# darkhall-nestor's  map and art posts



## darkhall-nestor (Sep 3, 2007)

Looking for  critiques and suggestions

I am planning to upload maps and art for enyone to review. Feel free to let me know what you think

here are two links to maps I am workin on

http://www.geocities.com/mathuwm/Deepwell.jpg  this is a city in the midle a underground lake


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## Modoc (Sep 3, 2007)

Looks good!

i do have one comment. The streets and dock area should be shaded in a different color. At first I thought the streets might be waterways through the town. Maybe a dark gray would be better than the blue-gray.


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 4, 2007)

Modoc said:
			
		

> Looks good!
> 
> i do have one comment. The streets and dock area should be shaded in a different color. At first I thought the streets might be waterways through the town. Maybe a dark gray would be better than the blue-gray.





good advice thanks

I am also looking for ideas on textures for backgrounds verses solid color etc

Thanks


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 4, 2007)

This is a former Dwaven enclave now inhabited by a Black Dragon and other Nasties

http://www.geocities.com/mathuwm/Dwarf-Hold.jpg


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## Modoc (Sep 4, 2007)

If you have the ability to add texture to the water around the island, that would look cool. I believe any time you can add texture, depth, and shadow that's what helps to make a map memorable.

What program are you using? CC3?


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 4, 2007)

Modoc said:
			
		

> If you have the ability to add texture to the water around the island, that would look cool. I believe any time you can add texture, depth, and shadow that's what helps to make a map memorable.
> 
> 
> What program are you using? CC3?




Adobe Illustrator

I can then edit in photoshop add textures etc


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## Sunaj2k3 (Sep 4, 2007)

*Comments....*

The Dwarf-Hold map looks very sharp--good job.  I look forward to seeing the finished piece.  By the way, what is the street layout between the cavern and overhead maps for?


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## Blackrat (Sep 4, 2007)

The dwarf-hold is incredible. You have obviously managed to plan it so that every part has a function. Something that some published adventure-creators can't seem to do. Good work on that.

In the other there was something that bothered me a bit. The main streets seem extremely wide. But there could be many, many good reasons for this so it isn't such a big deal. Overall nice one too.

Keep up the good job. Don't mind if I snatch the dwarf-hold for my table-campaign, do you?


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 4, 2007)

Sunaj2k3 said:
			
		

> The Dwarf-Hold map looks very sharp--good job.  I look forward to seeing the finished piece.  By the way, what is the street layout between the cavern and overhead maps for?




Thanks

I have a 500mb Photoshop file with shading and textures somewhere that I am working on still a work in progress those files get big fast

The street layout was created from a satellite photo of a medieval city in Italy (forgot which one, and god bless Google)

Its function relates to the room with the portals that are lettered to match streets of the city map

The portal will transport anyone passing through it to a corresponding place on the city map
Anyone that moves beyond the mapped portion of the city will be transported back to a corresponding portal depending on their exit point


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 4, 2007)

Blackrat said:
			
		

> The dwarf-hold is incredible. You have obviously managed to plan it so that every part has a function. Something that some published adventure-creators can't seem to do. Good work on that.
> 
> In the other there was something that bothered me a bit. The main streets seem extremely wide. But there could be many, many good reasons for this so it isn't such a big deal. Overall nice one too.
> 
> Keep up the good job. Don't mind if I snatch the dwarf-hold for my table-campaign, do you?




Go ahead and use it

I’m currently writing up an adventure to go along with it

I started out using the AD&D 1.0 rules and I am curently trying to get it done using the 3.5 rules
Its is slow going as life intrudes on this process


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## Pyrandon (Sep 5, 2007)

Wow--nice work!

I can't think of much to suggest, aside from the fancification of some of the basic things you've done (ex: the tan of the stronghold is a bit bland, etc.)--but I'm sure you're not at that stage yet, since you're still writing it all up.

I am really impressed with your attention to detail!!  Great job!


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## James Heard (Sep 6, 2007)

I like a lot of what I see, but since you asked for critiques....I'm going to bounce around a lot here, and forgive me if I haven't really used Illustrator a lot in a couple of years and reference something incorrectly:

Since you're already using Illustrator I think that using some subtle stroking effects might do wonders for the contrast issues. Some of the map portions on either of the maps sort of suffer from not having some sort of bolding line to draw the eye around them. Since you're obviously working with a fairly constrained palette, I might use darker variations on the colors you're already using or just a simple thin strokes of black. 

I think you might do well to ditch the gradient effect on the Deepwell map and use the Enclave "water levels" effect you use on that map - it looks pretty sharp. In fact, I think I might even take the color palette from the dwarf hold and replace much of the deepwell map with the former's colors - they're a lot more readable in general.

The transparency thing you've got going on in the dwarf map around the river? I think it's functional, but I think that it might be a case where importing it into Photoshop and freehanding some sort of art to get what you're going for might work better.

I think that some of the sharp points you've got left on some of your objects look a little out of place and they could easily be relaxed a little with just a little carrot tugging. 

Your doors on the dwarf map appear to not all be on the right level. Some of them are behind your "walls" object and only show up because you've got the transparency thing going on I think. On the other hand, some of your secret doors look like completely different objects.

