Valley of the Crystalsmiths v.1 (2021)

At this point in my illustration skills, I had never done landscapes or environment drawings and felt my skills lacking. I thought I should try and see what I could do with the knowledge and skills I had at the time. This was an important starting place for myself to see where and how I could improve.

I have been building a universe in my own head for my own personal project. This is the "Valley of the Crystalsmiths:" a land where the crystals are more abundant, valuable, and durable than metal for tools and weapons.

I will admit my process was not efficient. I was indecisive and couldn't commit to anything. I lacked the experience and insight. I went about this pretty surgically instead of being more free with it. My original idea changed too. Not sure if that's for better or for worse.

Below are the first sketches...

The first sketches...