The Campaign Builder's Guild

The other night, I was talking to ElDo about things that professionally produced campaign settings have that, for the most part, most of us don't have. The first thing he mentioned is art-- artwork grabs a reader's interest, assists in the visualization of foreign concepts, and in general, tends to add a lot to the experience of reading a setting.

So, here is an experiment. I suggest that we share some ideas around, and sketch each other's work. It doesn't have to be professional-quality art by any means (indeed, I'd be surprised if it were), but just some sketches to get creative juices flowing.

As I see it, the project has two parts:

1.) Submit a description!
These are things that people would like others to sketch. Provide a paragraph or two of description, and with luck, somebody will study your words and draw a picture to represent them. This could be a person (or a race), a place, some kind of object, an event, or whatever you'd like to see someone else's interpretation of. Remember that we are all amateur artists, and simple requests are going to be more likely to be fulfilled.

If you want to submit a description anonymously, PM it to me with that instruction, and I'll post it without attribution (be sure to change the names of things if they're distinctive!) This is not because I think anybody would need to be secretive or embarrassed, but because looking at descriptions without knowing what they are might help artists view them objectively, rather than trying to match the tone of a setting that they already have preconceived notions about.

2.) Draw someone's description and post it!
Once we compile a good list of descriptions, pick one that tickles your fancy, draw it, then post the picture here. (I'll provide instructions for posting images, if you don't know how to do that.) It will be super fun!

Please try to be mature about this whole thing, and don't be cruel when responding to the writing and drawing efforts of others. Remember, this community is defined by civility, respect, and helpfulness. (I probably didn't even need to remind you all, but the teacher in me is prodding me to keep my bases covered.)

Also, please try to draw submissions if you can. I know that not everybody has access to a scanner, but if you do, your work is valuable to us. Even if you don't think you're a super artist, your sketch might be just the thing to jump-start someone's imaginative processes. (What we don't want is for this thread to be all requests and no sketches, because people are shy about actually doing the art. The art is the whole point, after all.)

Hopefully, this can be a really valuable tool for the CBG, and lead us to better understanding of our own work, and the work of others. I will be sketching people's work when I can, and I hope that you'll join me in artful exuberance. In the meantime, I am now and shall ever remain

Yours sincerely,
-Luminous Crayon


Edited: I cna't tyep corectly.

The List of Sketch Requests AND Sketches:
Note: I will be editing this post as more descriptions are added, to ensure that it remains a current and comprehensive list.

[spoiler=Request #1: Simocs (race) - Luminous Crayon, Jade Stage]Here's a race that I'm having some trouble really visualizing clearly. If someone could sketch a couple of example simocs, it would be very helpful.

I'm providing this both as an example of the kinds of descriptions I'm suggesting for this project, and also as a genuine request of my own. The text below is directly copied from my setting thread.

Thanks, -LC

[ic]Simocs are compact, muscular, and hairy creatures, humanoids with a strong apelike or even bearlike cast to their features. They are shorter and broader than humans, perpetually hunched over; their disproportionally long and muscular arms add to their simian appearance, as simocs walk upright on two legs or knuckle along on four with equal ease and facility. They are covered all over in coarse, wiry hair (yet still much too sparse to be called fur), and most are also covered in a latticework of scars, the number, beauty, and quality of which directly affect the social stature of a simoc individual.

Their eyes, recessed behind a ridge of bone, their short, snoutlike noses, and their wide, thin-lipped mouths and needle-sharp teeth give their faces an unmistakable appearance. Their eyes vary in color from pale blue to murky brown, their skin tends toward shades of deep tan and ruddy brown, and their hair is typically wiry, coarse, and dark.[/ic][/spoiler][spoiler=Request #1, Interpretation 1, by CYMRO]
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Request #2: Feudulnds (race) - Wix][ic]The Feudulnds (got the name right!) are a human-esque race with a few major differences in their physiology and their process of thinking. Their skin is a light grey and a touch darker around the bottom of the eyes and some points near their lips. Their heads are quite bulgy. A male has a longer top of the head (resulting in slightly larger ears and brow) and not much hair on the top of their heads. The males chin is also sometimes very bulged out. The female has the same top of head but they often have short mushroom cuts or one braid of hair down the side of their head. The females chin is also a lot less bulgier than the males. The Feudulnds have a unique trait which allows them to see a lot farther in the daylight (Farsight). Resulting thus, their eyes are darker and a bit larger (their heads are fairly large anyway, so it'll look a bit normal). The rest of their body is much like a humans: same body structure and weight classes. With their elongated tops, they tend to be a bit taller though.

