# Gallery > Finished Maps >  Bridge of Retal

## - JO -

An illustration I did recently... a little on the "doodling" mode.
I'm trying to see how to use Guillaume Tavernier's technique for maps rather than illustrations, but I find it difficult to use this technique when you enlarge the scale. I still have to practice and look for solutions.
I also try to acquire a minimum of know-how to draw characters. In the specific case, it's a picture of a man in a costume that I copied and adapted. 
It's a bit "easy", I confess. It's really basic stuff, but when you haven't learned to draw, you have to start somewhere.
For this exercise, I took a place in the world of Nossym to draw it. It is a fortified bridge near a village by the sea. It's always one more element in my wife's stories... 

Critics and comments are welcome !

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## arsheesh

This is really nice work Jo.  Great job on the rendering, the gate tower really looks 3-dimensional. You know, looking at the towers though I think including a thin rim light to the edge of the sunny portion would be a nice final touch.  Also, I really like how you've drawn the ripples in the river.  Great work all around.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

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## - JO -

> This is really nice work Jo.  Great job on the rendering, the gate tower really looks 3-dimensional. You know, looking at the towers though I think including a thin rim light to the edge of the sunny portion would be a nice final touch.  Also, I really like how you've drawn the ripples in the river.  Great work all around.
> 
> Cheers,
> -Arsheesh


Thanks Arsheesh !
By "rim" line, you mean a fine line of light ?

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## arsheesh

Yes, that's what I had in mind.

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## MistyBeee

It's splendid, Jo, especially the color & texture on the towers. I also love your choice for the lightning source : it makes the gate even more intimidating  :Smile:

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## Wired

That looks incredible (sorry, can't rep you at the moment)!

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## J.Edward

Well done. You are getting a lot of 3d work going on lately.
And it looks awesome. Look forward to more.  :Smile:

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## Ilanthar

Very nice work! The perspective and 3d feel is obvious, making the structure very alive.
One nitpick : the texture with cracks on the shield seems a bit out of place, imho.

As for the character, it's a nice one. And you know, I suspect we are many to learn by using existing pictures (photographs, drawings, or 3d models...) as basis or models. I'm still doing that very often, even if in the end, after a lot of editing and modifications, it can be far from the original inspiration.

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## Deeds

Please keep in mind that my stick figures look bad, but I'd say this is very nice; in particular the detail on the rocks and the shadow outlines adds a nice touch (and the water rapids and ripples as has been mentioned).

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## - JO -

> It's splendid, Jo, especially the color & texture on the towers. I also love your choice for the lightning source : it makes the gate even more intimidating


Thanks Misty ! I did choose carefully to let some light pass through the gate (now I just realise I could have drawn the shadow of another iron grid) ... I'm glad you like it !




> That looks incredible (sorry, can't rep you at the moment)!


No problem.. I have the same issue here ! Thanks for your comment !




> Well done. You are getting a lot of 3d work going on lately.
> And it looks awesome. Look forward to more.


Thanks J. ... I think I just choose the "easy" path, and it's illustration of this kind. The problem is that what I would like to draw, is maps, not illustration. But it takes more time to finish. I have some maps that I started, but I got caught in the middle and finished drawing illustration instead (I think the cause is that for maps, I need my computer and tablet... for illustration, i can make most of the work on the Ipad, which means I can draw during lunch break at work)




> Very nice work! The perspective and 3d feel is obvious, making the structure very alive.
> One nitpick : the texture with cracks on the shield seems a bit out of place, imho.
> 
> As for the character, it's a nice one. And you know, I suspect we are many to learn by using existing pictures (photographs, drawings, or 3d models...) as basis or models. I'm still doing that very often, even if in the end, after a lot of editing and modifications, it can be far from the original inspiration.


