Dec 2010 / Jan 2011 Lite Challenge Entry: WIP Diomede Lake

[professorthunder]

Here's the day version of a WIP for the December/January Challenge. I'm taking what I learned on my last winter-themed battle-mat and polishing it further. The tracks are simply copies of the previous layer, alpha masked with track like shapes, and then bevel-embossed down to look like indentations in the snow.

The snow is built up from Fill layers from several (4-5) "snow" like textures with render-cloud alpha masks with levels adjusted to make "islands"

Now to add in the "campsite" -- this is the hard part, since I suck at hand-drawing objects. Then to create the Night-time version. I intend to have the lake "glow" with a phosphorene blue-green tint.

### latest wip ###
Diomede Lake WIP Day.jpg

[del337er]

So far this is looking very good. The footprints and tracks really add to the snow feel, and the icy/lake area is very well done as well. My only gripe is the black smudge near the bottom. What is that for? And why is it so blurry?

[Jaxilon]

That is rather cool looking (pun intended)
I like it.

[professorthunder]

@del337er: Do you mean the outlet stream? It's supposed to be frozen over and covered with snow. I may be able to add some cat-tail rushes or something to sharpen it up.

[del337er]

@del337er: Do you mean the outlet stream? It's supposed to be frozen over and covered with snow. I may be able to add some cat-tail rushes or something to sharpen it up.

Ahh I see, maybe instead of drawing over your snow floor, you could edit some of those layers, specifically those with a bevel effect, to for a more realistic stream. There probably shouldn't be shadows of both sides of the stream, only in the direction the light is coming in at. Try playing with the bevel tool to get that stream looking a bit more realistic.

EDIT: You could use the same method for making the footprints and the paths in the snow, then once you have the stream cut out, you could add a layer of ice (just like on the lake) or snow on top of it.

[professorthunder]

I've just about got the Camp laid out, making tents now. I worked a bit on the outlet stream, will definitely add some forage to make it work better.

### latest wip ###
Diomede Lake WIP Day 2.jpg

[del337er]

Looks a lot better, but like I said before, try eliminating the bottom/right shadow on the stream, as the light seems to be coming from the top/left. Then lower the opacity of the top/left shadow a bit to blend better.

[moutarde]

Might be just me, but that patch of 'yellow snow' kind of looks like a duck! Was somebody trying to spell their name in the snow?

[professorthunder]

Here's my last update for the night, I created some tents and added in a campfire plus some glow. Still to add to battlemap: Foliage, Wagons?, Night-Time Tinting, and work on the streams. Now, is this lake a beaver lake, or is it hiding something much more mysterious... like a lake-monster... ready to burst out on the campers when they're sound asleep? Hmm.. to add a beaver lodge.. or not.

Also.. must fix stream...

And you know... that yellow snow does look like a duck! Never realized that till now.

### latest wip ###
Diomede Lake WIP Day 4.jpg

[Jaxilon]

Those tents are awesome! The yellow snow that accidentally looks like a duck is funny and I hope you leave it in there.

What software are you using and are you using a tablet or drawing some other way? I am liking the look you have going on here.