The Feudulnds are native to the realm of Vunaes. This place is highly religious and slightly military like which is suitable to their personalities. They are not a savage race but they have obvious ties to war and tactics. Their minds comprehends strategies and combat moves faster than any other being in Golia. They are not necessarily up in the front lines, but rather they also like to discuss manuevers in parlours and write down plans for possible scenarios or even fiction about war. They are simply fascinated with the whole concept of battle. They can often be seen wearing equipment that archers in an army would wear. As I said, they don't necessarily like to be up front and personal with the enemy, but rather stay back and direct movements. They wear light armor and carry an assortment of small weapons and scrolls (plans, maps, stories, etc.). Their clothes are like that of either the Verdant Lands which uses a variety of organic materials and trees to construct their clothing or that of the Astar League which goes by a strict colour coding of clothing and very military and minimalistics approach.[/ic][/spoiler][spoiler=Request #2, Interpretation 1, by Luminous Crayon][/spoiler][spoiler=Request #2, Interpretation 2, by CYMRO]
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Request #3: Kopru (race) - Natural 20]I'm doing some cosmetic changes for the Kopru in my setting, and I'll come up with a different name, so by the end they'll probly be different. Anyway, here's a description.

[ic]The Kopru are a race of demonic minions sent to the Material plane to concquer int he name of their master. Their upper body is muscular and humanoid, with a streamlined head. The head narrows toward the mouth, which is a circular orific filled with pointy teeth and surrounded by four tentacles. Their eyes are large, round, and are colored a cold black with a noticeable lack of pupils. At the "waist", their body becomes similar to that of an octopus, with 4 thich tentacles with suckers on thew bottom, which they use for propulsion.

If you're coloring, their upper bodies are hairless and the rubbery skin possesses a sea-green tint, while the tentacles are a dark purple, bordering on black.[/ic]

Thanks to anyone who does ths sketch for me.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Request #4: Aguul t/Metriik (person), example Vorian (race) - ElDo, Stars Above][ic]A Vorian looks vaguely like a Surian with long, pointed ears and slim frames. After that, however, the similarities tend to end. With skin tones ranging from dark blue to deep violet, Vorians are entirely hairless. Their eyes are shimmering pools ranging from scarlet to amber, while they possess varying numbers of digits on each hand, from a mere three to, typically, seven. Normally, a Vorian's digits are the same on each of his extremities, though this is not always the case.

This particular Vorian is Aguul t'Metriik, a powerful magi and a wealthy aristocrat- a fact he openly flaunts. Amongst a race of competitive, petty, and vile beings, t'Metriik is one of the worst of the lot, and despite his regal status and his noble blood, he has a hunched back that he developed as a result of an incident during his childhood where he was trapped in a cramped underground cavern for months, surviving only on the fruits of his innate magical power. He wears long, flowing black robes and posesses numerous amulets, and each of his four-fingered hands is covered in rings, bracelets, and runic white tatoos.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler=Request #5: Ralgor (person), example Rovigan (race) - ElDo, Stars Above][ic]A squat, stocky individual in power armor designed as much for offense as defense, with spikes, small laser cannons, and razor-sharp plate edges. This armor is further enhanced by a larger, shoulder-mounted reaction cannon, as well as what Ralgor calls a "gravity sword", a blade made from a magically-sealed singularity that seems to warp the very space around it.

Ralgor is a member of the Rovigan race and refuses to wear the helm to his armor, "cuz I want to see eyes when I kill them, not some blasted monitor." He is a rogue, having long ago decided to forsake his people and the Interplanetary Alliance in order to further his own dreams-- establishing his own brand of justice on the galaxy, one primitive planet at a time.

Rovigans are short, stocky individuals with skin tones ranging from emerald green to a deep aquamarine. Hermaphroditic in nature, most individuals are known to traditionally have long, braided beards and short hair. Common shades of hair range from a dark black to a light blue. Rovigans' eyes are pupiless, and seem to sheen with the silver of the very alloys they mine.[/ic][/spoiler][spoiler=Request #5, Interpretation 1, by CYMRO][/spoiler]

[spoiler=Request #6: Mevarian-class ultralight attack ship (object: vehicle) - ElDo, Stars Above][ic]The Mevarian-class is designed for a single pilot with little to none cargo, armed with two high-yield missles with anti-magic payloads. There are two small cannons near the cockpit of the ship and a single, larger aft cannon. The cockpit itself is designed with a series of screens that act as conduits for arcane power-- Surians place their hands on the screens and take direct control over the ship mentally[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler=Request #7: Vaeryn (race) - supadupaman][ic]Vaeryn. They are a race of tree-dwelling spider-like beings.

Appearance: They appear roughly ar tall gangly humanoids with long spindly, segmented legs. There are 3 sets of legs (located at the legs, shoulders and a third set emerging from the back aroung the waist area), as well a set of arms with semi-opposable thumbs that emerge from the chest area slightly below the main shoulders. They are capable of walking on 6 legs with the torso and arms hanging under the legs, on 4 legs, with the torso, arms and front legs held up, and some can, with great dificulty, walk on just their hind set of legs, although this position is primarily used for reaching high objects or getting attention, as opposed to walking. An adult male would be approx. 7 feet tall if they stood up fully, but in their normal position on 4 legs, they only rise about 5 feet off the ground. Females are significantly larger, and also rarer, and stand 6 feet tall normally and 8 to 9 feet when fully upright. The skin of the vaeryn is predominantly covered in coarse black hair, although on the females, this hair is much sleeker and occasianally will have patterns of contrasing colours in it. Most Vaeryn do not wear clothing, but they use belts and harnesses to carry gear[/ic][/spoiler]

I don't have any requests off the top of my head, but I'd just like to say that this is a great idea LC.  Since I don't have a scanner, many of my pictures will be left unseen, but I'll scan them and post them when life allows.

