There is probably a pun somewhere in there. Lurking in the shadows.

And it's a wrap.

Initial ripples pattern certainly isn't on point here. But as far as winging it goes I would be happy to roll for initiative here.

Tower and Beyond

I move on to the tower and start working out how I want my clay tiles done.

Polygons-as-contours works well to get the outlines of the tiles: it's a bit overkill with regards to the level of detail, but I also think it's important to establish what to make of the orange/brown stuff.

I can then move on to trees and shrubbery - ending up using three colours in total. It's quick enough with the blob tool, though.

I'm happily surprised with how nice they look even without well-defined contours, but seeing as the tower gets a proper ink contour treatment (depending on it, more like...) the vegetation will - ultimately - also need it. Because the sketch and ink lines came first, right? RIIGHT!

More sponge to get gradients and realising the rock, too, probably needs some accentuated bits. I don't think these will be the final lines for the rock, but I'm getting a good idea of just how much (or little, rather) is going to be required.

There's no escaping the cursed water's edge now, it would seem.

The Rock

I make a slight adjustment of the water's edge and move on to the rock.

The heightlines are great for tracing, I find, and I begin attempts to hide them in plain sight with a "brush". This of course gives me the option to drop them entirely;

For now, I am rather happy to have them around: rendering, they will be pushed way back anyway.

I can now move on to sponging bits for gradients - introducing very suble brown here and there: I want to reserce the more distinct gray for the tower itself, and also avoid ending up with a bit of a blu-tack environment alltogether.

A render later and it's becoing apparent that I will have to find a better solution for the water's edge. Rock is coming off with a nice glossy quality to it, suggesting I might want to find a simliar solution for the water landscape.

I think it's probably the homestead of some end-of-days champion - made immortal but unable to leave until the stars are right and they must battle with some world-ending event. They probably ended up there as part of a bargain for their friends' lives. (Which is, if course, super-festive!)