Okay, so you want to make a fantasy map. Who doesn’t? But, where do you start? You’ve got a sheet of blank paper, a brand-new ink pen, and the desire to create new worlds. So how do you decide what shape that world is going to take?
Finding Shape
There are a few popular methods for developing your mapmaking skills. The first is my method, but try them all, then come up with your own if those don’t work. Just see what sticks.
Tracing real places
This is how I got started. I wanted to draw my home country (Canada) to look like a fantasy world. So, I printed out a picture of the map and traced the shape. Then, I set to adding fantasy characteristics in the mountains, forests, and font.
From that practice, I carried on to draw more maps of real places (New Zealand, Australia, Britain, Japan, and so on) until I really got an idea of the shape of islands and continents. The more you practice with these models, the more those shapes stick in your head. You learn which forms lakes tend to take, the line of mountain ranges, and where rivers stem from. You figure out how little islands break off from big landmasses to scatter the ocean.
It’s a great place to get started, and can inspire a ton of creativity!
The rice or rock method
You might’ve seen this one going around on TikTok and Instagram: it’s the rice or rock method. Someone will lay down a sheet of paper and dump a bunch of rice (or pebbles) on top, then trace around the shape to get an organic, landmass-feeling creation.
I’ve personally never tried this, now that I mainly draw digitally on a tablet. But if you’re really stuck for inspiration, I would recommend it!
Find an interesting object
This might be a weird one. Find an interesting shape. Go on! Just look around the room. A ukulele? A banana? A pair of wired headphones? Then, take that shape and use it as a basic reference for the land you want to create. You can use other oddly shaped objects for your lakes, swamps, or coves – whatever!
Keep practicing
Drawing a fantasy map from scratch takes a bit of practice. My recommendation is just to try things. It’s okay if you have a shaky hand (that actually looks more realistic) and it’s okay if you don’t have your style figured out right away. My style is continuously evolving, and I’ve been drawing custom fantasy maps for years.
As you progress, you’ll learn the intricacies – then forget all of them, because heck! You’re creating a made-up magical world. You can do whatever you want.
Happy map drawing! And if you want your map creation turned into a digital map-sterpiece (see what I did there?) then check out my shop at PeculiarPDesigns.com/shop
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