Maure Castle and Dungeon

[NathanC]

I've been working on my first real battle map using photoshop for the first time to draw something other than stick figure monkeys for my son.

This my take on the first floor of Maure from an 2E adventure called Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure.

I have two versions, after Jacktannery pointed out that things were way to dark.

Looking for pointers and other suggestions as far as the map goes. I'll be adding some room fluff in the next few weeks.

Some notes:
I had trouble with the walls and just made them black for the time being (if some one can point me to a tutorial for making walls look less flat I would be grateful)
The lower purple area is supposed to be illuminated by fairy fire hence the purple crazyness.
The room in the upper right corner of the map is a secret room accessed by a trap door in the room closest to it.

A quick thank you to the guys on the dundjinni forum and various other sources for providing great images that I can use for this and future maps.

Light Version


Dark Version

[NathanC]

I started adding some room stuff and scaled back some of the walls that I though are too thick. Might have to play with the shadows again.

I was wondering if there was anyone out there that was able to give me an idea how to make it look like the tapestries are on the wall vs the way the look now.

[madcowchef]

Object that don't look like much from the top view are always tough. Some things I've done are make the top edge on one of them folded over, or one fallen to the ground it will help hint at what the rest are. The other option is forced perspective, though if the rest of the map is purely top down it can break consistency.

[wdmartin]

Part of the current problem is with the pillars and the curtains between them. The perspective on the pillars disagrees with the perspective on the curtains.

Maybe try rotating the curtain objects 180 degrees, to reduce that mismatch?

[NathanC]

Played around with your suggestions and I think I got the tapestries and the columns with the curtain to look right. I'm trying to finish adding accessories in the rooms before i try to do my lighting again.

[NathanC]

Did a little more messing around with perspectives I think it looks a lot better now. and i would say it's just about done.

The last thing I'd like to figure out how to add depth to the outside area to indicate that there is a decent to enter the area. Maybe I could apply the same thing to the walls.

Thoughts comments?

[NathanC]

OK, after some killer weeks at work I think i can say this is just about done (the first floor atleast)


Here's where I'm at on the 2nd level

[Jacktannery]

Great to see the progression NathanC!

Regarding tapestries on walls, I agree with @madcowchef, its a really hard thing to get right. The only maps I did where I managed to add textiles to walls were for a commission a while back (see my sig Orcus Conversion> G7 Masquerade map) but this was just billowing curtains, which is much easier. Tapestry is probably not possible on overhead view.

I still find your maps very dark. My eye is naturally drawn to the light parts of your map which are the walls, but I feel like it ought to be drawn to the floor spaces, so I feel like your maps are sort of inverted. Except the map on Post 1, which I like overall. I also really love the map on post 2. There's something about the shade of gray you have used on the walls on the maps of posts 5-7 that I find offputting - it is a bit green perhaps and clashes with the other colours? I'm afraid my input is primarily on the overall aesthetic which is probably not what you are concerned with right now in any case.

In your latest 2nd level map, I don't like your wall texture and I don't like the colour of the floor texture or its over-large size (relative to other objects), but the shadowing is great, the overall layout and rooms are exciting and very well executed, and the overall brightness of the map is perfect. The map's colours merge a little into a dull browny-grey, so I would recommend sharpening the contrast a bit. For a start, make the border not brown (perhaps black?) and make the red numbers a very thick bold black rather than that orangy-red?

[NathanC]

Thanks for the input Jacktannery,

I see how you did the tapestries, kinda billowy. Deffinately gives them a good effect adds a little more body. Is that a wrap in addition to a change to the perspective?

I have to go back and look for what I used on post 2 (I think that was when I started playing with the shadows more so it's likely some concrete) Getting the look right has been hard since I lean towards the darker looks, guess it more ominous in my head. I do agree though it's a little to dark in a lot of areas.

I was actually going to start playing around with the walls tonight. Ideally I'd like to use the same textures that I used on the first floor, but I'll be damned if I can remember what they where (poor organizational skills, and a 14mon old don't help matters).
I'll throw up one with a black border and a higher sharper contrast when I finish up to see what ya'll think.

[NathanC]

Apparently I didn't save an unmerged copy, to this took me a lot longer then it should have.

Thoughts?

Personally I think that this is too bright and kills the shadows I had before.