I will pair that with the isometric houses and the forest that I was looking at before.

I'm a little annoyed at this pad of paper. It's not my usual brand and I think the ink is bleeding too much.

[Greg]

Looking really good on both sides of things jshoer. Really loving that compass design and your bridges and pathways look like they'll fit in fine! That pencil sketch really does help start to visulaise Braid a lot better and I look forwards to seeing those details grow and your experiments with them!

On a different note, as I'm sure you will do, I'd leave colouring in the dirt tracks until last just in case you decide they'd look better just in ink (since the rest of the map, at the moment anyway, doesn't have any coloured pencil).

[ChickPea]

I have to echo GLS that it's looking great. I like the first and third bridges. Either would look good, I think. And I'm thrilled you're expanding the celtic knot theme! The compass looks fantastic. Really interested to see where you go with this next.

[jshoer]

Don't worry, GLS, I will be coloring the whole thing. I picture a lot of browns and greens.

[Greg]

I thought as much, you seem to know exactly what you're doing, jshoer! I look forwards to seeing more updates!

[jshoer]

Well, that's good, because I want to post what I've done today in order to ask for some opinions!

First of all, here are some Celtic knot ideas.
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On the right is the first doodle I tried - don't think I'll use that. The other four are designs I found on the Internet. I think I like the third one the best. I would love to hear suggestions for the design, if anybody knows some good ones out there I can look at.

Second thing: I'm done roughing in where I want the buildings. I blocked out their positions as 3D isometric shapes so I can see how they layer together. My current plan is to basically fill in those shapes, putting in peaked roofs at the time I do. Here's a photo with significantly punched-up contrast to make my pencil lines more apparent:
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My question for the Guild is this: how should I label the buildings, if at all? I don't think I want to leave space for me to label by hand when I ink in the buildings, because it'll end up looking disproportionately like labels. Another option would be to put in numbers of letters and them have a key - but where do I put the key? The upper right is an obvious choice but I haven't really left myself all that much space, and I kind of want that forest to show through.

Right now I'm kind of leaning toward labeling it digitally, where I can put glows around the text. That might be a little separated for the rest of the style of the map, but it leaves me the option to have it just be a top-down view of the town and river. I think I kind of like the idea of leaving it sparse in terms of text.

[Greg]

I quite like the first compass doodle you did in the somewhat sword shape as it mixes the definitive points and curves of a celtic knot to good effect. Out of your new ones, I agree that the third one along is the best. I don't really knows where you can look for designs, but I'm sure you can tweak a few designs together into a completely original one!

On your second point, I definitely see your dilemma and agree a key would be the best solution to it, though there is no space. Are all the buildings of equal value? Perhaps the map could just label the key ones e.g. the smithy, the inn, the chieftain's hut, etc? That way the labels wouldn't dominate the map so much even if it didn't give full understanding of the map. It's up to you if you choose to label them digitally or not (personally I always like doing all the text and what not by hand and then only use digital to tweak and correct bits and pieces, but that's just me ). Digital is always good though if you're not happy and then can change to a key or a couple of labels or whatnot, so it's got a lot of room for flexibility to suit your needs.

I hope this helps in some way or another and I am sure whatever you end up choosing it will look great!

[jshoer]

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I decided to do the hand-drawn part without any labels in the town, and I will add the labels digitally later. I'm working in the buildings from the bottom up. Some not shaded yet, and I may add more hatching to the ones you see. I also intend to do some doors, windows, and other features on the buildings.

Compass is in place now, too. Considering options for a design in the middle. I'm going to put at least a big "N" in the font style you see for the word "Braid," maybe also the other letters but maybe not. I probably got carried away and made that compass too big.

[jshoer]

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Buildings placed! Bridges done! Compass has an "N!"

I'm starting to detail the buildings, starting from the lower-right. You can see there how I think they will all look when finished. I am beginning to regret closing up the coastline, because now I would love to put a dock in! I may hold that thought.

Here are some sketches for cobblestone-y road textures. The preview image below is about actual size on my 1920x1280 monitor.

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I intend this map to have a lot of hatching and small details. I'll be coloring the thing in softer browns and greens, I think.

[Lingon]

Lovely drawing, great attention to detail. The river has a bit too many islands and too even width everywhere to look natural to me though, I must say!