Author Topic: Fantastic Landscapes (Read 1962 times)

CaptainPenguin · « **on:** March 06, 2004, 06:30:14 PM »

Here's a little tip that looks surprisingly well.

Say that the Heroes are heading off to some remote high mountain valley. You would like them to imagine the Tibet-like, soaring, jagged, snow-cloaked mountain peaks and the arid chill of the plains. But, try as you might, you just cannot imagine how to describe it to them in the way you want them to.

Well, try this: Go and purchase a copy of Outside magazine, or a similar outdoor sporting magazine, and a pair of scissors. Then, go through the magazine and clip out images of the various wild vistas and beautiful wildernesses you want the Heroes to see.

Michael Jotne Slayer · « **Reply #1 on:** July 04, 2004, 07:42:55 PM »

What works even better(for me at least), is
going trough books and magazines(as you said) and when u have collected the photos and pictures wich seemed right for your scenery... You can draw them and change what you like and put in details.
For example a castle high up in the mountains. This requires a certain amount of skill offcourse, but it makes it more real within the world you are playing.

Fiona · « **Reply #2 on:** July 06, 2004, 03:32:24 PM »

I use both, just clippings and drawings of my own doing. I even sometimes use my own travel slides if I'm in the mood to set everything up. Once I used slides from Star Wars monsters as monsters. It's a very nice effect because you have them as big as life on the wall and that makes things a lot more real and scary. Also my own holiday pix do great jobs as fictional landscapes (but then I have hundreds to pick from since photography and travelling are my other big hobbies).

A lot of the times our world's nature is much more freaky than you can come up with yourself, so no editing is needed.

Michael Jotne Slayer · « **Reply #3 on:** July 06, 2004, 07:15:30 PM »

How true indeed. Imagine all those movies we have seen with fantastic landscapes. They are all filmed at earth or the basis for the effects are shot
somewhere in the world. There is alot of material out there.
But I do need something wich ties it up to the game. For my part it cannot simply be great mountains, a wast forest or an arctic landscape.
There has to be some editing wich connects with the world.
A fortress looming in the Himalayas, or a Troll wandering the Amazones and so forth

Adel · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2004, 11:44:21 PM »

My drawing style is different of sorts....... most people that I come across say that it is easier to look at something then draw it.......... I however do best when I pluck the image from my own imagination....... and as landscaped, and seascapes, happen to be my favorite things to draw; I have no problem with merely drawing what I am trying to describe. For those that do have problems with this or are just not artistically inclined I usually suggest that they, as you said before, find a picture either on the web or in a magazine and cutting it to make something of a collage with the different images....... you would be amazed with the what you can come up with!

CaptainPenguin · « **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2004, 12:08:07 PM »

Well, I can't draw forests. So when I need a picture of a forest, I cut it out of a magazine.

Michael Jotne Slayer · « **Reply #6 on:** July 07, 2004, 07:42:05 PM »

I apologize if I somehow offended you in assuming you could draw.

CaptainPenguin · « **Reply #7 on:** July 07, 2004, 08:57:13 PM »

No offense taken.
But I'll have you know, my good man, that I can draw very well!
I just cannot draw forests.

Michael Jotne Slayer · « **Reply #8 on:** July 07, 2004, 09:04:03 PM »

Once again I feel that I am assuming to much. And this time by trying to undo something I have assumed...

Anyway... whats up with forests?

CaptainPenguin · « **Reply #9 on:** July 07, 2004, 09:15:17 PM »

*shrugs*

Adel · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2004, 11:43:22 PM »

I had trouble with forests too that is until my art professor ( a complete a utter nutter!) decided to spend a whole term on trees and leaves alone now they are not really a big deal..... she also dedicated a whole other term to shells and then a nother to bamboo.... YOU try and draw, paint, mold, and plaster nothing but bamboo for a whole term.............

Fiona · « **Reply #11 on:** July 08, 2004, 03:06:10 AM »

I can also draw moderately well, but if you want to make a landscape look nice and have everything in it that you want, it takes a looooong time. Especially because there are a lot of times when they see more than one landscape per session. So I still prefer to combine things and sometimes draw things, and other times use magazines (National Geographic is also a good one! I once for example used an article on jewel scarabs (beetles) for my desert place) or pix or slides.

Especially things like a hundred trees (otherwise it doesn't really look like a forest) takes soooo long to draw!

Michael Jotne Slayer · « **Reply #12 on:** July 08, 2004, 07:15:36 PM »

Since I enjoy drawing, I also draw a long time(Its always nice to do something you like).
Thus i get great forests.

But to utter seriousness i go...
My problem with using pictures is that they are real!
Or from our world,... wich ever you may prefer. ahem.
I would not like it if I show my players a great picture
of the canyon they are currently in.. .and then one of them says:

Player:Yeah that is a cool picture, I saw it to last week in National Geographic!!!

Me: No eh, thats not a picture from NG thats where you are now my good fellow.

Player: But isnt that a Grand canyon photo from Ng?

Me: erh...

See?

One should always draw!!

P.S I know this one is on the egde, but hey! The conversation may
go on because of what I just wrote!

Fiona · « **Reply #13 on:** July 09, 2004, 02:56:07 AM »

Well luckily my players wouldn't say such things. I think if they use their imagination too, there would be no such problem.

I do agree that drawing can be better though (I like it too) but ti's very time consuming. Also the option of adding things to a picture by drawing is a possibility.

For one of my characters I used a picture of X-woman Rogue as basis and drew on it to "enhance" it. She has long hair now and a knife and stuff like that. Completely irrecognisable. Especially with computers today, there is a way to quickly enhance pix and photos.

Michael Jotne Slayer · « **Reply #14 on:** July 09, 2004, 08:53:02 PM »

Well my players would not exactly say such things either, I was only making a point. It could take some of the imagination away if they recognise the picture.........