Nov/Dec Lite Challenge: Map a Farm. Drow Mushroom Farm [ScottDA]

[ScottDA]

A drow mushroom farm! I was inspired, but its still early days. I know I have to adjust some background images and the water isn't finished yet. But its a good chunk done, so now I can fiddle with it for a while.

###LATEST WIP###
Drow Farm.JPG

[Bogie]

Thanks for joining the challenge. I hear Drow love glowing shrooms! Good Start.

[ScottDA]

The latest iteration of my drown mushroom plantation....

###LATEST WIP###
Drow Mushroom Plantation.JPG

[ScottDA]

Think I'm at a good spot now. Am going to let it sit and stew a little and then see if anything needs to be tended to.... I did rename it to the DROW FUNGUS PLANTATION. Just sounds better!

### Latest WIP ###
Drow Fungus Plantation.JPG

[Mouse]

Hey Scott

Looks pretty good. There's only one thing that's really catching my eye in terms of nitpicking, and that's the frame. I'm not so sure it goes all that well with the map.

There's a lot of fine detail in the fills you have used in your map, and then there's more detail, but of a completely different kind, in the frame. Maybe there is a more thematic texture you could use for it?

[Bogie]

Looking good, and with plenty of time to spare.

[ScottDA]

Oops... guess I need to check in more frequently!

I agree about the frame, but I'm not actually finished yet. I'm in the "let it simmer a bit" stage where I leave it and then go back and do another tinker. I just grabbed a black marble fill for the frame, but I agree its too busy. I may just go with a plain one.

I'm more concerned how dark the whole map is. Its supposed to be subterranean, obviously, but how dark is too dark? I want folks to be able to see things well enough to see the time and detail I put into it but still get the whole underground vibe across. Maybe I'll lighten it a bit?

[ScottDA]

Addressed some of the issues I had, so here, I think, is a final image, unless anyone spots anything that needs tending to.

###Latest WIP###
Drow Fungus Plantation.JPG

[Mouse]

That's looking a whole lot better

Have you considered rounding that bevel right off (with an ordinary bevel increase the fade to 100%), making the whole frame only about 2/3 as wide as it is, and a bit darker?

These are only my personal opinions...

The reason I suggest making the frame a bit thinner is to draw it away from the text, which looks to me to be just a little bit tight to the frame. Darker would define the frame better, where in places its almost exactly the same colour as the ground of the map, and more rounded bevel would smooth out those very sharply defined highlights and shadows within the body of the frame itself, and allow the observer to concentrate more on the map.

[ScottDA]

Good suggestions, Mouse. Thanks (funny that the freaking frame should be the on-going issue! LOL!).