Advice with terrain needed

Jarran

Hi there, currently at the beginning of a university project where the task set is to create a copy of a scene from a source other than a game. I've chosen Ender's Game and I'm trying to recreate this piece of concept art by David Levy:

As I've never really constructed anything like this before (we've only really stuck to low poly) I'm unsure how to go about it. I've started with a plane and begun manipulating it to mimic the terrain from the shot but I'm unsure if this is the way to go about things.

Obviously this is early stages, I'll be adding the pillars and finer details after. Also this is my first post, I think this should be okay to post? Sorry if this is in the wrong place or something! Thanks in advance

SimonAlbon3D

I'm no environment artist, and there probably is a better way (and more effective way) of doing something like this than I know of. But if I were you I would try the Noise modifier if your using 3DS Max, I'm sure there is probably something similar for other 3D Packages. But that's where I would start anyway.

EDIT: Just taken a closer look at the concept, it looks like most of this could be done low poly with textures and normals?

Jarran

Sorry i probably shouldve been clearer! I'm getting the basics down now and then blocking in the other structures before probably taking it over to zbrush just trying to get the major shapes down but I want to get it right from the start.