How to draw fantasy maps

There are so 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? Is it the entrance to a portal or an underground city? The qu

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"

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! #mapeffects #rpg #fantasy #drawing #maps #dungeonsanddragons #pathfinder #dnd

There are so many ways you can utilize marshes in your worldbuilding and storytelling. They can be a place of great abundance and biodiversity, or they can be somewhere filled with foreboding and danger. Either way, it’s important to understand how they actually form in order to place them on your m

Is there a dangerous stretch of coastline on your fantasy map, where ships must sail carefully lest they get caught upon the hidden stones below? Then adding a lighthouse may be the thing you need to warn weary travelers to keep their distance. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the steps so yo

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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

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

Discovering a cave entrance in the face of a cliff lends to a number of storytelling possibilities and encounters. But, how exactly do you draw something like that, especially if you’re using a top-down perspective? It’s certainly a challenge, but I want to walk you through the process and share som

Swamps are a haunting feature of any fantasy map, their still waters and tangled growth hiding stories of mystery. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to bring these wetlands to life, starting with basic shapes and building up details with simple steps anyone can follow. By the end, you’ll have the skills to create a swamp on your map that your readers or players can explore.

Volcanoes are one of the most dramatic features you could include on your fantasy maps. Adding a volcano to your maps can open up a lot of storytelling possibilities, but how do you go about drawing one? Check out this tutorial which will break down the process so you can draw a volcano on your maps. #mapeffects #rpg #dnd #fantasy #dungeonsanddragons #worldbuilding

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.

How do you draw something like snow on your fantasy map? 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.

What lurks below the surface? There is something terrifying about knowing there could be a massive predator swimming just below you with no idea that it’s even there. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through some easy steps so you can draw a kraken on your fantasy maps.

Grasslands are a great way to bring interest to the “blank” areas of your fantasy map. But, you don’t want it to feel too chaotic by drawing every single blade of grass. Here are 2 easy ways you can draw grasslands yourself!