A Sketch of Sharn [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Sketch of Sharn [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
taski
03-09-05, 03:25 AM I've been wanting a to-scale picture of Sharn from far away for a while... and I don't remember any announcements about WizOs publishing one soon. So, I decided to just draw one myself. I wanted to make the city to look taller than in this picture: The Vertical City (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_maps/M19Sharnsideview_400.jpg), and I'm prety sure it worked. However, I'd still like input from the folks here on the boards before I start up a bigger and more detailed drawing.

Sharn Sketch (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15914146/)
Sharn (2nd version) (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15917692/)
Sharn, colored (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15940483/)
Blizzard_Bobsan
03-09-05, 03:34 AM I'm sorry to tell you this, but I think you've got the the dimensions wrong. Sharn is supposed to be 1-1.5 miles high and about 5-6 miles wide.
taski
03-09-05, 03:48 AM I guess I got the dementions reversed. Should've checked the book. Oh, well.. I'll work on a new sketch.
Blizzard_Bobsan
03-09-05, 04:04 AM It's not your fault - there is no aspect ratio on any of the maps, and "the Vertical City" picture is not meant to be exact. As I recall, the big maps are supossedly 1 inch = 1 mile and the tallest towers are over a mile high.
Beleriphon
03-09-05, 04:17 AM It's not your fault - there is no aspect ratio on any of the maps, and "the Vertical City" picture is not meant to be exact. As I recall, the big maps are supossedly 1 inch = 1 mile and the tallest towers are over a mile high.

Yeah, that vertical city picture is more to show the different levels. I'd say its more likely a quite view of a single quarter of the city.
okaynowa
03-09-05, 04:25 AM But it's still a good sketch, even if it's not (strictly speaking) accurate-- something very storyboard-ish about it. Please keep sharing, Taski!
Beleriphon
03-09-05, 04:35 AM But it's still a good sketch, even if it's not (strictly speaking) accurate-- something very storyboard-ish about it. Please keep sharing, Taski!

Amen to that. Add more ground space you would have a kick arse version of Sharn.
taski
03-09-05, 07:49 AM Here's the better version. Lots more work put into it, but I think it was worth it.

Sharn (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15917692/)
okaynowa
03-09-05, 08:01 AM That is pretty dang awesome, Taski. That's the sort of reason I hang out on these boards. Is that image drawn in two-point perspective? I only ask because I'm a novice.
Host of Angels
03-09-05, 08:01 AM Very cool - thanks - it all makes sense now...

I love the details too - like the skyship flying in to dock...
taski
03-09-05, 08:28 AM Is that image drawn in two-point perspective? I only ask because I'm a novice.

The overall drawing is slightly three-point perspective. I considered two horizon vanishing points that went off the left and right side. The third vp is down, further off the picture than the horizon ones, and I only paid attention to it to make the cliffs. The buildings themselves are in gazillion-point perspective, as I don't think Sharn is on a grid; the buildings and bridges point may different ways. That's when drawing out vanishing points becomes plain annoying.
James Silverleaf
03-09-05, 08:38 AM nice design... maybe Sharn looks a bit different... but this gives a pretty nice view of the city as a hole... niiiiice.... :clap:
nyysjan
03-09-05, 08:45 AM good picture

even if the city looks little too compact
shouldn't there be wide gaps between central and tavis plateus
taski
03-09-05, 08:54 AM The gaps are there, but it's hard to see them because the buildings are in the way. I need my sleep, but I'll tweak the pic and color it after I wake up.

Thanks for the replies, everyone.
nyysjan
03-09-05, 09:10 AM it's a good picture :)
and it's easy to criticise others :D
so i still think there sahould be gaps
but hey i can't draw stick figures with any consistency so don't listen to me :P
Dagda Mor
03-09-05, 09:33 AM Very nice work indeed. I love the little touches like the airship. You get a :cookie:.
Lalato
03-09-05, 09:59 AM Very cool. I can't wait to see the color version.
--sam
Blizzard_Bobsan
03-09-05, 01:30 PM Here's the better version. Lots more work put into it, but I think it was worth it.