One of my biggest issues with art is that practice is necessary, and I can never think of anything to draw.  This thread will be a great resource for me, regardless of how many actual sketches come through.

This is a brilliant idea. I'll see what i can do about drawing some stuff and then maybe later on submit some description requests.

This is so sweet LC! I'd love for you to draw my Feudallian race (I think that's what they're called...). I'm not a drawer AT ALL so I think I just leave it up to you guys.

Quote from: Wix MneomicI'd love for you to draw my Feudallian race

PM me a description, or post it in this thread. I want to keep all the descriptions in one place (specifically, my List of Sketch Request Descriptions post), so that more than one artist can interpret any given description, if they feel like it.

*nods* Alright, here it goes...

The Feudulnds (got the name right!) are a human-esque race with a few major differences in their physiology and their process of thinking. Their skin is a light grey and a touch darker around the bottom of the eyes and some points near their lips. Their heads are quite bulgy. A male has a longer top of the head (resulting in slightly larger ears and brow) and not much hair on the top of their heads. The males chin is also sometimes very bulged out. The female has the same top of head but they often have short mushroom cuts or one braid of hair down the side of their head. The females chin is also a lot less bulgier than the males. The Feudulnds have a unique trait which allows them to see a lot farther in the daylight (Farsight). Resulting thus, their eyes are darker and a bit larger (their heads are fairly large anyway, so it'll look a bit normal). The rest of their body is much like a humans: same body structure and weight classes. With their elongated tops, they tend to be a bit taller though.

The Feudulnds are native to the realm of Vunaes. This place is highly religious and slightly military like which is suitable to their personalities. They are not a savage race but they have obvious ties to war and tactics. Their minds comprehends strategies and combat moves faster than any other being in Golia. They are not necessarily up in the front lines, but rather they also like to discuss manuevers in parlours and write down plans for possible scenarios or even fiction about war. They are simply fascinated with the whole concept of battle. They can often be seen wearing equipment that archers in an army would wear. As I said, they don't necessarily like to be up front and personal with the enemy, but rather stay back and direct movements. They wear light armor and carry an assortment of small weapons and scrolls (plans, maps, stories, etc.). Their clothes are like that of either the Verdant Lands which uses a variety of organic materials and trees to construct their clothing or that of the Astar League which goes by a strict colour coding of clothing and very military and minimalistics approach.

If there is anything else you guys want to know, just post it here or PM me. Good luck!

Edit: Duplicate Post

I'm out of practice, but here's a quick sketch of request #2: Wix's Feudulnds. I'm not sure I got all the details right according to Wix's description, (and some things I did pretty poorly no matter what I might have been drawing), but this was fun to do, and for some reason, a lot easier than drawing about things I wrote myself.

Maybe I will do a better drawing of them later. Maybe someone else will also interpret Wix's Feudulnds. I don't know! It's so exciting!

I've been saying this forever, but my scanner is on teh way! Three years of art magnet school might actually be of some use... or I might just keep saying I'm *going* to get the scanner. *shrugs*

Exactly like that! Well, they aren't grey, but I'll let you go on that, lol. If you want, I got a few more core races that I've made up.

maybe each picture could also be copied into the first post along with their descriptions, so there is a sort of index of all the images.

Yes, and Spoilers would help the first post become more effective.

Quotemaybe each picture could also be copied into the first post along with their descriptions, so there is a sort of index of all the images.

Yes, and Spoilers would help the first post become more effective. [/quote]Okay, how's that look?

Cool cool

EDIT: If you all really need things to sketch, here goes.  I'm doing some cosmetic changes for the Kopru in my setting, and I'll come up with a different name, so by the end they'll probly be different.  Anyway, here's a description.

The Kopru are a race of demonic minions sent to the Material plane to concquer int he name of their master.  Their upper body is muscular and humanoid, with a streamlined head.  The head narrows toward the mouth, which is a circular orific filled with pointy teeth and surrounded by four tentacles.  Their eyes are large, round, and are colored a cold black with a noticeable lack of pupils.  At the "waist", their body becomes similar to that of an octopus, with 4 thich tentacles with suckers on thew bottom, which they use for propulsion.

If you're coloring, their upper bodies are hairless and the rubbery skin possesses a sea-green tint, while the tentacles are a dark purple, bordering on black.

Thanks to anyone who does ths sketch for me.