These are the references that I was using Specifically for the town of New Bollon's. Previously, We Agreed that a good story moment would be as the train is pulling into the dock.
Here's a list of what I wanted the image to accomplish.
-communicate to the viewer that this is a story that revolves around trains a tracks
-make the very interesting, and make the viewer eager to explore it.
-Feel Big and Grand
-communicate that the city is built on a mountain/ Volcano
First Try
This was the First Thumbnail I fleshed out. It has two very large train pulling in from the left and on the right there is a chinese style street market. In the distance is the city built into switch backs on the mountain.
My next thought was that I had previously been assuming that trains had been at ground level. Here, the train tracks are suspended like cris cross highway overpasses. The night market is under the tracks. I also though to bring the light down low, so that the orange lights in the distance will pop and add some visual interest.
Next, I thought I'd move camera up into the city on the hill and let the view feel like they're on the inside looking out, instead of outside looking in, like the first layout. Here, we look down the mountain at the dock and see the tangle recede off into the sun set.
This last attempt, was meant to remedy the lack of trains in the past layouts. Sham will be nicely framed in the composition.
