Jan / Feb '17 Lite Challenge: Opikanoba, daughter of the mists

[Mouse]

OMG I can't stop laughing!

Sorry Thomrey!

Abu wins the cheeky interpretation competition hands down...

[ThomasR]

I do not forget you, you mischievous little rodents (and I'm not only talking about the one Rodent amongst you). I'm prepping the plank and baiting the sharks (while drawing, an update is coming your way).

[Mouse]

Gulp...

Me sorry, thomrey...

[ThomasR]

First of all, thanks to every one for stopping by and giving me some pointers. Second, you're lucky the sharks are well fed, we'll leave the plank for later

@ Mouse : thanks for the good feed back, I'll talk about the map after and do not worry, it's fun

@ Bogie : you bet it is I knew you'd like it !

@ Ilanthar : those are indeed tricky waters. I wanted the island to be unattainable except for the backdoor that I'll show with the indications. And I guess I've got a thing for pirates ...

@ GLS : great catch for the rhumb lines ! I noticed it yesterday but hadn't had time to redo it. What do you think of the new lines. Same jagged brush as all the linework. I'll work with a mask on the whole linework to wear it a little bit. Hope I won't overdo it. And rubs aligned, I hadn't noticed so, thanks a lot.

@ Daniel : I'll address the ivory later, I've got questions. Out of topic, check your mail for three maps

@ Josiah : thanks and I like your dragon, he's cute !

@ DarkInfinity : that's a great idea for a challenge ! Here's an evocative piece for you Thanks for the compliment and I hope you'll make good use of the background. I'm preparing another one.

@ Abu Lafia : thanks a lot Martin ! And thanks some more for your dragon is a scary one that better suits the map I redid the forests and would like some feed back before I finish it.

@ Straf : even if it seriously decrease the grim feel of the map, I agree, that made me laugh.

Back to business now, mates !

### Latest WIP ###
Treasure map4.jpg

So, I redid the sea with a slightly sterner color (not full ultramarine though). I guess it works better and well enough. I don't think I'll change much of it, maybe add some further blue ripples to break the pattern.

I also worked on a new forest. Here, I need your opinion before going full map (even if I did most of it).

About the skull, I used some kind of very light brown, I do not see the silvery white, unless maybe on the highlights. Could someone enlighten me please ?

I simplified the mountains. Shading will be easier but still, it'll be tricky.

I have a dilemma about shading. If I do it well, the map will be glorious (I hope) but I'd need to do it on the forest and maybe on the coast. I first wanted to get a FROM the world feel and I'm not sure the captain of a pirate ship would go to such extent to draw his map (one could argue that the compass doesn't fit in this case but, ... go to hell, I'll keep the compass !). What do you think ? Do I not shade or do I have a huge chunk of work down the road ?

The linework is pretty much done. Finishing the forest if the style works and adding some coastal details then shading (I guess it's mandatory ...). Last part will be some not-so-much-labels-than-handwritten-intel then the weathering of all the linework.

Again, shoot your canons, mates !

[Mouse]

Its looking quite different now. You've done a lot of work.

I've got a picture here that might help with the colour of the skull a bit?

Skull.jpg

Maybe the tree texture would look even better if the circles were not as large? Don't know....

[ThomasR]

Thanks for the reference Mouse, I'll see if I find the time to do something about it.

I redid the forests and they look way better now. I might add one or two more little forested hills here and there but it's pretty much done.

I added coastal details. I still need to draw my big beaches. Need a steady hand for that to look good.

I guess I'll add some strokes to the sea to let more ripples show. And, unfortunately, I'm not sure I'll have time to add shading. That's no big deal as the map works without it and it makes sens there's no shading for a map FROM the world. It's functional, pretty but not too pretty. I really would have wanted to see it shaded despite the non-realistic argument. Maybe I'll do it before I post it in the finished map section but it may not be soon.

Here's the beast, as always feel free to tell me what you think.

### Latest WIP ###
Treasure map5.jpg

Next will be some (hand drawn ?) labeling with indication to get to the "treasure" of course.

[DanielHasenbos]

Forests look great now. However, I think they can be mistaken for bodies of water... For me it work, but perhaps wait to get some other people's opinions. What might help when picking a color for the skull is using a corner that is less grey. I'm the color picking screen that would be less to the right and more to the top. With very light shades this might seems like a minor changes but it can greatly affect how it looks.

I agree about the shading: he captain probably wouldn't do it but it would make the map looks even better.

This is really looking great Thomas!

[Mouse]

Yes - definitely shade, even if its only a little bit. The trees are ok now, but the mountains are a bit difficult to identify as mountains without any shading. I think a bit of artistic licence needs to be employed. Maybe the Captain was once an aspiring young artist who became disillusioned and took off for a life on the ocean waves?

[ThomasR]

@ Daniel : Thanks. Do you think the blue of the ocean is enough to differentiate sea and forest ? I'll finally have some time for some tweaking, I'll try my hand at some bone depiction, thanks for the tips

@ Mouse : Ok, ok, I'll try to add some shading (if I overdo it, let's say it's a magic map). Huge thanks to Warlin whose magnificent work on The Land of the Frozen Tears (it's a marvelous map !) was a huge inspiration and helped me unlock my top down forests.

[Bogie]

The map is looking great Thom, but I agree the mountains need a little shading.