Black Sails Bay

[- JO -]

Hello !

I've just started another regional map from the world Nossym...

It is a crucial part of the world, where the sea routes to the north must pass through these archipelagos ... and thus it is a place favorable to piracy.
There is also this strait to the west, entirely occupied by a city, where a system of locks allows ships to pass from one ocean to the other ...

I just started and I jumped a little bit into this project without thinking. I guess I'm going to try and fail a lot and I hope I can count on your help.

I also hope to make a map a bit more sophisticated than the first I posted on this forum last year.

Comments and critics are welcome !

[Josiah VE]

Nice start. The colour palette is great. Looking forward to seeing it progress!

[ThomasR]

I like the colors, less the automated coastal waves. My two cents, I usually use those as a basis then draw over them with a lowered flow brush to get an uneven feel that works wonders.

[Pixie]

I'm not getting a sense of scale with this map, - JO -. Seems like a huge portion of a continent, but then the islands (large and small) don't quite match that and on top of it, you call it a "bay". Other than that, the colors are very nice and the area seems ripe for pirates.

[Mouse]

I like the colours too, though with my tastes I'd like to see a bit more contrast between the land and the water. Maybe darker water and paler land?

I think the scale may become more obvious when you start to add the mountains and rivers

[ChickPea]

Very attractive start!

[- JO -]

Very attractive start!

Nice start. The colour palette is great. Looking forward to seeing it progress!

Thanks !

I'm not getting a sense of scale with this map, - JO -. Seems like a huge portion of a continent, but then the islands (large and small) don't quite match that and on top of it, you call it a "bay". Other than that, the colors are very nice and the area seems ripe for pirates.

Now you should have a better understanding of the scale, as I started to draw mountains... Hope the scale is right ! And as for "bay" maybe it's my poor english ? Can you tell me what was wrong ?

I like the colours too, though with my tastes I'd like to see a bit more contrast between the land and the water. Maybe darker water and paler land?

I think the scale may become more obvious when you start to add the mountains and rivers

Thanks Mouse ! The color should'nt be a problem, once I've colored the woods and mountains... It was just for the choice or "tone" (?)

I like the colors, less the automated coastal waves. My two cents, I usually use those as a basis then draw over them with a lowered flow brush to get an uneven feel that works wonders.

I hear you Thomrey !
So, I've tried to draw those lines by hand... but by lack of skill, I think, it was really bad. Then, I did them automatically, but with more and more "lissé" (smoothing ?) and I found it was acceptable... Then I took a second look on the maps in which I found inspiration... None of them had coast lines (or just a few short lines), so I tried this.. I hope you find it OK !

So : no more lines, mountains, forest, rivers, lakes, some hills, the two major cities... and a lot more to go :

[ThomasR]

You really brought it to life ! Great job Joël !

[- JO -]

Thanks Thomas !

Here's a new update : I did some coastline again. I found that the previous ones lacked interest, especially if it's in the middle of the map... Now there are more creeks and bays (?), so more places to hide a ship or a treasure !

I intend to draw some more woods and then add details in the mountains (and redraw those cities with more precision)...

[Mouse]

There's certainly a lot more of interest to see now that you have started to add the geomorphology in.

I haven't seen this method before - turning the mountains and forests white. Now you've got me all intrigued as to what you're going to do to them next