Rochnan's sketchbook

[Rochnan]

Hello everyone!

I have a running (personal) project where I draw mini maps of about 1000x1000 pixels every two or three days.
In each one I try to experiment with something new I can take with me into future maps.
And since I plan to make a lot of these I should probably post them all in one convenient place (and not swamp the fora with threads.)

So, here's the first one:

The Small Green Hut and the Tree

Mm - 24 9 2018 Heksenhut CG.jpg

Doing this kind of timelapse was a lot of fun, especially imagining a story to go with the progression of the images. I wonder if you can come up with a good story for it
The hut itself is mostly based on bronze age architecture, with a little bit of scottish blackhouse sprinkled into its design.

The style is actually new for me, and disregards everything I normally like in a drawing: it's super loose, and perspective can be found...on the other side of the planet in another dimension XD The composition is also...just there. Doing nothing really.
Also, and very important, everything is super flat. I love painting interesting light. So I need to get creative to get moods.
One final thing of note: everything (the trees, the hut, the wicker fences) is made as a separate entity. I can reuse them infinitely. This is to allow me to focus on the subject without getting bogged up in technical details off illustrating. It also allows me to create super fast and stay in a flow. It's awesome! And now I understand why people enjoy map making programs this much

Thank you for reading, and enjoy my creations!

[Kellerica]

Unusual style, but it works. Perfect colors for this type of thing!

[Texas Jake]

Rochnan,

What software are you using?

[Ilanthar]

Very nice work! I like this style. It makes me think a bit to the Kingdom Come Deliverance maps that I also like a lot.

[Rochnan]

Unusual style, but it works. Perfect colors for this type of thing!

Thank you! I purposefully chose a style that would stand out, and this is a natural extension of my illustration style

Rochnan,
What software are you using?

I use Photoshop and a Wacom tablet.
But more importantly, I use a 3 pixel round brush whose size (but not opacity!) is set to be pressure sensitive. The surfaces also have a bit of a texture, most visibly in the grass. This is done with a brush I got years ago from...err...a matte painter, so maybe Geoffroy Thoorens or Dylan Cole? I know Adam Paquette uses a version of it. I have edited and tweaked the brush as well, so it's pretty much my own by now.
Lastly, I have a very limited colour palette which really defines the mood of this style.

Very nice work! I like this style. It makes me think a bit to the Kingdom Come Deliverance maps that I also like a lot.

Thank you Ilanthar Kingdom Come's illustrator Milan Vavron was one of the main inspirations when designing this style. You can also find a lot of (my misremembering of) Braun and Hogenberg's maps in my drawings. Also, the board game Carcassonne

[Rochnan]

Mm - 2018 9 19 Runesteen.jpg

For this sketch I wanted to find out how I could make flowers look natural in this style. The trick was in using a slightly bigger brush than usual and grouping the flowers in small clu...

Mm - 2018 9 20 Runesteen portaal.jpg

Uh-oh.

[Larb]

That is a pretty looking standing stone. It needs some mushrooms surrounding it though. =P

[Rochnan]

Mm - 2018 9 11 Mystig eiland CG.jpg

Today, let's go to a Riven-esque island. I wonder what can be found inside? Puzzles? Strange creatures? A linking book?

That is a pretty looking standing stone. It needs some mushrooms surrounding it though. =P

Thank you! And I should draw them in during my break

[ThomasR]

I like that island a lot !!

[ChickPea]

Great illustrations! Keep 'em coming.