How to draw a fantasy map

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!

There are many storytelling possibilities for your RPG adventure by including something like a mysterious chasm. Is it a natural feature? Was it created by someone in the ancient past with the power to make fissures in the rock itself? The question is…how do you draw a chasm? In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the process so you can easily add a crack in the earth for your party to explore on your fantasy map.

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

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. In this tutorial, I will walk through one of my favorite methods to draw mountains on your fantasy maps for your rpg, or boo

How do you draw a floating island on your fantasy map? In this Map Tip I will break down for you my method for drawing the underside of a floating island for your fantasy rpg or book. #mapeffects #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #pathfinder #rpg #fantasy #maps

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. Adding a volcano to your maps can open up many storytelling possibilities, but how do you go about drawing one?

There is probably nothing more iconic in cartography than the compass rose. In this tutorial you'll 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.

I’ve realised I have a particular workflow for drawing coastlines in my maps. Here’s a quick walkthrough. Each step is done on a new layer in photoshop, and I use a 5px hard round brush in each case with size set to pressure. However, all of these steps can be done in Gimp – or … Continue reading "How to Draw Coastlines on a Fantasy Map"

Canyons are a striking feature of any landscape and can really be a focal point in the story you're telling. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw canyons that bring a sense of depth to the landscape and make your fantasy map really stand out.