Thanks Ilanthar ! I think I should try to soften the marks on the shield (or, at least, change the scale to make them more little ?) 
I couldn't say you use picture for your charcaters ! They are so special, in such different posture (and some don't even look human), that I would have sworn you draw them from scratch ! This is encouraging news for me !
I found some little 3D models and took picture of them. Now I just have to try to draw them (with a face... which is not the easiest part)... Too much projects, not enough time... 




> Please keep in mind that my stick figures look bad, but I'd say this is very nice; in particular the detail on the rocks and the shadow outlines adds a nice touch (and the water rapids and ripples as has been mentioned).


Thanks a lot Deeds. For the water, I tried to inspire myself from the last dungeon I draw (with the waterfall). I was suprised it looked OK. I thought it wouldn't work for such river..

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## Gidde

I really like this! I've been trying and failing to learn to draw buildings well. It's very hard and you did a great job here.

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## - JO -

> I really like this! I've been trying and failing to learn to draw buildings well. It's very hard and you did a great job here.


Thanks a lot for your comment ! I find drawing people much more difficult than to draw buildings...

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## Gidde

> Thanks a lot for your comment ! I find drawing people much more difficult than to draw buildings...


Hehehe I know my limits -- buildings are hard. People are impossible.  :Wink:

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## - JO -

> Hehehe I know my limits -- buildings are hard. People are impossible.


I know... Painfull to think that I choose business school over art school. Especially since I use none of the business skills I hardly acquired during those painfull and long years, and I wish I could use art skills that I lack today...
Life... you know...

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## J.Edward

> Thanks J. ... I think I just choose the "easy" path, and it's illustration of this kind. The problem is that what I would like to draw, is maps, not illustration. But it takes more time to finish. I have some maps that I started, but I got caught in the middle and finished drawing illustration instead (I think the cause is that for maps, I need my computer and tablet... for illustration, i can make most of the work on the Ipad, which means I can draw during lunch break at work)


Yep, that's part of what keeps me stuck to my desk all the time.
I've thought about getting an ipad, but I'm not a fan of Apple. idk.
maybe at some point. But yeah, I know what you mean. 
Maps are more resource intensive and need more specific things and time.

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## Bogie

Excellent, the bridge & towers are so well drawn!

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## Mouse

Oh rats!  I mean... mice!

I can't rep you again.  I have been a selfish person and not been rep-ing people enough to come round a second time yet.

This is a beautiful little piece, Jo, and I hope you are very proud of it  :Very Happy:

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## - JO -

> Yep, that's part of what keeps me stuck to my desk all the time.
> I've thought about getting an ipad, but I'm not a fan of Apple. idk.
> maybe at some point. But yeah, I know what you mean. 
> Maps are more resource intensive and need more specific things and time.


I'm not sure Apple is the best, it's juste that I find myself spending a lot of time away from my computer, and the ipad just allow me to draw wherever I want... it's the best way I found to avoid too much frustration




> Excellent, the bridge & towers are so well drawn!


Thanks a lot, Bogie ! I'm glad you liked it !




> Oh rats!  I mean... mice!
> 
> I can't rep you again.  I have been a selfish person and not been rep-ing people enough to come round a second time yet.
> 
> This is a beautiful little piece, Jo, and I hope you are very proud of it


Thanks a lot Mouse ! I'm so glad you're back here at the guild ! It's been too long !!!

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## Mouse

> ...Thanks a lot Mouse ! I'm so glad you're back here at the guild ! It's been too long !!!


It's nice to be around the place again.  

I'm sort of half back at the moment - not much time, but a bit more than before  :Wink:

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## - JO -

> It's nice to be around the place again.  
> 
> I'm sort of half back at the moment - not much time, but a bit more than before


Yeah ! I've seen you are on a lot of activities ! You are full of energy, it's a plesaure to see !

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## ThomasR

Even if I'd tone down the vividness of the grass a little or add a bit of variation to it (having areas sunlit and others under clouds shadows might give a great Scotland look to the landscape), it is a beautiful piece and you're getting really good at it. Please more, Joël !

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