I'm not going to worry too much about my vocabulary for now (with the obvious exception of trying not to use words that unbeknown to me have come to mean something that is utterly vile). My writing is all about telling a story, and has no art of its own, but I can still understand why a poet would wish to forcibly straighten a word by repeatedly demonstrating its proper use whenever they find one that has been bent out of shape by a passing gale of fads and fashions.
About the trees...
@ Storm - you are not the first to suggest using both types of tree on the City map, but you are the first to suggest that they occupy different micro-environments in and around the city. That's a very interesting concept. I think I must have become rather close-minded about assuming that a map has a certain style to it that should be applied evenly across its height and breadth. I'll give that idea some very serious reconsideration. Thanks
LadieStorm, while I am pretty much on the B side, you have a great point. Given what I have read of the city site and location, there would certainly be some decent winds off the water and up the cliff faces.
LoopySue, maybe the end result is a version C between A and B and you use all of them in their relative region? Of course its not my sanity I am challenging here....LOL
I didn't mean to complicate things... I really didn't! It's just... as a poet (Sue is right about that) I tend to pay attention to details like that. A lot of my poetry is nature based... and I tend to be very descriptive. I have been known to sit and study the wind sweeping through the trees for hours.... or watch a bee gather nectar from a flower, or sit on my patio watching the sky light up with lightning during some of the worst thunderstorms in my region. I even once went out in my front yard during a hurricane and danced in the rain!!!
My father was the first (and only) member of his family to convert from the pagan religion of druidism to Christianity. Every other member of his family incorporated the Christian Faith into their druidic teachings. And my father only converted because my mother was a die - hard Lutheran! So I grew up learning about both. I guess I'm sort of some weird hybrid cross between the two.
And this has absolutely NO relevance other than that I pay particular attention to nature! lol
I'm afraid the next instalment of Merelan City may be a little while in the making, since before I can mix and match anything I will need to make the rest of Type B, and possibly all of Type C before I can move on
At my last job one of the shop guys asked me that since I have a university degree, why don't I use those words when I explain something ? His boss and the shop steward laughed. He looked puzzled. So I explained what had been wrong with his computer and what I had done to fix it, using my compuer science degree level language. About half way through, he stopped me and said the high school level English was fine with him.
The art of it all, I suppose, is to be able to automatically decide without even having to think about it, and without unintentionally talking down to anyone, just what kind of words to use for the best in any given situation
I think I prefer the B tree (and I agree that both look cool... or hot... or whatever!). I'm especially afraid that, due to their higher contrast, tree A might look nice at this zoom level, but might look more difficult to read when zoomed out, and if many of them are together. Trees B might be just a very little bit too coloured, too vivid, too saturated, but it is a matter of personal taste, and they could easily be toned down a little bit anyway.
On an aside, I really wonder what was the word that was retracted...
I can see what you mean about the distance thing and having too many too close together, but then, as long as they are the right colour and texture they will only merge in the same way that real trees would merge into a general greenness if you were to go up in an aeroplane. At least, that's what I'm hoping will happen
I already know Type B will need toning down more than just a little bit. I must have had my shades on the day I was working on them!
Ok - I lied. This is another tree test, but only a quick one. In fact its more of a demonstration of the new improved Type B trees I will be manufacturing for the rest of the day - in the hope of populating the Island of Merelan with trees that will make sense with the general style of the map.
This time I have increased the contrast between the main foliage colour and the highlight colour so that there is more in the way of detail to be seen from a greater distance. I have punished the image by rendering it from a greater distance and then reducing it by 50% in an attempt to destroy the treeishness of the new pale green tree with silvered leaves to the south of the older Type B trees (which do, I admit, look very much like blobs of oil paint now that I see them in this deliberately degraded image)
I chose the pale green silvered leaf variety to test, because this is the kind of tree that will most easily be lost against the grass, but I think its survived pretty well, considering my attempt to slaughter it
Well if I stand real far back, angle my laptop screen, squint a bit and turn the lights off I can tell see a few leaves that are a bit off.... HA!
Just kidding, outstanding work. I haven't chatted/known you long at all but I am thinking you are now at the 95% but still struggling for 101%, but honestly your there. They look very good and most importantly reflect your touch and fit your world.
I'm working on producing the rest of the 'Type Bs' and hope to have a city full of trees by tomorrow
I'm fairly sure you won't want to watch trees for a while after all this! I'm just glad you came up with a scheme that you're happy with! And the trees do look wonderful!
I've started populating the map with trees, but I'm not sure the colours really work that well with the MC palette. Since its taken me a couple of months to get this far with the woodland areas, I'd rather consider adjusting the colour and tone of the grass generally, than having to adjust all the trees individually to suit.
C&C welcome
[Image_7021]
This is the 20% size version. You can see a 60% size version at Cartographer's Guild
Its good to see you starting this again Sue. I love this piece! The trees make it really picturesque. I'll be following along when I can. I don't have internet access at home anymore and can only get on when I get to a public place that has wifi.
Posted By: tonnichiwaIts good to see you starting this again Sue. I love this piece! The trees make it really picturesque. I'll be following along when I can. I don't have internet access at home anymore and can only get on when I get to a public place that has wifi.
