Unnamed WIP

[kacey]

You are really going the right way with this attempt, kacey. I wish you to reach your goal and finish this map. I have always the same feeling when a map turns to be to hard for my skills, so I try to lower my expectation and try to think about the next map .
Cheers.

Thanks Warlin, I definitely feel like this style is above my skill level, and I'm really pushing my ability to it's very edge trying to get the line work right on these mountains. This really is the best I can do without more practice. And thanks for the advice, whenever I feel I can't get the results I want I give up, and I never finish anything that I start because of it. I guess it might not be a bad idea to give myself the freedom to create garbage, because in all honesty the biggest issue I'm having with the line work right now is that I'm not confident, and I really think it shows in the work.

[kacey]

Hey Kacey

I love the way you've varied the angle and given us degrees of mountain and precipice. Speaking as someone who is only just starting to learn about how to draw mountains this way, I've already discovered that trick as being one of the more difficult aspects.

Can't wait to see the shading

Thanks Mouse, it was actually you're current WIP that made me decide to try the different angles on the mountains, I thought that picture with the grass growing right up the side of the mountain was just so neat, and that's how I picture the terrain around that big lake. I was thinking that maybe an asteroid or something crashed right there making a crater, and all sorts of jagged cliffs and such. I'm not done with that area yet, but I think you get the idea...And thanks for the inspiration, I just hope I can work it out, right now I'm struggling to decide how the water will drain from that area, adding a crater, and more cliffs will disturb the flow of water from all those big mountain chains, so I'm a little stuck on that part of it.

[Mouse]

Any time Kacey! LOL!

I love it when I'm helpful without even trying

If its any help the Dolomites are for a large part of the range comprised of dolomitic limestone - that's where the name of the rock comes from. Limestone is of course rather porous, so you don't tend to get that much surface water at all except where there is a layer of clay over it, as you do sometimes get in limestone beds. The rest of the time water just percolates away down through the rock, dissolving it as it goes and forming swallow holes. If your crater area is also limestone area then the lake could slowly seep away and represent in itself the level of the water table, rather than being just an ordinary lake with a river running out of it.

[kacey]

Any time Kacey! LOL!

I love it when I'm helpful without even trying

If its any help the Dolomites are for a large part of the range comprised of dolomitic limestone - that's where the name of the rock comes from. Limestone is of course rather porous, so you don't tend to get that much surface water at all except where there is a layer of clay over it, as you do sometimes get in limestone beds. The rest of the time water just percolates away down through the rock, dissolving it as it goes and forming swallow holes. If your crater area is also limestone area then the lake could slowly seep away and represent in itself the level of the water table, rather than being just an ordinary lake with a river running out of it.

Thanks so much, this is really helpful, and I learned something new about the area I grew up in. The beaches were all rock, but under the water above the layer of rock we used to dive down, and collect clay. I always new there was allot of lime stone in the area, but Now I know where the clay came from that I used to play with as a kid.

[snodsy]

Your mountains are looking really good, when I'm feeling depressed about them, I add some shading and light in an area, that's when you see your work start to look really good, it's always my favorite part of drawing mountains watching them come alive. Looking good you got the skills!

[Straf]

Those mountains are really good kacey. I think your internal critic needs distracting somehow so you can just get on with building beautiful worlds

Developing skills in anything, I have found, is a gradual process. Something just seems to switch on and click! you're doing it. Sometimes when I think I have reached my limits I leave things alone for a bit then go back to it. I think I lose confidence in being able to take the next step, when really I should practice the previous steps, the things I know I can do. Then once I'm confident that I've nailed that stage I try something new. This is how it has been learning guitar for 8 years anyway I'm hoping the same thing will happen with mapping.

[ChickPea]

It's looking great, kacey, and I think your mountains look fab. I know it can be frustrating when you feel you can't quite translate the image in your head onto your map, but you're going in the right direction, so don't give up! I like Snodsy's idea of colouring an area. Mostly because I'm dying to see these mountains coloured and shaded!

[Pixie]

I normally keep away from commenting on WIPs for maps of this style, as I have little to offer (nothing, really!) when it comes to advice on drawing, but...

I may offer some comment on geography/history/economy/science behind this map? (suppose you answer yes, here goes...)
- The style and decoration (the lovely corners) indicates that this is a decorative map, made in a super-sized canvas/tapestry, commissioned by someone of importance;
- Like, say, those who benefit economically form the trade in that sea/channel or those who have recently conquered a vast part of it;
- Which means, the focus could be on sailing the channel;
- And how wealth and extraordinary the counties/kingdoms around it;
- And how diverse the lands connected by it are...

I don't know what are your usual steps towards a finished piece, but may I ask if you decided roughly on a scale (how big is the area shown?) and on a climate/biome (are there deserts/frozen forests/tropical marshes/whatever?).

And, lastly, I second Mouse on the compliment on those plateaus/precipices - they're SO WELL DONE!

[kacey]

Thanks Snodsy, Straf, and ChickPea...

This really helps me to keep motivated. I'm really itching to get to the shading, and it's tempting to just start a small section to see how it looks, but I'm going to continue on with the line work for now.

The truth is I just want to get this part over with, I always find doing line work to be one of the most tedious parts of map making, not just because it takes forever, but also because its way more fun to do the shading.

In the past when I've jumped ahead of myself I've found it difficult to keep consistency between elements. Maybe if I was more settled in to a certain style it might not be a problem, but I tend to forget how I did things, or forget what colours I used, or brush settings, and so on.

Thanks again for the nice comments, you guy's are always so encouraging, it really does help to have outside opinions.

[kacey]

I normally keep away from commenting on WIPs for maps of this style, as I have little to offer (nothing, really!) when it comes to advice on drawing, but...

I may offer some comment on geography/history/economy/science behind this map? (suppose you answer yes, here goes...)
- The style and decoration (the lovely corners) indicates that this is a decorative map, made in a super-sized canvas/tapestry, commissioned by someone of importance;
- Like, say, those who benefit economically form the trade in that sea/channel or those who have recently conquered a vast part of it;
- Which means, the focus could be on sailing the channel;
- And how wealth and extraordinary the counties/kingdoms around it;
- And how diverse the lands connected by it are...

I don't know what are your usual steps towards a finished piece, but may I ask if you decided roughly on a scale (how big is the area shown?) and on a climate/biome (are there deserts/frozen forests/tropical marshes/whatever?).

And, lastly, I second Mouse on the compliment on those plateaus/precipices - they're SO WELL DONE!

Thanks Pixie, it's funny you mention this because I'm struggling right now on deciding the scale, and environment. I've done things a little backwards this time, normally I would have at least a vague idea before starting, but this started as a blank canvas to practice mountains on, so I did the coast after to match what I had, and now I have no idea where I'm going with it.

I started thinking today about where the longitude lines might be, and what types of environments I might get with the equator at different places, and it seems no matter what I do I can't get forests in all the places I want them without sacrificing the "rules" so it's still up in the air for now, but when it comes time to do forests, and colour the terrain I'll definitely need to make a decision.

The only thing I know for sure right now is that a meteor hit this area at some point long ago, and that the area surrounding it will be very rough, and jagged looking. I'd like to have allot of forests, but I'm not all that interested in drawing pine trees at the moment so I'd like to keep it from being too far south, or too far north.

If you have any ideas that would be cool for this map, regarding climate, scale, or culture I'd be glad to hear them, right now it's all up in the air, and I'm feeling a little lost on it...I don't even know how big this area is.