setting development

For my final illustrations I will be making them digitally (or mostly anyway) but with the handmade textures. So I thought I should transfer some of my sketchbook ideas into photoshop. I developed this setting, which I plan to be the opening page, with Russia unhappy with the rule of Tsar Nicholas.

I made all the different bits using my textures 

This is what I initially came up with, but I the church/cathedral apparently looks like the Taj Mahal rather than St Petersberg. Also I wanted to make the building housing the royals to be intimidating to the peasants housing 

I decided to depict the Winter Palace instead - that way there will be more of a connection when I show it being seized by the soviets. Its block shape looks a bit more scary as well. I made the houses smaller and made more of them to create more of a city. 

I really like this combination of shape, line and texture - think it works well to create layers and depth, while also resonating with aesthetic in the children's books