Mapping a Border-Castle [WIP]

[SteffenBrand]

Here we go again... =)

On the picture itself I just added a little herb garden.

We are now using gray. I usually do lining with 100% non-pressure sensitive 4px round brush (with width connected to pen pressure) black, but when using gray I switched to 15px and also lay pressure sensitivity to pen pressure - also I changed to color to 50% neutral gray (color-code #777777). Then I just used a fictive light from top left and painted the shadow loosely in there. As in most cases I usually create then two extra layers with flattened layers of everything (CRTL + SHIFT + ALT + E). One of them is set to multiply with 20% opacity and the other one with 20% opacity on overlay (but on this layer I used Filters > High Pass [with 2,4px]).

Best wishes and stay creative. The next step will be the last one I guess. =)
Steffen

Grenzfeste_WIP9.jpg



EDIT: Argh! fabio p, you Ninja'd me while I was posting =) Thank you so much! I hand drew this layer digitally on a virtual sheet. The lining of the stuff is hand drawn digitally also, the outlines of the walls are generated (as I mentioned in picture 3 if I remember correctly) with the transition from black forms to lining. =)

[SteffenBrand]

Finishing touches...

I guess I'm finished with this one. Made some minor changes, added a few tiny details and so on. I also tried to do something with the title, but it really didn't work out very well... Not much difference here, but the guy I was making this for were really happy with the result. This is usually the best and most rewarding part in my opinion. =)

When I look back, at this point it feels more like a tutorial than a work-in-progress. But nevertheless, it was great fun, maybe I'll do this again if you are interested. I'll post the finished map in the section for completed work, too. You can find it here.

Also, I made up an english version of this since most of you speak English. I apologize in advance for the shaky translation, but a lot of old German terms for old castles really translate horrible if there is a word in the american language at all... (and if so, they are stunningly hard to find)

German version (original):
Grenzfeste_WIP10(Ger).jpg

Englisch version (translated):
Grenzfeste_WIP10(Eng).jpg


I hope you like it, feel free to ask questions. =)
Best regards, Steffen

[ericlboyd]

The translations all seem to be descriptive (with the possible exception of #22).

I thought this was an interesting find, as it includes castle terms in English and German: http://www.oldcastleshop.com/glossary.htm

Thanks again for making an English translation!

--Eric

[SteffenBrand]

Thanks again, eric|boyd! I'll revisit the technical terms in the Englisch version in the future I guess. The link is great, I think it'll be a great help. =)

[SteffenBrand]

I tried to work in some more technical terms in the English version, but this is really hard because this isn't my native language. Hope this is better, feel free to help me out =)

Grenzfeste_WIP11(Eng).jpg

[ericlboyd]

Looks very good.

I would make these changes:

1) "Gatehouse" should be one word.
2) Change "Travellers Guesthouse" to "Guesthouse" (simpler) or "Travellers' Guesthouse"
3) I might split "Well" and "Inner Ward" into 2 entries.
4) I would change "roofed walkway" to "portico." (I think that's more accurate than colonnade or peristyle, but others may know better than I.
5) I would change "Arched Room" to "Vault".
6) I would drop "Empty" and make it simply "Anteroom" or "Antechamber". (I'd probably pick the latter.) A better choice might simply be "Cellar". As (at least to me) Anteroom or Antechamber is rarely underground.

Looks great! Hope this was helpful.

--Eric

[SteffenBrand]

Thanks! If I do another update I'll include your good ideas =)

[J.Edward]

Great work on this Steffen. This is one of my new favorite castles.
Definitely repped for this.

[SteffenBrand]

Thanks J.Edward, I'm glad you like it that much =)

[forge22]

Echt schoen! I really like the style here, and the write-up of your progress was super helpful.

In an attempt to branch out and try new maps, I have emulated your style and design here: Himmelsteinkirche WIP. I'm not going to push much further on this map, as it was a great learning opportunity thus far, and I've encountered the tedium of adding all the furniture and so forth, but I like how my floors and debris came out -- here too, I used a pattern I drew to show stones, grass, dust and the like.

Vielen danke!