Aw thanks, Tonnichiwa No internet? OMG! How do you manage?
Posted By: MonsenIncredible. I have to agree with JimP here, I don't really know what to say, except that I love it, and it keeps getting better all the time.
Posted By: LoopysueC&C welcome
You need Command & Control? Didn't figure you for the military type, but, oh well, I'll see what I can provide.
LOL! Thanks Remy
It means Comments and Critiques... or at least that's what I thought it meant when I saw it being used over at the Guild. I thought it was one of those slang terms that everyone uses - like 'LOL'... LOL! I wonder what everyone else has made of it?
You weren't the only one who had some doubts back in the beginning. After all, I started with a sort of... blob, and no idea where it was going, other than having a cliff that faced roughly north, and a tidal link to the mainland.
Comments
About the words...
I'm not going to worry too much about my vocabulary for now (with the obvious exception of trying not to use words that unbeknown to me have come to mean something that is utterly vile). My writing is all about telling a story, and has no art of its own, but I can still understand why a poet would wish to forcibly straighten a word by repeatedly demonstrating its proper use whenever they find one that has been bent out of shape by a passing gale of fads and fashions.
About the trees...
@ Storm - you are not the first to suggest using both types of tree on the City map, but you are the first to suggest that they occupy different micro-environments in and around the city. That's a very interesting concept. I think I must have become rather close-minded about assuming that a map has a certain style to it that should be applied evenly across its height and breadth. I'll give that idea some very serious reconsideration. Thanks
LoopySue, maybe the end result is a version C between A and B and you use all of them in their relative region? Of course its not my sanity I am challenging here....LOL
Bill
It seems we have independently both been given plenty of food for thought by Storm's suggestions.
Different types in different places... I'm already thinking hard about that
My father was the first (and only) member of his family to convert from the pagan religion of druidism to Christianity. Every other member of his family incorporated the Christian Faith into their druidic teachings. And my father only converted because my mother was a die - hard Lutheran! So I grew up learning about both. I guess I'm sort of some weird hybrid cross between the two.
And this has absolutely NO relevance other than that I pay particular attention to nature! lol
I'm afraid the next instalment of Merelan City may be a little while in the making, since before I can mix and match anything I will need to make the rest of Type B, and possibly all of Type C before I can move on
The art of it all, I suppose, is to be able to automatically decide without even having to think about it, and without unintentionally talking down to anyone, just what kind of words to use for the best in any given situation
I think I prefer the B tree (and I agree that both look cool... or hot... or whatever!). I'm especially afraid that, due to their higher contrast, tree A might look nice at this zoom level, but might look more difficult to read when zoomed out, and if many of them are together.
Trees B might be just a very little bit too coloured, too vivid, too saturated, but it is a matter of personal taste, and they could easily be toned down a little bit anyway.
On an aside, I really wonder what was the word that was retracted...
I can see what you mean about the distance thing and having too many too close together, but then, as long as they are the right colour and texture they will only merge in the same way that real trees would merge into a general greenness if you were to go up in an aeroplane. At least, that's what I'm hoping will happen
I already know Type B will need toning down more than just a little bit. I must have had my shades on the day I was working on them!
This time I have increased the contrast between the main foliage colour and the highlight colour so that there is more in the way of detail to be seen from a greater distance. I have punished the image by rendering it from a greater distance and then reducing it by 50% in an attempt to destroy the treeishness of the new pale green tree with silvered leaves to the south of the older Type B trees (which do, I admit, look very much like blobs of oil paint now that I see them in this deliberately degraded image)
I chose the pale green silvered leaf variety to test, because this is the kind of tree that will most easily be lost against the grass, but I think its survived pretty well, considering my attempt to slaughter it
Just kidding, outstanding work. I haven't chatted/known you long at all but I am thinking you are now at the 95% but still struggling for 101%, but honestly your there. They look very good and most importantly reflect your touch and fit your world.
Great job Sue.
Bill
I had absolutely no idea you put so much diligent hard work into assessing the merit of my humble trees, and the image you conjure is highly amusing!
Thank you, Bill - for the compliment AND for the laugh
I'm working on producing the rest of the 'Type Bs' and hope to have a city full of trees by tomorrow
LLAP
Nacon4
And thanks also for the comment you made on the competition thread
Sorry about the delay!
I've started populating the map with trees, but I'm not sure the colours really work that well with the MC palette. Since its taken me a couple of months to get this far with the woodland areas, I'd rather consider adjusting the colour and tone of the grass generally, than having to adjust all the trees individually to suit.
C&C welcome
[Image_7021]
This is the 20% size version. You can see a 60% size version at Cartographer's Guild
It means Comments and Critiques... or at least that's what I thought it meant when I saw it being used over at the Guild. I thought it was one of those slang terms that everyone uses - like 'LOL'... LOL! I wonder what everyone else has made of it?
You weren't the only one who had some doubts back in the beginning. After all, I started with a sort of... blob, and no idea where it was going, other than having a cliff that faced roughly north, and a tidal link to the mainland.
I'm going to show my age now and admit that I had to look that one up - it still has the original meaning in the UK!