Torstan's sketchbook - New Maps - May 2011

[torstan]

I think I know what you mean. I'll have a shot at that on my next sketch and see how I get on. Thanks for the comments.

[torstan]

A recent map created for Open Design's Dwarves of the Ironcrags gazeteer:



The heraldic devices also ended up being used separately in the text to illustrate the description of the different cantons.

[yvescy]

cool map designs. Keep up the hard work, I can see the improvements.

[Janos]

The last map is looking great. The only thing I yould nitpick is that the mountain ranges could use some contrast. Now they are all very similar, try adding some smaller outcrops to not make them look so static and straight.
Love the colours!

Cheers

[maria riaz]

ooo very nice and different work here....those maps and characters looks gr8

cheers

[torstan]

Thanks guys.

@Janos: That was a very useful post. I've taken that into account for the next map I'm doing in that series. I seem to be doing a lot of mountains these days...

@Yvescy: Very kind of you. The improvements seem to be glacial, but certainly getting there.

@Maria Raz: Now that is too kind. My characters are pretty weak at the moment compared to the maps. But I'm seeing what I can do to change that.

So, talking of glacial - here's an image I'm working on. I've got it to a place where I can't quite see what to do next. Any suggestions much appreciated.

[wilkerson]

Think about the major masses in your compostion. Try more variation in the size and proximity of structures and bump up your lights and darks. I cant tell if the structures are ice or something else. Also the fire should be more orange and brighter (may require dodge). I think lightening the sky would help as well as lowering the bridge. You've chosen a very difficult subject and no doubt learned a lot.

[torstan]

Thanks a lot for the crits on that. I did indeed learn a lot and will take all those composition points into my next environment.

Here's a quickie - dragon head done this afternoon.

[Janos]

Very nice!

[torstan]

Lunchtime face sketch in PS. Trying to get better at expressions and quicker at portraits... not there yet by a long way:



Janos - hope these look a little more integrated?

[torstan]

New portrait - done this morning along with the Crimson Daggers.



Ran out of time for the hair - as is patently obvious. Didn't quite get the expression either. The mouth needs tweaking. Nonetheless - onwards.

Here's some pencil drawings from last night's lifedrawing:



And some quick pen poses - trying to be better with line:

[torstan]

Ideas for this week's artorder challenge:

[torstan]

Now with added details:


I can't help feeling that I've lost the sense of movement that I had in the sketch. Any crits greatly appreciated.

[torstan]

A view into a town for a website (http://www.saffiredrake.com/):



This is my first finished town view and I'm moderately happy with it. I'd have preferred to get more realism in it, but I just can't see where to go next. I'll do more studies from reference with the Daggers to figure it out, but any comments people can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[torstan]

An update on the Artorder challenge:



Need to push some of the values a bit still and a lot of the regions are a bit monochrome (face in particular) but it's coming along.

[torstan]

and the assassin devil is finished! Well I'll sleep on it and tweak it tomorrow.

Any thoughts much appreciated:

[torstan]

Fixed a few anatomy issues with the chest, head size and around the neck. Not sure I nailed it, but it's progress.

[Janos]

I think the hand is a tad small atm. I would also bring in some more colours in the face. Make the ears and nose a tad redder perhaps.

[torstan]

Thanks for the note. You were dead right. I've beefed up the sword arm and increased the highlights on the sword hand. Played with some colours in the face, but I think I need to do some colour portrait studies to get a little more confident there. A few other tweaks, but I'm calling this done:



And because it's been a while, here's a map that was published over the summer in Kobold Quarterly 10:



and because the shrunk down version doesn't really do it credit, here's a zoomed in view of some of the bottom floor scaled at 100px=5 feet for use in online play.

[SMILEFACE]

Haha long time to see such awesome map werk the dragon in post 68 rocks!!!! An the last in post 71 is gorgeous haha thats what i like to see haha post more !!!!

[torstan]

Here's another map, this one was the back cover for Kobold Quarterly #11.


I've inverted the text as the dark lettering of the original was a little tricky to read.

Edit: Thanks a lot Gramma - it's so nice to be doing some life drawing again and the exercise with the pen was an interesting one. Glad you like it. The dragon on the other hand was just good clean fun

[Janos]

I would really like to see you use some textures in your dungeons. They are looking all platicy atm. Textures are hard, but if you get them right, very rewarding. Keep going, you are the only map guy I know here on CA.

[torstan]

Yep, the caravanserai was a little plasticy close up. I've been trying to nail down the basics on these maps with just a hard round brush so far rather than using textures, but I'm starting to play with some other techniques now. Thanks for the crit.

Here's a little more portrait practice done on a long flight - reffed from ads in the inflight magazine:





Hmmm, those photos were terrible. Need to get some decent scans there... Ah well, you get the idea.

[torstan]

Another map - recently finished. This one is for the Shadowglade setting for the Pathfinder game. The full size image is 22 inches by 17 inches at 300dpi.

[torstan]

So this has been a while.

Here's a few new map tiles. I'll be updating with some of the other bits and pieces I've been working on over the next couple of weeks.

[torstan]

Here's an older map that recently got released as a map pack:



and a personal project WIP:

[torstan]

Here's another finished piece that I've recently been allowed to show off. This one's a dwarven city created for the game setting Rhune: Dawn of Twilight.