# Gallery > Finished Maps >  Sunken Kingdom - city1 [Odyssey of the Dragonlord]

## J.Edward

The sea has featured strongly in my work over the last year or two.
And we see it here again, as we visit another location in the Odyssey series, done for Arcanum Worlds.

The other locations shown so far can be seen on *DeviantArt* or *Artstation*, or here *on the Guild*.

City maps have their own challenges. 
Not the least of which is how much detail you can show on a standard page. 
This was an interesting one, as it was under water. And pretty far down. 
So the normal lighting wouldnt be in play.

I knew we would be focusing in on a part of this for the later temple district, but I didnt know where. 
So I tried to make all of the areas as interesting as possible.

Have a great week everyone. Cheers, J  :Smile:

----------


## KMAlexander

The broken domes add a lot of depth. Really liking this one.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Domino44

City maps are difficult already without adding the underwater aspect to it! I love this piece truly a wonderful map to behold now if I was able to give you rep!

----------


## Azélor

A spectentacular map!

----------


## bbennett

The city is very satisfying in the closeness of the buildings. The different allies and (what I imagine as organic) roads gives places to spin a story. I really enjoy the boarder elements. The boarder transitions between tenticles, border pattern and the city which encroaches here and there. Thanks for this superb map.

----------


## MistyBeee

...
Breathtaking, G. 
Please let me hide myself in the bottom of this abyss and never go out again. 'want to live on this map forever. 
 :Wink:

----------


## Wingshaw

Great work as always, J. Sadly can't rep you yet




> The boarder transitions between testicle, border pattern and the city which encroaches here and there


Um, I think you meant tentacle  :Very Happy: 

Wingshaw

----------


## Tiana

The buildings mapped to the rounds impress me the most.

----------


## XCali

Amazing! I really like the change in tone and the variety that stirs the imagination!  :Very Happy: 
(Sadly, I have to spread some rep first before I can rep you again.)

----------


## Kellerica

Ooh, I love the gloomy atmosphere of this one! I would maybe have liked to see the fact that it's underwater to have featured more strongly... Not sure how that would have worked, per se, maybe some bubbles or a watery texture overlay or something? As beautiful as it is, I don't know if I'd have figured it was underwater if your intro text hadn't said so. But then again, I do assume clear readability was still a major goal, so maybe a murky texture would have been a bad idea. Lovely colors and layout in any case!

----------


## bbennett

Oh man, that is a mega auto correction embarrassment. This is what happens when I see that red squiggly line below and click the first word that is on the correction without glasses. Thanks for catching that.

----------


## J.Edward

> The broken domes add a lot of depth. Really liking this one.


Thanks KM  :Smile: 
Top down can require some creative thinking to make it interesting.



> City maps are difficult already without adding the underwater aspect to it! I love this piece truly a wonderful map to behold now if I was able to give you rep!


Thanks Domino  :Smile: 
Very true.



> A spectentacular map!


hehe  :Very Happy:  Thanks Azelor



> The city is very satisfying in the closeness of the buildings. The different allies and (what I imagine as organic) roads gives places to spin a story. I really enjoy the boarder elements. The boarder transitions between tenticles, border pattern and the city which encroaches here and there. Thanks for this superb map.


Thanks so much BB  :Smile: 



> ...
> Breathtaking, G. 
> Please let me hide myself in the bottom of this abyss and never go out again. 'want to live on this map forever.





> Great work as always, J. Sadly can't rep you yet
> 
> Wingshaw


Thanks George. No worries.



> The buildings mapped to the rounds impress me the most.


Thanks Tiana  :Smile: 
I just love the way it looks in a city layout.



> Amazing! I really like the change in tone and the variety that stirs the imagination! 
> (Sadly, I have to spread some rep first before I can rep you again.)


Thanks xCali. No worries.



> Ooh, I love the gloomy atmosphere of this one! I would maybe have liked to see the fact that it's underwater to have featured more strongly... Not sure how that would have worked, per se, maybe some bubbles or a watery texture overlay or something? As beautiful as it is, I don't know if I'd have figured it was underwater if your intro text hadn't said so. But then again, I do assume clear readability was still a major goal, so maybe a murky texture would have been a bad idea. Lovely colors and layout in any case!


Thanks Kell.
I did suggest options to the client, but they declined any of the sort of light-through-water texture effects.
Most of them just looked too busy and didn't read well.



> Oh man, that is a mega auto correction embarrassment. This is what happens when I see that red squiggly line below and click the first word that is on the correction without glasses. Thanks for catching that.


;P

----------


## Ilanthar

I'm loving this marine/submarine color palette you're using lately.
And the map itself is of course outstanding  :Wink: .

----------


## bbennett

I love your drawings. Definitely you and Mike Schley are my favorite fantasy map artists. 

*Do you sketch the form of the buildings prior to committing to the lines and then have a new layer for the actual building lines or do you just draw and adapts what comes out on the same layer?*

Best Regards,
bb

----------


## Adfor

Always reaffirming that you are among my favorite styles around here. More for the inspiration folder! Those rounded..er spiraled buildings are so well done!

IR

----------


## J.Edward

> I'm loving this marine/submarine color palette you're using lately.
> And the map itself is of course outstanding .


Thanks Ilanthar  :Smile: 
It was a challenge to break away from my usual color choices. ;P



> I love your drawings. Definitely you and Mike Schley are my favorite fantasy map artists. 
> 
> *Do you sketch the form of the buildings prior to committing to the lines and then have a new layer for the actual building lines or do you just draw and adapts what comes out on the same layer?*
> 
> Best Regards,
> bb


Thanks so much, BB  :Smile: 
I use several sketch layers and streamline it as i go. It makes it a bit faster.
Well, if I am sketching digitally, that is. If traditionally, then I try to sketch very light at first.
I also do several thumbnail images to get the feel and flow of things before doing specific buildings.



> Always reaffirming that you are among my favorite styles around here. More for the inspiration folder! Those rounded..er spiraled buildings are so well done!
> 
> IR


Thanks so much, Adfor  :Smile:

----------


## bbennett

> I use several sketch layers and streamline it as i go. It makes it a bit faster.
> Well, if I am sketching digitally, that is. If traditionally, then I try to sketch very light at first.
> I also do several thumbnail images to get the feel and flow of things before doing specific buildings.


Thanks you for sharing your strategies. I never thought about creating thumbnails, I am going to try that on my next map!!

----------


## J.Edward

> Thanks you for sharing your strategies. I never thought about creating thumbnails, I am going to try that on my next map!!


It helps a lot.

----------


## Lich Mike

Wow! Love this. Attention to detail is incredible.

----------


## J.Edward

> Wow! Love this. Attention to detail is incredible.


Thanks Mike  :Smile:

----------

