August/September 2017 Challenge: Shannara & the Cathedral of Knowledge

[aeshnidae]

The great City of Shannara stood as the intellectual and artistic capital of the known world and rivaled the political capital in its beauty, size, and wealth. Located at the mouth of the Shannara and Ahndani Rivers at the tip of Shannara Bay, it was a prime trading port for the lumber, wool, iron, and whiskey generated north near the Yllarel Mountains. Shannara’s Cathedral of Knowledge was the envy of scholars, artists, and mages across the world. The Cathedral was home to all manner of books, scrolls, spell books, maps, musical instruments, and fascinating laboratories. It hosted gala events on its vast main level. The Cathedral of Knowledge was the shining star at the heart of the city.

Thirty years ago, a new religion known simply as The Way took hold in the capital city at the southern end of the Shannara Bay. The people of Shannara became concerned as they saw the repudiation of the old gods and of knowledge, and the increase in slavery and dark magic. Still, the people assumed their city would survive any such changes from the south, as it had stood for nearly a thousand years. Then, one day twenty years past, a cleric of The Way came to Shannara. Through the use of terrible magic, he destabilized the great Cathedral of Knowledge. It was partially swallowed by a sinkhole, and its bottom levels were flooded by incoming waters from the surrounding rivers. The mighty Cathedral cracked as it slid down into the sinkhole and countless priceless pieces of art, books, and artifacts disappeared into the water. Frightened and aghast, Shannara expelled all clerics, closed its gates, and refused to engage with the wider world. Its leaders permit outsiders to trade on the banks of the river to the city’s southeast but no outsider has passed through the gates of Shannara in twenty years.

I’m using (1) Local Map, (2) Submerged, and (3) Verticality. I haven’t gotten to the submerged part yet, but the lower level floor maps will show portions covered with water. I live about half a mile outside of Washington, DC, so that was my local map inspiration.

### Latest WIP ###
Shannara Draft 1.jpg

The WIP is my very first draft so it's still in rough shape. As always, feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated!

[Mouse]

Great start Ashnidae

Lovely layout too, with excellent perspective.

[aeshnidae]

Thank you, Mouse! It's a bit strange to me that my first two mapping challenges contain hand-drawn buildings. Not my strength at all, but I'm learning.

[Ilanthar]

Interesting start!

[aeshnidae]

It's been a while since I've able to work on the map due to my job and my dog falling ill (sadly he said goodbye last Friday). I've done some work since Friday but I'm not terribly happy with this. I was going to do an old-fashioned city map but my floor plans are modern and colorful (and I am incredibly grateful to Bogie and Daniel Pryor for their amazing map elements). I think I need to ditch the old-fashioned city map and make it more colorful and have the building and its floor plans next to each other.

### Latest WIP ###
Shannara Draft 2.jpg

[Mouse]

Oh Ashnidae! I'm so sorry to hear about your dog

It does help (I know from a similar experience) to have something to do, and this is coming on really well.

I have a question, though. Is it intentional that all the buildings are aligned so that their walls are always either vertical or horizontal on the page?

[aeshnidae]

Thank you, Mouse, I really appreciate it.

For the houses/buildings on the city map, it's because I set up a dynamic square brush (thanks to a tutorial on Fantastic Maps). I think that's a limitation of this particular brush style but I should look into whether I can rotate the brush or switch between multiple brushes. Ideally I would hand draw all of the buildings on the map but I don't have the time right now.

Your question also made me realize that I do tend towards symmetry and need to be mindful of it. It's just so ingrained in me; in college all of my posters and other stuff on the walls were embarrassingly neat. It's not a bad thing but I should be more aware of how heavily I rely on it and think about mixing it up sometimes.

[aeshnidae]

The floor plans for this one have taken me an insanely long time but all of the digital work has been a good learning experience for me. I've become more comfortable with Photoshop brushes and more aware of measurements. Unfortunately I didn't fully consider measurements for the basement or 1st floor, so the stairs are too large, as is most of the furniture. I don't know that I'll have time to correct that because I still have a lot to do on the rest of the entry. The city map is still pretty rough. I need to lighten the gray areas, lay in the roads properly, add trees to the large park, add some labels, etc.

I really wanted to have furniture and stuff in the rooms, but I'm not sure if it really works in this case. Would it be better with blank (but labeled) floor plans? Or should I ditch the drawing of the Cathedral of Knowledge, ditch the story I was going to tell in the middle box (under City of Shannara), and make the floor plans more central?
Again, major thanks to Bogie and Daniel Pryor for the various objects on the floor plans. Even if I wind up removing them, it was fun working with the wide variety of map objects.

I apologize for not having time to comment on everyone else's work. It's been very impressive to watch the progress, I just haven't had much fun computer time to add anything meaningful.

### Latest WIP ###
Shannara Contest Entry Draft 5.jpg

[- JO -]

Good job ! The work progresses !
As you are asking, my opinion is that the composition you had planned at the beginning looks better than the last one. I liked the distribution of the different floors, which made it possible to better see the details of these beautiful illustrations, the map of the city in the middle made it easier to read the drawing of the cathedral ... But this is only my opinion , the new composition presents very well also !

[aeshnidae]

Good job ! The work progresses !
As you are asking, my opinion is that the composition you had planned at the beginning looks better than the last one. I liked the distribution of the different floors, which made it possible to better see the details of these beautiful illustrations, the map of the city in the middle made it easier to read the drawing of the cathedral ... But this is only my opinion , the new composition presents very well also !

Thanks, JO! I agree, I need to rework this to better show off the floors. I may just ditch my sketch of the cathedral, or make it a small illustration in the corner, and have the real focus be on the floor plans and the city map.