# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Building/Structure Mapping >  Druids grove inspired by the works of Sapiento and Djekspek

## spiderfate

after the failure of my town of Tartha map im trying to make a "hand draw" style map of a druids grove using elements either inspired, copied or textures taken from the maps of  Sapiento and Djekspek. thanks guys

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## tilt

Looks good, Nice coloring  :Smile:

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## spiderfate

just to give an idea how my how im doing it . i took a drawing of a oak tree then im using the elements of Sapiento trees to rebuild it in the map style hence maintaining the color scheme.

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## Djekspek

Looking good spiderfate. I like the coloring indeed. At some places the pieces seem a little blurred though. cheers, DJ

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## Ascension

It appears to have an oval around the edges that are blurred and that kinda weirded me out for a sec but I get it now.  Good work, man.

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## jtougas

Looks very good. You have certainly chosen two great inspirations. And I wouldn't call your Tartha map a failure by any means  :Smile:

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## Sapiento

Looks good. I like the coloring.

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## spiderfate

grandfather oak slowly taking shape

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## jfrazierjr

Looking good.  What is the green stuff to the far right?  Looks kind of odd.    I love the normal trees and the canyon walls.. they look superb.... Not really liking the big tree(s), but will wait to see what you end up doing with them.    Is that supposed to be a waterfall or a water "shute"?  Either way, it needs something...

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## spiderfate

finsihed grandfather oak. not happy with the water yet

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## jfrazierjr

Coming along nicely.  Like the coloring with the grandfather oak tree.   Really like the (dragon??) skull.  Don't really dig the grid though(is that just temporary to help you with placement?).  Waiting for the color to come back also as it looked fairly nice ....

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## Ascension

The one thing that first pops out is the thick grid.  The second thing I noticed was that the trees all have the same shading - there's this light patch in the upper left and a light squiggle in the middle.  It makes them look like stamped-on trees despite each having a different shape and different trunk.  But that top-left light patch is visible on every tree so I saw it as a repeated pattern (but I know it's not).  The rest looks pretty good.

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## jfrazierjr

> The second thing I noticed was that the trees all have the same shading - there's this light patch in the upper left and a light squiggle in the middle.  It makes them look like stamped-on trees despite each having a different shape and different trunk.  But that top-left light patch is visible on every tree so I saw it as a repeated pattern (but I know it's not).  The rest looks pretty good.


Yea, I noticed that too... just forgot to mention when I saw it.

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## spiderfate

fix a few of those issues and added some rocks

[

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## Ascension

I still see the spots and squiggles in the trees and a blur spot that looks out of place.  Looks fab other than these things.

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## spiderfate

just an update. kinda slow going because i dont know where to go from here

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## Ascension

Maybe throw in a wagon or horse or maybe a critter/monster but it looks done to me.

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## spiderfate

i have to find some hand drawn isometric people to stamp into my maps.

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## jfrazierjr

I am awaiting the next update.  I do hope you would add back in some of the green from the original image or some other color variations...   Perhaps add some additional visual interest on the cliffs that are currently empty(trees, and/or perhaps a multi level cliff structure on the right hand one..)

This is looking quite superb, it just needs a few little tweaks.    Also, I noticed that your trees have shadows on the opposite sides.   Left trees, left shadows... right trees, right shadows.  If nothing else, you need to fix that at least.

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## ProneKobra

Looks really good to me! Nice work!

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## Gluhoded

> i have to find some hand drawn isometric people to stamp into my maps.


What isometrics are you looking for? maybe I can help (drawing isometrics is mostly what I do in Photoshop)

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## spiderfate

basically general small stuff like villagers, buckets, chickens, just thinks go give my maps a little lived in feel. thanks

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## Seraphine_Harmonium

So, I'm generally really liking this.

The marsh grass looks really good.  I like what you did with it.  And the stones of the circle, and the dragon are very evocative.

Not a problem exactly, but the Foliage on the Grandfather Oak is a bit round for my taste.  I would have preferred if it stretched out just a bit more off to the sides.  Again, not a problem, just personal taste.

Whose is that house up their on the ledge?  Does it belong to a druid? Some woodsman who defends the grove?  A random bumpkin?  I know if I was a druid I wouldn't want just anyone staring in at me while I worked my magic.

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## spiderfate

i agree about the grandfather oak, and yes the cabin belongs to the druid. been out of hobby for awhile, trying to work up motivation to get start drawing again. thanks

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## spiderfate

messed with the grandfather oak a bit, and threw some more trees in

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## arsheesh

Ooh, I like the sketchy feel of this map.  Great job so far Spiderfate.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

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## jfrazierjr

Still need to fix your shadows on the trees...

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## spiderfate

> Still need to fix your shadows on the trees...


yeah im saving that for when im done with all the trees so i can do it all at once. many of the trees will be covered up by other trees.

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## spiderfate

a few improvements

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## Seraphine_Harmonium

Looking really good! I like the changes.  The only thing I miss is the sense of turbulence from the waterfall, where the fall meets the pool below.

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## spiderfate

good catch, i didnt notice that, must have lost it when i merge the layers

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## spiderfate

trying to fill out the map a little

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## Seraphine_Harmonium

I think the circle looked better in brown stone than blue.  If you want them different, I'd go for a more traditional grey.  I'm not sure that the second ring of stones were necessary, but they could be fun.  I don't like the one next to the house, though.  The shape, color, and style all seem slightly off, there is a spot where it looks pixelated, and it looks pasted on awkwardly.  I prefer the older pile of little stones in that spot.

In the large stone below/in front of the circle of blue stones, there is a spot that seems really super-defined and out of place right at the base with the smaller rocks.  Compared to the other large stones and the plateaus it is too sharp.  The rest have a kind of fuzzy quality that unites them.  that one in that spot does not, so it stands out awkwardly.

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## spiderfate

i agree just experimenting a little

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