On an aesthetic note, the consistent spacing in housing in Deepwell looks a little wonky to me. Have you checked out Butch Curry's (Zombie Nirvana) Youtube "Fantasy Cartography with Adobe Photoshop" episodes? There's a pretty sweet (and quick) technique for quickly knocking out vector buildings in episode 8.

All in all, great job. Everything looks like it would be a lot of fun to play in, especially that snazzy dwarf hold.


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 6, 2007)

James Heard said:
			
		

> The transparency thing you've got going on in the dwarf map around the river? I think it's functional, but I think that it might be a case where importing it into Photoshop and freehanding some sort of art to get what you're going for might work better.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 6, 2007)

Water layer for the dwarf hold

http://www.geocities.com/mathuwm/Watercopy.jpg


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 7, 2007)

Wizzards tower  unfinished

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc148/mathuwm/SageTower3.jpg


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 8, 2007)

http://us.share.geocities.com/mathuwm/Dwarf-Hold-test-4.2.jpg

The map is not entirely done

I have to work on the grassy area 
Add trees
A path and bridges
And some ruined out buildings

And I am not sure if I like the shading and the color scheme


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 11, 2007)

cool link to some nice temple floor plans, not mine, real world

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cambodia/angkor-temple-plans.htm


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 19, 2007)

A map showing the relationship between the other maps posted here

Please let me know what you think

Thanks

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/1574/minedm9.jpg


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## darkhall-nestor (Sep 21, 2007)

More undergroung maping

Showing the cavern in which Deepwell resides

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2006/cave3copylm3.jpg

Off topic monster pic is it worth posting somewhere else

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/2401/unddededmm2.jpg


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## darkhall-nestor (Nov 3, 2007)

post test

hand drawn quick and dirty


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## Angel Tarragon (Nov 3, 2007)

I'm curious to know what program you are using to make these maps.


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## darkhall-nestor (Nov 3, 2007)

I mostly use Adobe Illustrator to create my maps

Sometimes I will edit them in Photoshop adding textures etc

The main advantage of Illustrator is its scalability, freeform design methodology and its powerful editing capability

The main disadvantage I have is that I cannot find any outline .EPS symbol sets for fantasy map making
So I have to make most of them myself
This is rather tedious and time consuming

If anyone has any idea where to get vector fantasy symbol sets please let me know

Thanks


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## darkhall-nestor (Dec 1, 2007)

It has come to my attention that many people can not access links to pictures posted on some of the image posting sites

"Plus a lot of those image hosts such as photobucket and imageshack are blocked by a lot of workplaces (mine) so people viewing the site from work wont' be able to see your maps.
"

So I am posting some old and new art here


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## Angel Tarragon (Dec 3, 2007)

That second one from the last batch you did is easily my favorite so far. Keep up the good work.


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## darkhall-nestor (Dec 3, 2007)

another map linking most of my other maps


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## darkhall-nestor (Jan 12, 2008)

just posting to see if i can i am having some login problems 

hopfully i will be able to post some maps soon


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## darkhall-nestor (Jan 12, 2008)

How does the lava look?


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## jaerdaph (Jan 12, 2008)

darkhall-nestor said:
			
		

> How does the lava look?








*rimshot*


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## darkhall-nestor (Mar 25, 2008)

is there a way to re-title this thread?


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## darkhall-nestor (Mar 27, 2008)

random pics drawn with a mouse in cs2


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## el-remmen (Mar 27, 2008)

darkhall-nestor said:
			
		

> is there a way to re-title this thread?




What do you want to call it?


Also, I like the maps.  The hand-drawn ones are very old school and I may borrow the dwarven hold one for my own game.  Thanks!


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## Kid Charlemagne (Mar 27, 2008)

You can re-title the thread by editing the first post in the thread.


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## darkhall-nestor (Mar 28, 2008)

[QUOTE
Also, I like the maps.  The hand-drawn ones are very old school and I may borrow the dwarven hold one for my own game.  Thanks![/QUOTE]


No problem as long as i get to read about it

let me know if you need anything else


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## darkhall-nestor (Apr 14, 2008)

[/IMG]

Dwarf underground stronghold


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## darkhall-nestor (Apr 24, 2008)

Some doodles 
drawn with ball point pen ,sharpies ,#2 pencil and highlighter on 24lb bond

The only time I have to draw anymore is when I'm on the phone


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## darkhall-nestor (Apr 25, 2008)

a more up to date dwarf hold can be found here at the cartographers guild

http://forum.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1088&page=6


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## darkhall-nestor (Jun 2, 2008)

updated map


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## Knightfall (Jun 2, 2008)

darkhall-nestor said:
			
		

> updated map



Cool!!!  

I'm so stealing this for my game world. Yoink!

BTW, is there a story behind this map.


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## darkhall-nestor (Jun 2, 2008)

This is a work in progress and is intended as a rest spot or a base camp for an extended underground campaign.

it is my take on a Free city in the under dark

A dwarven strong hold set in/on a rich deposit of mithral surrounded by deep ravines

Many satellite communities are forming around the strong hold
A community of deep gnomes, mongrel men, and even some Pecks

Yoink away


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