Well here we are again. Time continues to fly by and as I get into the swing of 4th year I have decided to use Inktober to help produce initial sketches for my project. My project involves taking ideas I have been working on for a fantasy setting and turning them into a source book to introduce people to the different environments, creatures and peoples they might encounter.
For Day 1 I decided to draw a village known as Stormcover. This village is placed in the kingdom of Aeryallon, a bleak, stone wasteland seemingly devoid of life. Magical storms of intense power ravage the landscape shattering the earth sending great jagged boulders hurtling across the land. While survival on the surface is difficult, the same cannot be said for the vast chasms formed by the storms. Rich sources of valuable minerals and water are easy to find provided you can make the treacherous climb, because of this villages are few and far between. Stormcover was constructed in the shelter of a series of massive shattered stones, they provide enough cover from the main winds for a community to survive. The buildings are constructed to withstand the winds of the great storms but the majority of outposts such as this are dug into the ground towards the chasm walls. Villages such as these usually feature a structure similar to a lighthouse to guide trading caravans towards civilisation.
I created the initial sketch using krita, I wanted to get a sense of scale before I started in my sketch book. I designed the buildings to slope upwards towards the roof in order to deflect the wind over the tops of the buildings and prevent them from collapsing. I also included window slots in the cliff face to indicate that more of the village is constructed underground.
I was pleased with the final drawing. I felt like I manage to capture a sense of scale without needing to include figures as a reference. I’m looking forward to continuing with the project and developing both the art and the world itself.