Watery Cave

[Green-Pilgrim]

cave-water-pits-1-800.png

A variant of the caves with water theme. This time I tried to experiment with some stairs that would give the floor some changes in elevation. I'm not really happy with them but I think they get the point across.

I need to work on creating depth in the water. Maybe a contrast in shading between lighter blue at the edge (suggesting that it's more shallow) and darker (deeper) at the center. Just still working on the shading.

-GP

[Green-Pilgrim]

cave-water-pits-2-800.png

This is a continuation of the earlier version of the map. I darkened the water and added 'motion' contours based off of Torstan's Water in Battlemaps tutorial. I also added more color to the water and toned down the brightness of it in the first version to hopefully create the illusion that the water was much deeper.

I softened the light around the two sets of stairs to see if that would make them feel less clunky and I'm happier with them.

I then decided to try and create the illusion that one of the chambers before a flooded room was partially flooded by adding a faint layer of the blue as if the water was only ankle or boot high or so. While I was playing around with that I stretched the water from one chamber to the other as though the water levels had risen just enough to break out of both and join in the middle.

The shadows were punched up around the edges of the map to bring them out a bit more and then I lightened the center of the 'land' area to suggest that it was high and dry.

I'm liking this version much better and would welcome any feedback or comments.

Also: Now that I've gotten into the habit of signing my maps - how do people feel about labeling them? For me - these maps are just experiments with technique that I'm throwing out to the interwebs for people to comment on or use as they would like. If I add labels then that might make it harder for them to use in their own campaign without having to switch things around in gimp.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
-GP

[Zuni]

How do you make these maps?

[Green-Pilgrim]

1) I used Gimp (a free program similar to Photo Shop)
2) I made a cave map on Donjon's Online Map Generator.
3) I followed Torstan's Tutorial on how to apply shading and colors to a simple black and white map.
4) I repeated steps 2&3 (as seen by all the posts here) until I started to figure it out.

That help?

-GP

P.s. I've found that it's a good idea to look around at all of the maps posted here and see which style that you like. Once you've got an idea for what style you would like to try and emulate, contact the person who made it and ask them how it was done.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Ask lots.

Ask more
Post works in progress
Get feedback
Make alterations
post works in progress
ask even more questions

-GP

[Green-Pilgrim]

Edit: Removed Duplicate Post.

[Korash]

GP, I like the second one better too. I think that the ankle deep water could be wee bit lighter, or maybe lower the opacity a bit more. It is a bit hard to tell that the floor is so close.

As for the labeling, you are trying to experiment with style and look, and labeling is all part of that. I believe that while you are working on a style, you should also be looking at what sort of labeling goes with that style. As you say, these are just be put out there "as is" for people to use and or critique as they will. And they will use then "as is" if they are so inclined. My suggestion would be to try labeling them, and if you want, post an unlabeled version along side the finished one.

I knoww this all might be a day late and a dollar short but there you go...

[Zuni]

Oh thanks, but Donjon's website is down? Either way, it isnt working.

[Green-Pilgrim]

cave-water-ankle-01.png
Ok, here's the original crop of the 'ankle-deep pool' from the original map.

Based on Korash's suggestions I dropped the opacity of the water layer for that pool. That looked fine but then I tried smudging some of the darker shade (of water) around the edge to suggest that there is a degree of deeper water but the center is fairly shallow.
cave-water-ankle-02.png

Thoughts?

Comments?

-GP

[Green-Pilgrim]

cave-water-title-01.png

Here's my first pass at a labeling scheme.

I found a scroll banner bit of clip art on the net and filled it with the same 'parchment' that the original background layer was made from. Then I pathed the text to have it curve with the shape of the banner and added the same black outline to plump it up since the font is so thin.

I'm happy with the scheme for the number of the room/chambers/areas but I'm not sure if I like the 'scroll' look. I tried adding a drop shadow to try and give it some...something but it still just looks like a gimp layer rather than part of the map itself.

Any thoughts?
-GP

[Levok5]

cave-water-pits-2-800.png

This is a continuation of the earlier version of the map. I darkened the water and added 'motion' contours based off of Torstan's Water in Battlemaps tutorial. I also added more color to the water and toned down the brightness of it in the first version to hopefully create the illusion that the water was much deeper.

I softened the light around the two sets of stairs to see if that would make them feel less clunky and I'm happier with them.

I then decided to try and create the illusion that one of the chambers before a flooded room was partially flooded by adding a faint layer of the blue as if the water was only ankle or boot high or so. While I was playing around with that I stretched the water from one chamber to the other as though the water levels had risen just enough to break out of both and join in the middle.

The shadows were punched up around the edges of the map to bring them out a bit more and then I lightened the center of the 'land' area to suggest that it was high and dry.

I'm liking this version much better and would welcome any feedback or comments.

Also: Now that I've gotten into the habit of signing my maps - how do people feel about labeling them? For me - these maps are just experiments with technique that I'm throwing out to the interwebs for people to comment on or use as they would like. If I add labels then that might make it harder for them to use in their own campaign without having to switch things around in gimp.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
-GP

It looks pretty good, now if you wanted to populate the map with art objects such as desk,chairs, etc. is there a preferred application or does Gimp provide that resource as well?

Respectfully,
-Levok