Sharn (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15917692/)

That's much better and accurate. Great work!
lukelightning
03-09-05, 01:49 PM Hey, I think I can see my house there...next to that tower in the left...up a bit.....
Lazaro
03-09-05, 02:22 PM Good job, I wish my sketches would come out this good. Would you mind if I used it in my upcoming campaign?
Thaddeus P. Swift
03-09-05, 02:23 PM That's an awesome picture! My group of PCs are going to be taking their first trip to Sharn within the next couple weeks, I'm definitely planning on using your drawing to give them their first look at the city (but don't worry, I will not try to take the credit for the drawing).
JohnnyONeal
03-09-05, 03:46 PM Taski, that's an awesome picture! Do you mind if I link to that from the Eberron Journal (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/originalart.html)?
Sarlax
03-09-05, 04:39 PM Very good work.

If you develop a third, I'd suggest making the cliffs more vertical so as to provide for the use of lifts at Cliffside. The road and lightning rail line would be handy additions, too.

One criticism I might offer is that the tower sizes depicted tend not to convey how large the city really is. I think this is a problem of the city description itself - it's said most towers have a base of 800 feet to about half a mile. On a finer rendering of the city, I think a greater number of "average" towers with 800 to 1000 foot diameters would convey how large the city really is. While good now, most people will likely associate "tower" with a particular size, and the implied scale reduces the huge size of the city.

Not being an artist, I'm not sure how to improve upon conveying the scale. Since we're talking about a scale of miles, I think that perhaps no ships should be visible at all. From the viewer's perspective, we seem to be floating one or two miles above the city and maybe 10 to 15 miles away from it (if Sharn's about 5 miles across).
taski
03-09-05, 07:05 PM JonnyONeal, feel free to link to the picture! :w00t: wooo!

If you develop a third, I'd suggest making the cliffs more vertical so as to provide for the use of lifts at Cliffside.

I'll probably edit the cliffs to make them smaller -- from this picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84572.jpg) they appear to only be a mile or so high (not quite as tall as the towers). Smaller cliffs should help make the city itself look larger, as should smaller ships (but that airship is staying). I'm also considering adding a small, towerless suburb outside the manifest zone, along the eastern side of the city, to have a buffer between city and farmland.

My Sharn book is at my friend's house, so the lightning rail and the road will have to wait (they aren't pictured in the web maps).
zambuka
03-09-05, 07:31 PM from this picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84572.jpg) they appear to only be a mile or so high (not quite as tall as the towers). Smaller cliffs should help make the city itself look larger, as should smaller ships (but that airship is staying).

From that picture the cliffs look to be only about 4 or 5 hundred feet, less than an 8th of a mile high. The boat down on the water kinda gives the scale of things.

keep up the good work
taski
03-09-05, 08:34 PM Eg, I meant this other picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84568.jpg) .
Lalato
03-09-05, 08:41 PM Eg, I meant this other picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84568.jpg) .

Doesn't look like a mile to me. Perhaps 1000 feet.
--sam
ArthurQ
03-09-05, 08:52 PM Taski, that's an awesome picture! Do you mind if I link to that from the Eberron Journal (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/originalart.html)?

I was gonna email you a link to that.

By the way. I have a special picture from Lee Moyer, the guy who designed the Dragonshards in my mailbox, for the Ledger. I'll forward it to you later.
taski
03-09-05, 10:28 PM Ok, here's the colored version. I'm not sure about all the colors... but they will have to wait, as I am getting tired of drawing for today.

Sharn, colored (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15940483/)
zambuka
03-09-05, 10:35 PM You certainly do work fast.

Knowing that the little lines at the base of the cliffs is the docks you get a real sense of scale now.
One Percenter
03-09-05, 10:59 PM Very well done Taski :) The added perspective is nice.
fuindordm
03-10-05, 05:10 AM Ok, here's the colored version. I'm not sure about all the colors... but they will have to wait, as I am getting tired of drawing for today.

Sharn, colored (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15940483/)

Really cool picture, thanks! I'm going to point my players to it...

Ben
Nashad d'Thuranni
03-10-05, 06:39 AM Great job! WoTC should hire you! :D
nyysjan
03-10-05, 06:53 AM Nice :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
you get five out of five thumbs up
Maelflux
03-10-05, 07:51 AM Awesome picture!

This is definately a great handout to players, so they get an idea what the city's like! :)

Thanks!
Thramzorean
03-10-05, 09:59 AM :clap: :clap:
James Silverleaf
03-13-05, 12:57 PM i really like the coloured edition...... if WotC don't think about hirering you,. something is wrong. :bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow: :bow::bow::bow:
Vizjerei
03-14-05, 11:47 AM Excellent work taski. I saw the first few linked the other day in mIRC, but the new versions are even better.
polt
03-14-05, 12:42 PM I like them, but i would think that Sharn has a bit more towers cramped tightly together.

