Perhaps the road could benefit from some height increase at its center line to show wear and tear from carts etc.. Other than that, It's a fantastic project!
It's kind of ridiculous how close you're hitting the original concept. My mind is melting.
I think the hanging moss and vines could use a bit of work and more of.
Love the hints of brick here and there, but I think the cracks and damage bits could pop out a bit more. Not just to mimic the reference, but to give it another layer of subtle variation with the bricks. Right now, the cracks are barely noticeable.
Go kick some painterly ass at the Escape Challenge!
I'm getting a "Mad King Ludwig" vibe from the castle - not surprising considering the influence his castles have had on fantasy castles. Perhaps this is the work of a king who was evil AND mad... not generally a healthy combination for his subjects...
At any rate, you might want to look at some of his castles for inspiration on the details and flourishes of an ornate castle. Neuschwanstein is his most famous work, but they all have a fairy-tale quality to them:
Also, have you considered using forced perspective to enhance the impression of great height? Walt Disney is certainly among the best known for modifying building proportions to create a sense of greater size, but architects as far back as the ancient Greeks have modified the thickness of columns to fix the apparent curvature caused by perspective.
Personally, I don't care for the 4-6 story windows you have added in the most recent iteration. Even the fantastic castles of Ludwig were rarely more than 6' (2m) tall, and even decorative arches around the windows were less than 2 stories tall. Stained glass windows in chapels/churches/cathedrals were much larger, but the windows you have don't seem to be that type. A vertical column (hmmm... tautology?) of smaller windows could probably accomplish a similar effect.
If you want to break up the solid walls a bit, you might consider "borrowing" from Roman designs, where a layer of bricks was placed between layers of local stones:
The crenelations seem very tall. The merlons were generally around 3 feet tall.
Hey cool! i'm working on a Neuschwanstein environment right now! mayhaps this thread will contain some tips that can help me...
Seconded, how did I miss this?
Awesome work Jessica. Love seeing the before-after shots, some pretty impressive improvements on already solid work.
Super inspiring stuff.
Replies
the moss does look a bit like toxic goo at the moment though.
Can't wait for another update!
I think the hanging moss and vines could use a bit of work and more of.
Love the hints of brick here and there, but I think the cracks and damage bits could pop out a bit more. Not just to mimic the reference, but to give it another layer of subtle variation with the bricks. Right now, the cracks are barely noticeable.
Go kick some painterly ass at the Escape Challenge!
Hey cool! i'm working on a Neuschwanstein environment right now! mayhaps this thread will contain some tips that can help me...
subbed.
Good job!
Awesome work Jessica. Love seeing the before-after shots, some pretty impressive improvements on already solid work.
Super inspiring stuff.