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Published on 05-09-2006 08:56 AM
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Creating natural-looking landscapes
Creating natural-looking landscapes
(Or sci-fi alien weird-scapes!)
First of all – if you are creating an earth-like, M-class scene, the best thing to do is simply to observe nature! Go outside and look at the way trees grow in a forest, the way moss grows only on one side of the tree, the colour of lichen on rocks.
Of course – if you live in the city or if the scene you wish to recreate in inaccessible to you (A beautiful tropical island for instance!) then try browsing for a suitable picture to work on from the internet.
(Note: If you are creating an alien weird-scape and want reference pictures – try looking for the NASA website, sci-fi film sets or unusual places on Earth, such as crystal-filled caves or the ocean floor).
And now we begin – if I had to sit through 2 long years of A level geology, then I can inflict some of that pain on you! Mwa ha ha ha haaaa! (Maniacal laughter) etc
Layer cake
There are several different layers building a landscape:
1. At the bottom, the bedrock, or foundations – upon which everything else rests, and surface rock – whether they be cliffs, or rocks at the banks of a river.
2. And above the foundation, the organic plant life (flora) of your chosen climate.
Above: Layered sedimentary rock (Primarily limestone). It is at an angle due togeological upheaval, and at the base of the cliff we see evidence of erosion in the fallen debris.
1. Rockscapes
· Your first question, when creating a rockscape, or the bed-rock for something else (Such as a cliff face) should be – will the rocks in my scene be Igneous, Metamorphic or Sedimentary…?
In other words – have the rocks been created from the liquid minerals of the planets insides (Igneous), have they been changed from one kind of rock to something new by pressure and/or heat (Metamorphic) or are they composed of the remains of
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