April/May '20 Lite Challenge: Dryad's Deep

[Kier]

“No.”

Kier dropped the blindfold on the younger man’s lap and turned his horse away. “Your life, not mine.”

“Don’t be an ass.” Aoife pushed her horse tight against Cadmar’s mount. He was the perfect prey for the wood nymphs. Strong, gorgeous, and literally reeking of testosterone. “They already smell you. Your blood, your sweat, your desire. Even now, they are pulling free from the flesh of the trees to find you.”

“This,” she said, throwing the blindfold at him, “Is the only chance you have. The Dryad’s call is death. Their scent, their cries, have broken far better men than you.”

Cadmar smiled, his eyes sparking with life. “Sounds like a hell of a way to go.”

“Only you won’t die. They promise you a lifetime of pleasure, but give you an eternity of Hell. They will drag your fertile ass into the trees in which they come from, so the bark and your flesh become one, feeding on you for centuries. Look around you, you damn fool! Some of these trees are a thousand years old. How do you think they grow in this godforsaken land, when nothing else can?”

Her horse shied, nostrils flaring. Aoife reined her into in a tight circle, fighting the mare’s instinct to flee. “Their magic is evil, damn it! Dark. The darkest of dark.”

Faint moans came through, whispers gaining in strength, from the forest deep.

The young man’s throat tightened. He fought for words, but never found them, instead nodded. Fingers shaking, he wrapped the blindfold around his head, lowering it over his eyes.

“And for you,” Kier said, holding out another blindfold for the young thief.

Aoife laughed. “Woman here. I don’t need one.”

“The look you gave the serving-wench last night says otherwise.”

She snatched the blindfold from the old man’s hand, color coming to her cheeks. “And you? Or are you too old?” She was furious. Who was he to call her out like that? He ….

A smile crept onto his face. “Please, lass. This magic that you call dark is nothing compared to the paths I walk.”

A chill chased up Aoife’s spine as she tightened the heavy cloth around her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. What have I gotten myself into?


Dryad's Deep is my attempt at a dark forest map. I have posted 2 photos. 1. the WIP is an example of how I work. The bottom half is obviously a wreck at this point, but the canvas is there hidden under layers, just waiting to be chipped away and painted on. The top half is what I hope for it all to become. The 2nd photo is up close and to actual size I think. Sorry for the grid, but I work with one to keep perspective in check and forgot to remove it.

While I love the higher up trees, and the depth they give, I am not sold on the trees as a whole. Maybe too much contrast in the colors, especially the right side, the lower level trees get lost and almost come out as ground covers. Not sure if its a color thing, or a shadow thing. But I will keep plugging away.

As always any thoughts or comments welcome. A work progress for sure. And yes, I know, another battlemap, lol. Sorry, but it is fun for me.

### LATEST WIP ###
ForestChallengeA.jpg

2nd Up Close Photo
QuarterMap.jpg

[Mateus090985]

Looooooks incredible! Congratulations.

[Kier]

Thank you, Mateus.

I do regret going so complete(finished product looking) on the top part as now I have so many layers to peel back and expose at the bottom, I keep getting bogged down. Would have been better to work my way through 1 texture at a time throughout the entire map. But I couldn't help myself, I just kept adding little bits to try and bring it more to life wanting to see if it would work or not.

But I have 3 weeks left, so I should get there eventually.

[Bogie]

Welcome to the Challenge! Off to a good start.

The top right trees could be desaturated a little, but I think the reason the trees under them blend into the ground is they have a lot of reddish/brown leaves that are similar in color to the groundcover.

[Kier]

Thanks Bogie. Good points.

I have been working on some new trees trying to get the bark to show more on the trunks and found I like less bright leaves as of last night. I haven't brought them in yet though. Saturated as they are make them look a little plastic-e too me(there's a word for you).

[Kier]

Took a little bit to get back in the rhythm of it, then had it crash when I was saving it the other night . That sucked.

But I am liking the progress. Bogie you were dead-on on the colors being too close to the earth. I pulled those trees and rendered some new ones with more similar shades of green and it looks better I think.

I still got a ton to go, but plenty of time. The trees near the bottom are not finished. I have more undergrowth to add to it all, as I continue to peel back the bottom 1/4 now. And somewhere beneath all that crap at the bottom I hope to find a reflective pool, the magical place for anyone would be dumb enough to enter the Dryad's Forest.

### LATEST WIP ###
Forest6j.jpg

[Bogie]

Yeah, that's looking very natural.

[Mateus090985]

It is even better now!

[Kier]

Thank you, Bogie and Mateus. Still plugging away.

I think I am getting there. At least looking fairly complete now. I still have a few layers I am working through, undergrowth, etc.

This was the first attempt at the water hole, not 100% what I envisioned, but its coming along I think.

### Latest WIP ###
Forest6P.jpg

[Bogie]

Cool reflections in the water!