44 - The Precincts of the Dead [Diamond]

[Diamond]

True, true. It'll be even more interesting looking I think than the Guild World map looked...

And here's a last update for today - I think I've beat this into a look that I really like. So far we've got the half-ruined grounds of the monastery, the monks' crypt just to the north, and some kind of heroic monument overlooking the river/lake/thingie.

I decided to go with a hatchure-type brush for the various elevations. I'm not going for 100% accuracy, obviously. Next up I think I'll start working on a border, and a suitably authentic title and key box.

[Mouse]

All those little tiny hachures...

Are you going for that kind of faded b/w-sepia look, or adding a hint of colour?

[Ilanthar]

Looking good so far!

[Diamond]

And a little bit more done.

[Tonnichiwa]

Nicely done! I notice a little bit of influence from Warlin's recent map going in with the hills. I love the pattern you have going on there and in the background underneath them. The color choices are also very nice. Wonderful work!

[Abu Lafia]

Great job Diamond! I love this style a lot. Reminds me about a map on an old weathered tourist info table near a site. Looking forward to see it coming together.

[Mouse]

That's a very lovely ground texture you've got going there. Did you use a multiply mode (sorry - not good with PS terms) to make it look like it was part of the paper like that?

Its a pity that all this beautiful extra work that you PS users do in the border and around the outside of the district can't be somehow appreciated in the full map... or are the districts in the full map going to be clickable so that people can look at the individual maps?

[J.Edward]

I like the use of that crosshatch for the base.

[Diamond]

That's a very lovely ground texture you've got going there. Did you use a multiply mode (sorry - not good with PS terms) to make it look like it was part of the paper like that?

Its a pity that all this beautiful extra work that you PS users do in the border and around the outside of the district can't be somehow appreciated in the full map... or are the districts in the full map going to be clickable so that people can look at the individual maps?

The crosshatch is a separate layer on top of the ground layer to give it some extra body; it looked too flat and featureless before. Basically the fill of the layer is set to zero so only the texture (the crosshatch) shows, and then the opacity is turned way down.

As far as the extra stuff getting chopped away - yeah, that's kind of inevitable. I do hope that RedRobes can work his magic and make each section clickable! Because in addition to the main map, I'd like to also include floorplans of at least the monastery, if not more buildings as well...

Anyway, here's some more progress:

[Straf]

Will the monastery have any empty hooded habits just sort of floating about? Because that sort of stuff scares the goolies off me!