(Yes, i said cramped)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
taski 03-09-05, 03:25 AM	I've been wanting a to-scale picture of Sharn from far away for a while... and I don't remember any announcements about WizOs publishing one soon. So, I decided to just draw one myself. I wanted to make the city to look taller than in this picture: The Vertical City (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_maps/M19Sharnsideview_400.jpg), and I'm prety sure it worked. However, I'd still like input from the folks here on the boards before I start up a bigger and more detailed drawing. Sharn Sketch (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15914146/) Sharn (2nd version) (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15917692/) Sharn, colored (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15940483/)
Blizzard_Bobsan 03-09-05, 03:34 AM	I'm sorry to tell you this, but I think you've got the the dimensions wrong. Sharn is supposed to be 1-1.5 miles high and about 5-6 miles wide.
taski 03-09-05, 03:48 AM	I guess I got the dementions reversed. Should've checked the book. Oh, well.. I'll work on a new sketch.
Blizzard_Bobsan 03-09-05, 04:04 AM	It's not your fault - there is no aspect ratio on any of the maps, and "the Vertical City" picture is not meant to be exact. As I recall, the big maps are supossedly 1 inch = 1 mile and the tallest towers are over a mile high.
Beleriphon 03-09-05, 04:17 AM	It's not your fault - there is no aspect ratio on any of the maps, and "the Vertical City" picture is not meant to be exact. As I recall, the big maps are supossedly 1 inch = 1 mile and the tallest towers are over a mile high. Yeah, that vertical city picture is more to show the different levels. I'd say its more likely a quite view of a single quarter of the city.
okaynowa 03-09-05, 04:25 AM	But it's still a good sketch, even if it's not (strictly speaking) accurate-- something very storyboard-ish about it. Please keep sharing, Taski!
Beleriphon 03-09-05, 04:35 AM	But it's still a good sketch, even if it's not (strictly speaking) accurate-- something very storyboard-ish about it. Please keep sharing, Taski! Amen to that. Add more ground space you would have a kick arse version of Sharn.
taski 03-09-05, 07:49 AM	Here's the better version. Lots more work put into it, but I think it was worth it. Sharn (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15917692/)
okaynowa 03-09-05, 08:01 AM	That is pretty dang awesome, Taski. That's the sort of reason I hang out on these boards. Is that image drawn in two-point perspective? I only ask because I'm a novice.
Host of Angels 03-09-05, 08:01 AM	Very cool - thanks - it all makes sense now... I love the details too - like the skyship flying in to dock...
taski 03-09-05, 08:28 AM	Is that image drawn in two-point perspective? I only ask because I'm a novice. The overall drawing is slightly three-point perspective. I considered two horizon vanishing points that went off the left and right side. The third vp is down, further off the picture than the horizon ones, and I only paid attention to it to make the cliffs. The buildings themselves are in gazillion-point perspective, as I don't think Sharn is on a grid; the buildings and bridges point may different ways. That's when drawing out vanishing points becomes plain annoying.
James Silverleaf 03-09-05, 08:38 AM	nice design... maybe Sharn looks a bit different... but this gives a pretty nice view of the city as a hole... niiiiice.... :clap:
nyysjan 03-09-05, 08:45 AM	good picture even if the city looks little too compact shouldn't there be wide gaps between central and tavis plateus
taski 03-09-05, 08:54 AM	The gaps are there, but it's hard to see them because the buildings are in the way. I need my sleep, but I'll tweak the pic and color it after I wake up. Thanks for the replies, everyone.
nyysjan 03-09-05, 09:10 AM	it's a good picture :) and it's easy to criticise others :D so i still think there sahould be gaps but hey i can't draw stick figures with any consistency so don't listen to me :P
Dagda Mor 03-09-05, 09:33 AM	Very nice work indeed. I love the little touches like the airship. You get a :cookie:.
Lalato 03-09-05, 09:59 AM	Very cool. I can't wait to see the color version. --sam
Blizzard_Bobsan 03-09-05, 01:30 PM	Here's the better version. Lots more work put into it, but I think it was worth it. Sharn (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15917692/) That's much better and accurate. Great work!
lukelightning 03-09-05, 01:49 PM	Hey, I think I can see my house there...next to that tower in the left...up a bit.....
Lazaro 03-09-05, 02:22 PM	Good job, I wish my sketches would come out this good. Would you mind if I used it in my upcoming campaign?
Thaddeus P. Swift 03-09-05, 02:23 PM	That's an awesome picture! My group of PCs are going to be taking their first trip to Sharn within the next couple weeks, I'm definitely planning on using your drawing to give them their first look at the city (but don't worry, I will not try to take the credit for the drawing).
