Variable regional fantasy map project

[Wired]

This spring I did a lineart map tutorial for beginners that earned me a Daily Deviation on DeviantArt. Around the same time I did that basic map I started work on a similar, yet more detailed and more complex map of generally the same region, but which then went on a hiatus since I filled my time with commission work. Still, over the months the idea for a concept has grown in my mind, and this thread here is where I will try to put my thoughts into form. The general idea is this: take one region and largely maintain its topographic features, but adapt it to different climatic and (fantasy) cultural settings. So, a Scandinavian/Viking themed one, a desert themed one, a jungle etc, each with adapted symbol sets for locations plus up to three "special" locations. The first thing I've done is tackle my old nemesis: forests! Immodest as I am I'd like to claim these are my best forests yet. Here's a concept (and I realize that it's too bright at the moment; changes are coming ).

New Forests Example.jpg

I've already created the same concept trees/forests in three different color schemes + two autumn schemes + one winter schemes + two fantasy schemes (light blue and deep red leaves). Puh. It's actually kinda refreshing to work on personal projects once in a while.

[ChickPea]

Nice idea and interested to see what you do with it. I think, with a little work, those trees could be fantastic!

[Wired]

I sure hope so, ChickPea!

Okay, this is the base map I'll use for every future iteration of this project. These features will always stay the same. Every other element -- cliffs, rivers, forests, glaciers, locations etc. -- will be created in a way that every single one of them will be variable. Just to give you an impression of what this will mean with regards to effort: there will be about a dozen forest "zones". Each zone will be individually electable (that is, will it be shown on the map or not). Each zone will then need, at minium, 4 different presets in place: coniferous forest, mixed forest, deciduous forest, winter forest. Why is winter forest not just forest X smattered with powdery white paint? Well, deciduous trees tend to lose their leaves during winter, so I have to depict them basically as dead grey-brown trunks and branches, too. Then it's the different color schemes on top of that, and after that we move on to rivers (yes/no/large/small/swampy...) and so on and so on.

### Latest WIP ###
variable_regional_map_upload_1_by_stratomunchkin-dagydod.jpg

[Josiah VE]

Those trees are very, very impressive, I must say. They don't really fit in with the mountains at the moment, but are you going to change them?

[Wired]

Hey Josiah, in what way don`t they fit at the moment? Size wise? Stylistically? Overlapping with the contour lines?

[Josiah VE]

Style wise I would say. While the trees are more of a painterly style the mountains are linework oriented, though it might look great in the end.
You've got the size just perfect I think.

[Wired]

Style wise I would say. While the trees are more of a painterly style the mountains are linework oriented, though it might look great in the end.
You've got the size just perfect I think.

Ah, I see then. Let's see what I can do with coloring and shading; after all, the linework is just a framework.

[- JO -]

That's a fine experiment ! I'm looking forward to see how it comes...

[Wired]

These are the preliminary placement zones for forests, as well as all possible variations of rivers I'll make available for the map (hence the overlap in some cases). Basically every green-framed area will contain a forest, in all necessary climatic and floral variations, meant to seamlessly overlap where necessary. For all intents and purposes that gives me a nigh infinite number of possible combinations. But getting it all in place is going to be one lengthy ordeal...

### Latest WIP ###

Variable Regional Map Upload 3.jpg

[Wired]

So, I'm back from vacation and had a few hours to work on this. This is the first ocean color scheme.

In total, there are 185 forest placement zones. They've been set in such a way that they allow for the variable placement of rivers.
So far, I've only blocked in coniferous forests. These are four of the possible colors, but technically the sky's the limit.
Sample.jpg
In the upper left example I've left out a few to show how one variant could look.

Mixed.jpg
Mixed forests are a different bag, as instead of one layer for each zone I have to work with three to seven layers, so this'll take me longer. The colors you see in this example are the WIP colors I use as a base before I recolor them for the available variants.