Filling in Blank Space - Fantasy Map Drawing Tips

[@kylelandoni7298]

I have probably ZERO artistic skill when it comes to drawing, but your videos have been a major help. Keep up the great work!

[@WASD20]

Thank you! Happy mapping.

[@aaron1uk]

I concur 2 years later!

[@aliceconnors5842]

Just finished my high school art major work, a set of three maps, inspired by your methods. Keep up the talent!

[@limalvin1]

Oky

[@prophet9001]

Nice

[@kashthetrashman]

What did you get?

[@DodgyScotsman]

KASH THE TRASHMAN An A D&D

[@thorodinson6649]

Awesome

[@old_geeky_Michael]

Thanks Nate. That map is looking amazing! Really like the "individual trees with ground shading method", gives the map a very distinctive feel I think.

[@WASD20]

Thanks, Michael. I'm quite happy with it too!

[@fullerblacksmithing7954]

I've been inspired and made a map for my book I've been writing thank you!!!

[@TheCommandTent]

Lots of great tips. I'm really liking your change to the individual tree method.

[@WASD20]

Thanks!

[@simmonslucas]

Damn son! You getting good at cartography! I do have to thank you again for the map contest a couple years back. Finished one campaign with two DMs two months ago and will be starting the 2nd campaign in that world that directly came out of inspiration from the map itself. The map drove the story and tone of campaign.

[@WASD20]

Ah, man. That's so awesome! Thanks for the kind words!

[@ANTIMATTERLAZAR]

I'm personally a fan of standing rock formations.

[@renberry9541]

Please do more fantasy map drawing tutorials!!! and even speeddraws!!! Love these vids!

[@WASD20]

Thanks. :)

[@amnatarar221]

Needed to draw a map recently. Your videos have been of TREMENDOUS help! Thank you so much! I did not think it would be this much fun drawing maps, but you make it look so easy.

[@jaifethroberts4193]

Hey Nate, I've really liked making maps for a long time and wasn't that good at it, but you inspired me to make my maps better and keep improving them, now I teach other people and I teach a class on fantasy cartography

[@WASD20]

Nice! Where is this class? Super curious. :)

[@jaifethroberts4193]

Well, it's not an official class(yet ;), I'm just teaching some younger friends of mine how to make fiction maps. Just want to thank you again for inspiring me to make my maps better, and teach other people how to improve.

[@funnyperson7656]

Making maps is one of the few art skills im good at, because it doesn't require perfectly straight lines. So if i accidentally mess up a tiny bit it wont matter since its a coast line.

[@KevinKayotic]

I don't always watch every video. But whenever I see a video I make sure to like it! Loving the mapping and product reviews!!

[@WASD20]

Thanks! I appreciate it. :)

[@Aro_Wolf]

These videos are huge help to create my own world. Thank you so much for making these and keep up the good work.

[@Tronikart]

Thats a beautiful map, thanks for the tips, I figured some out on the go while making my first big map but still very great content!

[@bluesheep3671]

Loving these types of videos you are doing! you are being so helpfull making an amatuer like me drawing maps for my dnd(my party thinks i am buying them or somebody else doing it xD) ! good job,great tips!

[@WASD20]

Haha. That's awesome. Thanks so much.

[@Artisanprophet]

This my favorite part of designing maps

[@vikingshaman3079]

This idea actually came to me while watching this video, add little signposts at crossroads and such.... Just to have little suptle details throughout the empty areas of the map.

[@arkangesaga]

Have you ever tried some city/town maps?

[@WASD20]

Just doodles. Not much! Some day. :)

[@arkangesaga]

I'd love to see a video about that! thx :)

[@kyokurosaki6846]

super cool and sooooo nice, you helped me a lot for an exercise for my school . Thankssss!!!!!!!!!!!

[@carolev.5648]

Hi Nate! Let me preface this wall of text with: I love what you do and I wouldn't be able to do even a third of it. I'm still going to give my 2 cents, because... KZbin? ^_^' I prefer the individual tree method for your forests, and it reminded me of a desert where you added some cacti. Indeed, I think you could add some visual storytelling to your maps. For example, you could have - pointy, fir-like tree in icy regions, maybe even snow-cap them; - for temperate regions, more rounded- or oblong-topped trees - palm trees in Mediterranean or tropical climates, or close to beaches - for jungles I guess, that'd be very close-set trees with vines criss-crossing them? This would also make it easier to add a big tree as a special feature: think Old Man willow or a huge sequoia. As I started with, take what I'm saying with a HUGE grain of salt, I'm not an artist and maybe those variations would just turn a map into visual goop. In any case: thanks for all the hard work, and I'll keep watching. :D

[@WASD20]

Thanks for the kind words, and for the suggestions. I actually have tried a lot of what you mention in other maps. :)

[@Davy.J.Y]

This looks so great, i really enjoyed watching this video, excellent map drawing :)

[@WASD20]

Thanks!

