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The latest. Learning a lot as I go. Added background of two mixed parchments. It adds some nice undertones to the cliff faces.
Added some color
The latest. Learning a lot as I go. Added background of two mixed parchments. It adds some nice undertones to the cliff faces.
Added another house, more color, and shadows. Made some changes to path leading up the mountain.
Added lower river and started working on fields in the valley below. This view shows left and right limit of canvas and bottom edge. Will probably add one more, maybe two more, houses.
Finished fields, added another house with barn, planted some more grass.
This is a learning experience for me. Probably better to add color after all line work is done, but I was eager to get at it and it helped me see the scene better as I went. One problem is matching colors when they are built up over several layers of overlay and multiply and you are not sure what colors you used where. If I go this route again, I will have to take copious notes of what I have done.
The latest update.
Finally did a some color correction on house 1. Working on finishing off the foreground edge. Sketched in some of the mountain path and background. The path leads to a yurt high above the village inhabited by an old and wise sage. You can see a crude mock-up of the yurt that is out of position now. If you look at the sketched-in mountain path you can see it leads to a flat area, which is where the yurt will be (if I don't change the path's path again).
I thought I would share a little about my process/technique:
I am using Autodesk SketchBook and a Huion 1060 Plus drawing tablet.
I am working at 300 dpi on a 24"x24" canvas size. (I am curious what others use for resolution and canvas size for similar projects)
I use several brushes from the Manga Basic set. For line-work and fine contrast/highlights I use the light pencil. For color fill I use the Manga Fill Brush. I also use the Manga Brush Pen for some contrasting.
I use a dry bush (I believe it is the Bristly Blender from the Jason's Art Brushes set) to blend/mix/soften. I lay down color with the Manga fill then use the dry brush to even it out and brush it to the edges of the line-work.
I use the dry brush a lot.
Next time I think I will go the isometric route as was suggested by Larb at the beginning of this thread. In the process of using a two-point perspective I have come to the conclusion that it may not be the best approach for what I am doing. Some lessons must be learned by doing. I have learned some lessons about two-point perspective that will surely prove valuable in the future, though.
I have learned (am learning) a great deal in the process of doing this map. I started it on the steep end of the learning curve. I look back and would do much of what I have done differently and there is the temptation to scrap it and start over, but I am resisting the urge and am determined to push forward and complete the learning process - some of which is to learn how to fix mistakes and blend things together that are difficult to match. The whole point of this exercise was to develop skills and begin to establish a solid technique/style that is my own: that, I hope, is happening.
Hopefully my learning experience will be of benefit to others who view this thread. I know I have benefited, been inspired and challenged by what others (who are much more talented than I) have shared in this forum.
Last edited by Texas Jake; 10-08-2018 at 12:58 PM.
Added background mountains and the Sage's yurt. This is about the fifth or sixth iteration of background mountains and yurt location. I finally got something I think I will go with. I was struggling with getting what I envisioned transferred to canvas. Some attempts looked good to me as I drew them, but when viewed in context of the total picture, did not convey what I intended.
I will add more gray tone to the background mountains as I build texture and add contrast, shadows and highlights.
While I was coloring the background mountains, a curious fellow showed up on a hill overlooking the village to observe my work. I am not sure if I will allow him to stay. The villagers appear to take no notice of him. I wonder if he has been here before and is known to them. I have not determined, yet, if he is friend on foe.
Completed background mountains and added contrast and highlights. Added some villagers and five travelers headed to see the Sage. The travelers are five soldiers from the outpost at Tarkas and Zor, an Atil horseman who serves as their guide.
Finished off shading in windows; added sunlight; recolored foreground cliff face, redid line-work and added contrast and highlights. Almost ready to take it into PS for lettering.
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