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!
How to Draw a Sailboat - Top Down Perspective
Drawing a ship sailing the seas of your fantasy maps is a great way to convey a bit of the culture of your setting. You can also use them to indicate trade routes, and if the city is a major port in the region. In this tutorial, I will walk you through how to draw a simple wooden sailboat you can use on your fantasy city maps.
How to Draw Mountains
Mountains are perhaps the most important natural feature you can draw on a map. They impact weather patterns, where rivers flow, and ultimately where cities and nations arise. But, how do you draw them so they don’t just look like squiggly triangles on your map? In this tutorial, I will walk through one of my favorite methods to draw mountains on your fantasy maps!
How to Shade Oceans & Seas on Your Maps
In this tutorial I want to show you how to give your oceans & seas a little more character. Not only will you get a nice painterly texture, but this method is also a great way to hint at the topography just below the water’s surface.
How to Draw an Isometric Castle
Learning to draw a castle for your maps is a great way to begin telling the story of the world you’re creating. Not only do castles act as a seat of political power for a lord in the region, but they are also an important site of trade and commerce. I have broken down the steps I take when drawing a castle so you can begin drawing them on your maps.
How to Draw a Waterfall
How many of us have hiked for miles just to see a waterfall? Even if you haven’t, it’s not difficult to recognize the beauty and power that so many find compelling. This is why they are such an interesting feature to include on your fantasy maps. In this tutorial, you will learn some simple steps to walk you through how to draw a waterfall on your map for your next rpg or book. Let’s start mapping!
How to Draw Canyons
Drawing canyons on your maps is a great way to make the terrain a little more interesting and add depth to the landscape. At first glance, you might think they are difficult to draw, but with a few simple principles, you can start adding canyons to your own fantasy maps.
How to Draw Classic Fantasy Mountains
Want to learn how to draw a more classic style of mountains on your fantasy maps while still feeling unique? This method of drawing mountains is a great way to give a more classical pen and ink feel to your maps!
How to Draw a Simple Compass
There is probably nothing more iconic in cartography than the compass rose. Not only do they serve to orient the viewer of your map, but they are also an opportunity to get creative and reflect the culture of the world. There are nearly limitless ways to draw a compass, but in this tutorial I want to set a foundation for you to build upon later. You will learn everything you need to draw a simple compass on your fantasy maps, and hopefully it will inspire and give you confidence to take it a step further.
How to Draw Sand Dunes
Drawing a plateau on your fantasy map is a simple way to make the landscape of your world stand out from the flat terrain you see on most maps. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw impressive cliffs that rise out of the landscape. Which can become key storytelling features in the world you're creating for your next book or role-playing campaign.
How to Draw Plateaus & Cliffs
Drawing a plateau on your fantasy map is a simple way to make the landscape of your world stand out from the flat terrain you see on most maps. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw impressive cliffs that rise out of the landscape. Which can become key storytelling features in the world you're creating for your next book or role-playing campaign.