Pateshan - The Shattered Plane

[Abu Lafia]

Hello everyone, right before the holidays i'll throw this entry into the ring...
Ever since reading John's evocative challenge announcement, i knew i had to participate.
Some time ago, i dug out some smaller maps being some kind of cartographic travel reports of a somewhat ungraspable, erratic wanderer of realms and planes called Mar Bulafit. This challenge would be a good occasion to show another vestige of his journeys through the multiverses, found in a dusty, crammed mahogany shelf full of parchment scrolls.

One day, a ragged, blind man stumbled into the entry hall of the venerable guild of the cartographers. His seal of malachite identified him as a member of the aetheric society. With a hoarse, broken voice he asked for an alchemist who is able to craft the rare cloud ink, for he needs to map a dying plane in flux. Otherwise he'd never get back his eyesight...

### Latest WIP ###
Pateshan_the_shattered_plane_by_Abu_Lafia_WIPI.png

Ink on paper, later watercolour (wish me luck! )

The paper is too large for my scanner, so i had to put two halves together... :/
For the next wip i'll take a foto.

I started with the terrain linework on the landmass already...

Let me know what you think so far.

Cheers,
AL

[Kellerica]

Ho boy, am I stoked to see you mapping again! You know much I enjoy your work. I can't remember if I've ever seen you do traditional media before.
I already love that border - what an amazing idea to have it look a little shattered like that. I'd love to steal that...

Can't wait to see how this one turns out.

[Abu Lafia]

Ho boy, am I stoked to see you mapping again! You know much I enjoy your work. I can't remember if I've ever seen you do traditional media before.
I already love that border - what an amazing idea to have it look a little shattered like that. I'd love to steal that...

Can't wait to see how this one turns out.

"O Captain! My [new] Captain!" Many thanks Kell. I'm glad you like it so far. I do traditional media stuff for quite some time now, but often i colorized digitally in the end. I tried out watercolors for coloration last year with some smaller pieces (1,2,3,4) but this is the first larger piece (~A4) and the stakes are high ...

Speaking of high stakes, once again i accomplished messing up a piece i was quite happy with before, by handlettering the city labels. Well it takes some pressure from my shoulders for the next step with watercolours...

I applied my newly aquired masking liquid along the frame and around the coastline for that fancy white outline afterwards (hopefully)...

### Latest WIP ###
Pateshan_the_shattered_plane_by_Abu_Lafia_WIPII.jpg

Cheers,
AL

PS: Kell, go ahead with the frame, i "borrowed" the idea from a Jugendstil Artbook anyways...

[ThomasR]

Your lineart is as gorgeous as ever and you've made noticeable progress with your forests ! If I may, beware of the masking fluid, that stuff can be nasty with the paper when you peel it off. Looking forward to the beauty you'll create

[Abu Lafia]

Your lineart is as gorgeous as ever and you've made noticeable progress with your forests ! If I may, beware of the masking fluid, that stuff can be nasty with the paper when you peel it off. Looking forward to the beauty you'll create

Thanks Thomas. Peel off worked so far...

Went on with the scary phase of putting down watercolour. Learned quite at the start of the process, that the paper i used differs quite a lot from my other aquarell paper. It's less textured and sturdy and i paniced a bit cuz it started to rub off after the first gentle layer of pure water... well have to be extra careful wit additional layers of colour... As i wrote on twitter about it: The colours remind me a lot of Ilanthar's wonderful works, like Domhantyr etc.

When it's properly dried, next things are the darker shadows on the forests and mountains...

### Latest WIP ###
Pateshan_the_shattered_plane_by_Jamatra WIPIIIa.jpg
Cheers,
AL

[Kellerica]

Looks amazing, mate.

[J.Edward]

That is looking nice, Abu
I'm glad you joined in.

[Marc]

A piece to admire Abu. Always had a soft spot for aquarel, but working with it scares the heebeejeebees (is that even a word?!) out of me

[Kellerica]

... the heebeejeebees (is that even a word?!)

I vote yes for the entertainment value alone

[Ilanthar]

Gorgeous work, Martin!