JohnnyONeal 03-09-05, 03:46 PM	Taski, that's an awesome picture! Do you mind if I link to that from the Eberron Journal (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/originalart.html)?
Sarlax 03-09-05, 04:39 PM	Very good work. If you develop a third, I'd suggest making the cliffs more vertical so as to provide for the use of lifts at Cliffside. The road and lightning rail line would be handy additions, too. One criticism I might offer is that the tower sizes depicted tend not to convey how large the city really is. I think this is a problem of the city description itself - it's said most towers have a base of 800 feet to about half a mile. On a finer rendering of the city, I think a greater number of "average" towers with 800 to 1000 foot diameters would convey how large the city really is. While good now, most people will likely associate "tower" with a particular size, and the implied scale reduces the huge size of the city. Not being an artist, I'm not sure how to improve upon conveying the scale. Since we're talking about a scale of miles, I think that perhaps no ships should be visible at all. From the viewer's perspective, we seem to be floating one or two miles above the city and maybe 10 to 15 miles away from it (if Sharn's about 5 miles across).
taski 03-09-05, 07:05 PM	JonnyONeal, feel free to link to the picture! :w00t: wooo! If you develop a third, I'd suggest making the cliffs more vertical so as to provide for the use of lifts at Cliffside. I'll probably edit the cliffs to make them smaller -- from this picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84572.jpg) they appear to only be a mile or so high (not quite as tall as the towers). Smaller cliffs should help make the city itself look larger, as should smaller ships (but that airship is staying). I'm also considering adding a small, towerless suburb outside the manifest zone, along the eastern side of the city, to have a buffer between city and farmland. My Sharn book is at my friend's house, so the lightning rail and the road will have to wait (they aren't pictured in the web maps).
zambuka 03-09-05, 07:31 PM	from this picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84572.jpg) they appear to only be a mile or so high (not quite as tall as the towers). Smaller cliffs should help make the city itself look larger, as should smaller ships (but that airship is staying). From that picture the cliffs look to be only about 4 or 5 hundred feet, less than an 8th of a mile high. The boat down on the water kinda gives the scale of things. keep up the good work
taski 03-09-05, 08:34 PM	Eg, I meant this other picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84568.jpg) .
Lalato 03-09-05, 08:41 PM	Eg, I meant this other picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sharn_gallery/84568.jpg) . Doesn't look like a mile to me. Perhaps 1000 feet. --sam
ArthurQ 03-09-05, 08:52 PM	Taski, that's an awesome picture! Do you mind if I link to that from the Eberron Journal (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/originalart.html)? I was gonna email you a link to that. By the way. I have a special picture from Lee Moyer, the guy who designed the Dragonshards in my mailbox, for the Ledger. I'll forward it to you later.
taski 03-09-05, 10:28 PM	Ok, here's the colored version. I'm not sure about all the colors... but they will have to wait, as I am getting tired of drawing for today. Sharn, colored (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15940483/)
zambuka 03-09-05, 10:35 PM	You certainly do work fast. Knowing that the little lines at the base of the cliffs is the docks you get a real sense of scale now.
One Percenter 03-09-05, 10:59 PM	Very well done Taski :) The added perspective is nice.
fuindordm 03-10-05, 05:10 AM	Ok, here's the colored version. I'm not sure about all the colors... but they will have to wait, as I am getting tired of drawing for today. Sharn, colored (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/15940483/) Really cool picture, thanks! I'm going to point my players to it... Ben
Nashad d'Thuranni 03-10-05, 06:39 AM	Great job! WoTC should hire you! :D
nyysjan 03-10-05, 06:53 AM	Nice :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: you get five out of five thumbs up
Maelflux 03-10-05, 07:51 AM	Awesome picture! This is definately a great handout to players, so they get an idea what the city's like! :) Thanks!
Thramzorean 03-10-05, 09:59 AM	:clap: :clap:
James Silverleaf 03-13-05, 12:57 PM	i really like the coloured edition...... if WotC don't think about hirering you,. something is wrong. :bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow: :bow::bow::bow:
Vizjerei 03-14-05, 11:47 AM	Excellent work taski. I saw the first few linked the other day in mIRC, but the new versions are even better.
polt 03-14-05, 12:42 PM	I like them, but i would think that Sharn has a bit more towers cramped tightly together. (Yes, i said cramped)