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Anyone have any tips for drawing big cities on a fantasy map in detail?
Or just fantasy maps in general? Help!
Lukas&Livia
#Lalbert
Sef&Chase
#HOTTOLINE
LEFSE FOREVER!!!!!! <333There’s many ways you can do fantasy maps, so it comes down to style and preference. You can have straight overhead maps or you can make it look like your looking at it at an angle. Or you could have zoomed in sections of the map to show locations in the way a person would view them if there. I’m always happy to help with maps, so just ask!
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
I know nothing about this, lol, but I’ll just tag @kyronthearcanin again XD… she might have some tips for you.
There is always light behind the clouds.
- Little Women, Louisa May Alcott@hybridlore Thanks!! 😁
@savannah_grace2009 Hi! So for the record, when I do maps of cities, I generally draw them separately. However, if your map is big enough you can draw buildings as small squares/other shapes, depending on how they’re built. Axiom is right, there are many different angles. If you draw a city up beside mountains or trees, make sure their height matches what it would look like in reality. 😉As for fantasy maps in general, feel free to ask me anything! I’m no expert, but I’ll be glad to help anytime. (:
You can make anything by writing - C. S. Lewis
@kyronthearcanin Sure XD
There is always light behind the clouds.
- Little Women, Louisa May Alcott@thearcaneaxiom @kyronthearcanin
Here’s where my problem lies: I need to show small details (a well outside the city, the slums, different districts, etc.) but drawing each individual building and block and street is IMPOSSIBLE since it’s a huge city! So what do you guys think I should do?
Should I omit these details altogether or is there a way to do them?
Lukas&Livia
#Lalbert
Sef&Chase
#HOTTOLINE
LEFSE FOREVER!!!!!! <333Well, like Solfyre pointed out, that depends on how much space the map covers. If it’s a world map, such details should be ignored, if it’s a city map, you could do it, but it can be hard depending on the size of the paper you have to make it, unless you can do it digitally. With city maps, as well as the level of detail you seem to want, I would recommend a direct overhead view, instead of any attempt on angles.
Here, I’ll post some random fantasy city maps. You can point out what looks more or less like what you want.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
Hey, I just saw this and as a mapmaker decided to place a bit of input.
If you want to do digital maps, there is a thing called Inkarnate. It’s where you can build your maps online. The downside is that to access all their tools, you need to buy their premium option, but they also have a free option.
I am a self-trained mapmaker, but I have used Pinterest a lot, especially in the beginnings, to find ideas and step-by-step tutorial things. Mapmaking is actually a lot easier than people think it is, and it can be a lot of fun.
When making continental or island borders/where the land meets the sea, be wild and very wavy and curvy with your lines, the same is with ponds and lakes, just toned down a bit.
Personally, forests are the worst for me, because I do those little bumps and fill in the entire thing. It looks nice in the end, but if you have something massive like The Jungles of Plonst, from the Wingfeather Saga for example, do it in doses.
Mountains are easier than they look, it just takes practice. You should always know where the sun rises in your world, and indicate it with shadows on mountains and hills.
Grasslands, swamps, and hills are not difficult, but sometimes if you add dots or small lines it can make it look better.
I found out that one of the best ways to do sand dunes is to do a hump, a squiggly to show the peak and its sides, and then to shade one side. On hills I usually do a hump, and shade the one side in the shape of a crescent.
If you want to go fancy with a compass rose, N,S,E,W, and likewise N/W, N/E, S/E, S/W, etc lines with dashes are really cool to use for your oceans.
I hope I did not make that too much of an information overload…
In my long (and normally annoying/disappointing) searches for a decent online map maker, I finally found a treasure. This map maker is awesome!
https://www.redblobgames.com/maps/mapgen4/
You will love what you spend time with.
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