Jagged Cliffs, Adept (Patreon)

I'm back again, this time with the Jagged Cliffs (40x45)! This is a particularly straightforward map, focused entirely on a simple set of precarious cliffs. Usually I try not to make maps that are so one-note, but in the past patrons have expressed a desire for these highly focused environments. That said, I also made sure to make it particularly large, so even though it's not particularly complex at least it's big.

Building on that, in order to ensure you weren't feeling like I'm getting lazy, I made sure to make your alternate version more different than usual- this cliff overhangs a desert now! I really like the look of how this turned out and I think it will mesh well with the other desert maps I've made. Overall, very happy with this variant!

1. I started off with a simple vision in my mind, and honestly I don't think I strayed very far from it. I just wanted a few precarious cliffs, ideal for dangerous fights against flying enemies or bad guys with a flair for the dramatic. 

You can see a little bit of a desert landscape implied below as well, though I wasn't quite sure yet if it was going to be water, desert, or snow. In order to be safe and ensure that I wasn't railroading anyone into an encounter in an environment they didn't want, I kept it simple and decided to leave it an open sky, above the clouds so I wouldn't have to draw anything below. 

2. Then I drew in the outlines, hated the map, and almost threw it away and started a new one. Mind you, the proportions at this point were still similar to the initial sketch in step 1, and it definitely didn't fit the dramatic cliff I had envisioned. So I stepped away and took a lunch break, then when I came back feeling a little less fussy I tried to figure out how to redeem it. I toyed with the frame a bit, squashed the mountain to be skinnier, took a big chunk of the mountain off the bottom, and added some rocks. Still, I'm not 100% happy with it, but I determined it'll do even if it's not one of my best. 

3. As far as colors go, I wanted to keep this somewhat grounded, not hyper-vibrant like I often do. I decided to keep the cliff a fairly desaturated bluish white with lots of highlights (to help enhance the impression that it's situated higher up than the lower cliffs). Then, forgetting that I wanted to keep it grounded, I made the background an insanely bright blue, because I thought it looked pretty when I added a nice gradient to it. It was probably a mistake to do so, but what's done is done. And anyway, I still can't tell if I like it or not, so maybe it actually looks pretty cool and not as ridiculous as I suspect it is.