Prince of Cups Project - Level 1 (first time with Photoshop)

[JPQuinn]

Hi everyone!

Been a loooong while since I last posted here. For Christmas this year, my wife got me the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and a Wacom graphics tablet. I have finally gotten the hang of some of the features of both and now I'm ready to start work on a project. For this I chose my "Prince of Cups" project (I've been writing and redesigning this for a long time by hand).

This is my first step in the dungeon map. I'm not going for the realistic look (I like the animated styles of Ed Bourelle, Torstan, and Jason Engle). This map has 2 layers: the white background layer and the walls layer (the desired map was cut using the select tool and the layer was set to "Stroke"). I tried some interesting shapes so I could use more of the tools (like the polygon lasso). More to be posted soon!

PoC-Lvl1-WIP-01.jpg

[JPQuinn]

PoC-Lvl1-WIP02.jpg

Here's the next step. I added some layer filters, random brushing, and filled out some more color and definition of the walls and floors.

I feel things are looking better. But comments and suggestions are helpful.

NOTE: I have no idea how to make a grid in Photoshop. I'd like it to keep with the grungie, animated style I'm beginning to develop here. If someone knows how and would like to give me pointers, please leave me a comment or point me to a tutorial.

[Green-Pilgrim]

Howdy JPQuinn,

I like the shading and bold lines you're using around the walls of your map. They really help define the chambers and rooms. The textures that you're using as the background and the color is interesting. I like the 'cloth' (it looks like burlap to me) layer and the blotchy almost water-damaged highlights that you have on the page. It's hard to tell but were you trying for a deckled edge around the border? It's really small but I like the detail.

If it were me I would make the rough edges more pronounced if you're going for a 'worn map' look.

Keep going!
-GP

[JPQuinn]

Thanks for the comments GP.... so far all of your observations were spot on!

In this next version I: 1) finally figured out how to make a grid (newbie stuff, I know); 2) changed the overall color of the map (my wife looked at it and shivered, "too orange!"); and 3) removed the grunge strokes around the walls and instead applied RobA's crosshatch around the walls and feathered it out.

Problems I can see: 1) the wall corners now have a little glow overlay to them that i can't seem to get rid of and makes them look beveled to me. I really dislike beveled and embossed walls, but this won't be an issue a little later on when I hand draw the actual walls; and 2) the grid just isn't everything I want it to be... I don't want the tiled look, but I'd like to figure out a better way to make some parts fainter with a little more "personality"... just looks a little "pre-generated" to me.

All-in-all, I'm growing happier with my progress

Here is Step 3:
PoC-Lvl1-WIP-03.jpg

[Green-Pilgrim]

OK - ya gotta tell me how you pulled off the crosshatched edges on the rooms. I have been trying to figure it out and haven't come up with a solution yet.

Is it a crosshatched layer that you're setting to 'Soft light' or 'overlay' and then cutting out the rooms / walls? or something else.

And I would agree with your wife - the previous version was a tad orange. Good work with the grid, btw.

Keep it going!
-GP

[JPQuinn]

OK - ya gotta tell me how you pulled off the crosshatched edges on the rooms. I have been trying to figure it out and haven't come up with a solution yet.

Is it a crosshatched layer that you're setting to 'Soft light' or 'overlay' and then cutting out the rooms / walls? or something else.

And I would agree with your wife - the previous version was a tad orange. Good work with the grid, btw.

Keep it going!
-GP

Thank you! I'm color blind and have no idea (I ask either my eldest daughter or my wife what colors should go where and they pick my palette for me).

As to the crosshatch:
1) Make an overlay layer with the crosshatch pattern (I found it here --> http://www.cartographersguild.com/ma...-hatching.html)
2) Add a layer mask
3) Use the wand tool
4) Mask the rooms, corridors, etc.
5) Expand the selection (in my case 60px = 1 square, so I expanded my selection by 30px)
6) Invert the selection
7) Feather the selection by half of Step 5
Mask that portion

This should make the crosshatches solid by your walls and then fade off into your top color. I'm sure someone else knows a faster/more efficient way of doing this, but this is the process I used. I hope it helps

[Green-Pilgrim]

Well, here's what I got when I took your advice bud.
cave-03a-close-01.png

I use gimp so I basically used the same concepts and instruction. Since my background was a lot darker than yours I punched up the brightness of the crosshatching (to give it a contrasting element).
cave-03a-650.png

What do you think?

-GP