The Ganador thread - really digging down on details

[Caenwyr]

One thing I would suggest is adding core shadows(dark small shadows) to the buildings, as it is now, they don't really pop very much and the core shadows would make them pop very nicely.

Jeebus XCali, you're entirely right! I hadn't noticed that lack of a core shadow yet, but now I can't unsee it (lol, this must be new, I can't unsee the absence of something ).

Okay, I did a test with a first bunch of buildings near the centre. It's not even that hard, I think I should be able to work in the effect in less than an hour. Is this what you had in mind? You were talking about the dropshadows, right? Not the shading on the roofs themselves?

Btw, your island top right looks like it is floating for some reason. Can't really point out why at the moment.

I know! I'll add some "anchoring" shadowing here and there, that should take care of it. By the way, there will be more islands in the palest spots, I just didn't draw them (yet) since I plan to add a big legend and title box in the right part of the map. Bits and pieces that happen to poke from the sides of that box will appear eventually.

Also, I added the first two ships! Unlike the core shadows, this work I very much underestimated. Phew! Linework is one thing, but shading is quite another. Shading a ship really requires a bit more insight in shapes and forms than shading a house, which is basically a box. But, it worked out pretty well I think! No core shadows yet, but these will follow shortly.

By the way! Anyone with a bit of an eye for detail will notice that the two ships already visible are actually two copies of the same ship. Flipped and rotated and with sails added to one, but still. Shading helps in making them look different (one rides quite a bit deeper than the other!), and adding sails helps too. Plus, once all the other ships and boats and sloops and whatnot are added too, you shouldn't be able to easily spot two (or three, four?) copies of the same ship. Or at least, I hope! Because I don't plan on drawing a bazillion different ship plans!



Any remarks on the core shadow, the ship(s) or any other detail? Just yell!

[RobEm]

This is looking amazing! I love the ships and wanted to share some thoughts I had. The level of detail on the ships is great but, because of this, they appear to have a slightly higher level of realism than the area around them; the ship trails a wake and spray kicks off her bows, but there are no waves on the millpond-flat surface of the water, no surf crashes around the base of the tower, despite there being wind enough to fill her sails, and this stillness means the shadow of the ship is crisp, rather than being scattered by the movement of the water and softened by light reflected from the sea's floor. At least the approaching ship looks friendly, which may be just as well for the captain of the ship at anchor; if she had to defend the settlement, could she make the tight turns around the jetties to get out of the harbour?