THE LEARNING ARCHIVES
Whether you're creating maps for a novel, rpg, or just for fun, this collection of tutorials and map tips will help you create more professional and believable maps for your story!
What Scale Should You Draw Trees & Forests?
Have you ever been tripped up by what size to draw the trees on your fantasy maps? Most of us have a desire for our maps to feel realistic, but sometimes this can be more of a hindrance than a help. In this Map Tip, I want to give you a little insight into what scale most map makers draw their trees, what is realistic, and then how much artistic license you have when drawing your maps.
Meandering Rivers - Why Rivers Curve in Flat Terrain?
Have you ever wondered whyy rivers meander all over the place on flat terrain? It makes sense for the terrain in the mountains to be diverting the river, but why does it do the same thing on a flat landscape?
How to Draw An Isometric Fortress
If you want an easy way to draw three-dimensional buildings and structures on your fantasy map, then using an isometric perspective is the method for you! The reason this technique is so achievable is that it really comes down to following a grid. As long as you do that, then you can draw all kinds of things like buildings, towers, or something as complex as a city.
Mastering Value for Pencil Shading
When it comes to art I feel like shading is one of those magical things. There’s just something about transforming a drawing on a flat piece of paper, to something that feels like it’s popping off the page. Just about every aspiring artist and cartographer I know wants to learn how to shade, but it also feels like one of the most intimidating things to learn. While there is certainly room for complexity, I think you can easily achieve more than satisfactory results with just some basic principles. Those simple principles are what I hope to equip you with today, so you can master value and can adding shading to your fantasy maps with ease.
How to Draw Stone Pillars
If you enjoy finding inspiration for your stories from real-world locations, then look no further than the stone pillars of Wulingyuan, China. These impressive monoliths are one of the most iconic locations in the world; with their unusual shape, covered with trees that somehow manage to grow hundreds of feet in the air like a natural hanging garden. In fact, the movie Avatar pulled inspiration from this location when creating the world of Pandora! But the real question is, how do you draw something like that on your fantasy map? In this tutorial, I’ll break down the process so you can add these iconic features to the world you’re crafting.
A Beginner Guide to Simple Shading on Your Fantasy Maps
Adding shading to your fantasy map brings a whole new level of depth and texture that can help your readers or players visualize the landscape you've created. But if you don’t consider yourself an “artist”, then the idea of shading might feel very overwhelming. Between what colors to use, light direction, and form, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
How to Draw Dungeon Walls - Rough Stone
There are so many ways to draw walls for a dungeon map, but if you want something that looks like it’s hand-made from uncut stone then this is the technique for you. This is great if you’re creating a map of a tomb or a cultic site for your next rpg campaign; anywhere you want a setting that feels ancient and lost to time. In this tutorial, I’ll break down the process so you can draw rough stone walls on your next dungeon map. Let’s get mapping!
How to Draw a Snowy River
How do you draw something like snow on your fantasy map? Fortunately, it is pretty simple if you know how to draw your line art and build your color palette. In this tutorial, you'll learn some simple steps to transform a typical river into a winter setting for your next story. This is a great way to level up your maps whether it's for an rpg like Pathfinder or your next novel. So let’s start mapping!
7 Ways to Create Depth on Your Fantasy Maps
Do all the features on your fantasy map look a bit…flat? If you want to quickly step up the quality of your maps for the book you’re writing, or your next rpg campaign, then learning how to add some depth to can go a long way.
Population Size for a Village, Town, or City - What’s Believable?
What is a realistic population size for a medieval or ancient fantasy setting? Should a city have a couple of million people? How about 500,000 or 20,000? Let’s delve in and give you some simple guidelines as well as a cheat sheet you can easily reference as you are writing your story and drawing your map!
How to Draw a Mountain Lake
It’s one thing to draw a lake in a nice open region, but how can you realistically draw it tucked into the mountains? In this map tip, we’ll look into how a lake forms, and then help you to learn how to draw one on your fantasy maps!
How to Draw a Volcanic Eruption
It’s one thing to draw a dormant volcano, but how about one that’s erupting? In the previous tutorial, we walked through How to Draw a Volcano on Your Fantasy Maps, but now let’s make it a bit more dynamic so it can be a real focal point for your worldbuilding.
How to Draw a Volcano
Volcanoes are one of the most dramatic features you could include on your fantasy maps, not only for their destructive power but also for their unique beauty. It’s not surprising many historical cultures viewed them as a place to commune or appease their deity. Adding a volcano to your maps can open up many storytelling possibilities, but how do you go about drawing one? In this tutorial, I will break down my process so you can start mapping!
How to Draw Better Dead Trees
Have you ever tried to draw some dead trees on your fantasy map and realized it just looked like a tree without any leaves? How can you convey that it’s actually dead and not just defoliated? In this Map Tip, we’ll look at some simple tricks you can use on your maps to make sure your trees are appropriately deceased.
Creating a River On Your City Maps with The City Map Builder
What is the best way to create a river on your map using the City Map Builder? Adding buildings, forests, and other features is pretty straight forward, but how do you add something like a stream flowing through your settlement? In this tutorial I’ll walk you through my favorite method so you can easily add some interesting rivers to your maps!
How to Draw a Castle Icon
Drawing castles on your map is a great way to add a sense of history and culture to the world you’ve created. Not only can they represent a seat of power in a region, but they are also a hub for trade and politics. Best of all they are pretty easy to draw with some simple shapes that can be shifted around to provide endless variety and give different cultures a unique look.
River Sins to Avoid on Your Fantasy Maps
Rivers have to be the most common thing for new map makers to get wrong; and even seasoned cartographers may have some of these mistakes sneak up on them if they’re not careful. But, having an awareness of some of the most common issues that come up when it comes to river placement will go a long way in making your maps and worlds more believable.
Forests - Where to Place Them on Your Maps
Have you ever wondered if you’re placing forests in the right spot on your fantasy maps? How does a forest even form, and why do trees grow in one area and not another? In this Map Tip I will walk you through how a forest grows to fill a landscape so you can have confidence when placing them on your maps!
How to Draw Forests
From the gloom of Mirkwood to the comfort of the Hundred Acre Wood, forests are one of the most iconic settings in storytelling. There is just something about a forest that brings a feeling of mystery, not knowing what lies around the bend in the trail. Whether you are creating a setting for your next rpg campaign or writing a story for your book, an enchanted glade in the middle of a dense canopy, or a lost city reclaimed by the trees is where myths are born and retold.
How to Use the Border Brush in The Fantasy Map Builder
Do you want to add an epic fantasy border to your map, but you don’t know where to begin? Or perhaps you do know, and that’s the problem because you know how long it takes to do one by hand. This is why I added a new border brush in the latest update of The Fantasy Map Builder, to make the process of putting the finishing touches of your map that much easier!