[@MCbeccy89]

Thanks for the video, needing to make a few maps for my class :P

[@ColonelRPG]

I think this is one of the inherent shortcomings of hand-drawn maps, but if you're doing a digital map, I think textures are something that can work very nicely to sort of fill in a map. I've personally achieved very acceptable results by just putting simple maps on top of a paper texture, but if you want to go the extra mile and custom make your texture with the folds and all that just as you want them, it can work very well. Just avoid burning the paper near your obligatory token lava island in the middle of the ocean that you find too big and too empty :P

[@bobothefearless]

what would you do for deserts?

[@adm0iii]

Dots to represent sand. A few scrub brush (like grass clumps but tight at base), or sharp low hills with dots for sand dunes, depending on type of desert. A few dead trees for desolation.

[@bobothefearless]

thanks!

[@davids.9313]

1) what kind of paper do you use for printing the digital maps 2) What kind of picture format do you use when to scan your map into GIMP (pdf or Jpg) 3) what kind of scanner/printer do you use. pls reply ( I have so many questions)

[@WASD20]

1) I don't print them in general. If so, plain computer paper. 2) I scan as PNG. 3) I have a very old Brother MFC, but something like this would be good. amzn.to/2ALheM5

[@davids.9313]

WASD20 thanks for the reply and sorry for the (language) mistake didn't notice it

[@davids.9313]

Thank you for the help, I've finished my map, how can I send to you? (any criticism would be nice so I can improve)

[@kellylouis6840]

Do you take commission work? And if so, how much do you charge?

[@WASD20]

I do. Email me at [e-mail] and I'll get you my commission info and pricing. Also more info at www.sellswordmaps.com

[@kellylouis6840]

Awesome Great Thanks!!!

[@jamesbrooks9321]

nice vid, what are some ways you might draw a jungle?

[@degrees-xg7og]

Can you please make a video on the boundaries of kingdoms in the map?

[@kylerobinson9994]

love this. so helpful

[@manuelmilone2968]

Will you make a video where you explain how to draw swamps and deserts?

[@WASD20]

I will indeed.

[@manuelmilone2968]

@@WASD20 Good, 'cause I think they're the last things that separate this tutorial from being complete together with a video on how to draw roads on a map

[@johann53100]

does adjusting your white balance help with showing detail since the paper wouldn't be so bright?

[@spek3811]

Yes, it does.

[@jobewhitman6792]

I have trouble filling in tundra areas. What would you suggest for those?

[@WASD20]

Just lines, and maybe little tufts of brush. It's challenging, but terrain doesn't need to be so spot on that someone can spot it and say - that's tundra! Seems pretty tough. Just do your part, and the rest can be brought out in the game or book or whatever.

[@jackahammer884]

Would it help to put a Sign of snow in like the trees and snow?

[@davidmusicmaker]

What do the dotted (or broken) lines represent?

[@josephlever9716]

I KNEW IT!! You ARE secretly a chicken! 'Chicken scratch'

[@WASD20]

Freudian slip!

[@dabrodas1909]

Ur so helpful man

[@ericschultz2730]

So now how would someone be able to draw snow and glaciers? The map I'm trying to create is my first ever map, and i plan on having a glacier and two snow/arctic regions. My map will also have two grassy regions. A tundra/steppe, and then a lower, more typical plains regions. How can I make the two different, yet still come off as grass?

[@RichardBurr-or-Povall]

Hey, loving your vids. Just wondering if you have any advice for drawing deserts and tundras? If you've done videos on this, could you please point me in the right direction. Thanks

[@WASD20]

I think I may have that in Drawing a Fantasy map part 6 or 7? At least for deserts. But I should do updated ones. Thanks for the feedback!

[@windywednesday4166]

How do you mark water sources along route that are not streams or lakes?

[@fraso7331]

"Don't be afraid of empty space!" (a lot of Art-Teachers)

[@woddenbukkit1016]

I like this video.

[@soulnickos2245]

Is this map on an A3 paper?

[@photochic18]

How would you create a world that is about the size of Australia that has an ice barrier around the hole thing and ocean beyond that... Im not sure how to visually show the height of the ice barrier.

[@rustam3693]

Watch his video about cliffs and canyons, I'm not sure but it might help

[@everythingyouneedtoknowabo2619]

But one question: which type of pen do you use

[@WASD20]

Pigma Micron. Link in video description.

[@IcoKirov]

The map looks great and those fillers are nice, but is it just me or that river in the middle doesn't make any sense? There are 4 ending points one ending in a sea, two ending in lakes, and one ending in a mountain. Basically they are two rivers with start and end, and somehow they are still connected by another one...

[@andrewmcneill6641]

"A nice THICC marker"

[@pandoraarts7748]

I keep forgetting the roads......

[@carriehanifen3434]

😀👍

[@jragonjewel5745]

Why didn’t you use Taylor Swift for inspiration? But *I got a blank space* baby And I’ll *write your name*

[@WASD20]

*groans*

[@chancepiguet6943]

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