How to Draw A Detailed Dungeon Map (It's not hard!)

[@Reeman93]

Amazing how the hatching and stippling which might require the least "art skill" of any step is what, to me, really sends the drawing to that real polished professional level.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

A long step, but a very impactful one. Really adds that chefs kiss.

[@zzodysseuszz]

Now you know why I draw cross hatching lmao.

[@Gabrong]

If you have time for those, you are either a professional or a very enthusiastic hobbyist. That's the catch, it's easy just takes a lot of time, which most people with jobs and lives don't have.

[@PossumMedic]

So true! I'd highly recommend checking out Dyson's Dodecahedron! 😃

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

That time warp was awesome. Thanks for that. It made my day. I'm mapping all day today and have your vids in the background. I have 7 dungeons to do. Another great vid. Great job.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

I had candy in some before. Just to mess with them. Like a real Willy Wonka kinda Lich lair. They still talk about it. I had some real fun with that adventure. The candy goblins like umpas, the Lich with the big had that changed colors like a mood ring, the stolen ingredients from the surrounding city, the "feeding room" which I did a play on hansel and grettle sort of vibe with a grandma sort of "eat up kiddies" thing going on. I love mapping and creating adventures.

[@freckledfae]

I just started DMing my first homebrew campaign (and homebrew world) last week, and have never made a dungeon before. So this video is extremely helpful!! My PCs start the next session about to enter a dream fortress, and the tips you gave in this video give me a lot to think about. Especially about giving a heads up to the PCs about the three beds, indicating the possibility of three guards. I didn't consider something like that, so this was very helpful. Thanks for all the great tips! I used your world map video to draw a huge map of the continent where the PCs are using the tips you gave, and my players loved it! I hope they will enjoy their first dungeon, too! Thanks!

[@JPCoovert]

Exploring a Dream Fortress sounds AWESOME! Have fun playing!

[@PossumMedic]

Dyson was a big reason that I got SOOOO into RPGs! Making my first maps felt so good and they looked great! 🙌‍ Dyson also had a great blog post about having your players draw even the most basic sketch of their character. It really gets you thinking about the little things and gives you that extra connection! Plus players love to show off their great little sketches! 🥰 I never force my players to but I always give an in-game reward if they do! And I always make a sketch when I'm playing in a game!

[@CCourts]

Nice, work! thanks for sharing your tips.

[@graceharney7352]

it was fascinating to watch you outline and detail this map in real time! lots of awesome tips and shows that it's easy to make an engaging map really quickly

[@jackmoorhead5871]

An inspiration with every upload JP. You’re the best.

[@VonSkulltaker]

I’m especially excited for this one, JP! Can’t wait to see it when it’s done.

[@Lunareon]

The textures make all the difference. I love how clear and easy your tutorials are. Thank you so much for making these!

[@rjcurrer]

Beautiful! I absolutely love these kinds of maps.

[@mavfan21]

Thanks for inspiring me to do more of my own home brew! I am really enjoying being creative again. I spent too much time planning instead of doing, your channel has helped me decide to just get started.

[@RussellSchaare]

Love Paths Peculiar's art! He does some epic iso drawings

[@goodrichgames1308]

Really enjoy your stuff. I have been doing maps off and on over the years, I’m inspired to start again after watching your and Dysons stuff.

[@downtoten5252]

Thank you JP, your drawings give me inspiration and the encouragement you give in your videos really brings my confidence in drawing up too.

[@stephenhendrick9790]

Watching this video makes me want to pick up a pen and draw, very inspiring

[@sequoyahwright]

Absolutely incredible. Everything in the world is Magic, except to the Magician. Thank you for passing on some of your Deep Magic!

[@sharpmountaingames9303]

Thanks for a positive video! This is the kind of content I need to be sampling right now, staying away from, well, the elephant in the room. This kind of thing is good for any system or genre. Thank JP and all the best!

[@johnyoungerman1857]

Thanks, some great idea's from not only this video, but have also been checking-out your older ones. I have a few weeks till my next game and this has been helpful. Peace and Gruß from Germany

[@DG-pm6ou]

Thanks JP, excellent tutorial! I rewatched it and saw that you used 1/4 inch paper but thankyou for the reply!

[@kathyevans3251]

I love the dungeon.Thank you for the inspiration.

[@DeathCatInHat]

Map looks amazing, I have been staring to use the cross hatching on mine recently and I really like how it looks.

[@mityakarma]

Dude, you're crazy, but that's why I love you. I reconsidered my profession as an artist, and started doing it with love.

[@firmainvitada431]

Thanks a lot for your work. Your videos are really inspiring and your tips are very useful! Greetings from Spain! Cheers!

[@SpectrumDIY]

That was really great dude, thank you for sharing! :D

[@VengerSatanis]

I've been making my own, and it is rewarding. Cha'alt!

[@r1chardj0n3s]

Dude, thank you so much for this one!

[@DracoPlaysYT]

Hey, I don't know if you're gonna see this, but... Now that you have the map, are you just going to use that as the battle map, or are you gonna make a battle map for the dungeon? (Im just asking how you are going to display it when played through in your game if you do to your players)

[@JPCoovert]

I've done it several different ways. If the map isn't too big I like using Adobe Acrobat to do a poster print. It splits up the bigger image into 8.5x11 size sheets of paper for easy printing.

[@DracoPlaysYT]

@@JPCoovert 👍😊

[@lgerback34]

Amazing as always.

[@BillabongJim]

underrated channel!

[@SpaceGravy]

This is so beautiful. I’m an TTRPG newbie but trying to learn to play with my daughter. Can I ask, are the squares not a bit small for any minis here?

[@Runehammer1]

impeccable

[@trevormoore8660]

Hi , great map drawing ideas , I like the boldness of your work. I was wondering if you ever try to digitally remove the blue graph grid where it's not been drawn over ? You might not want the grid if you're digitally making a map for one of your zines? If so what method do you use ? I tried a blue color removal method I found on a website ( I think it was Paths Peculiars site?) but I had mixed results - the blue went but it affected the darkness of the black drawn lines.

[@JPCoovert]

Yes! I usually remove the grid when I scan the map. In photoshop I just adjust the levels (slide black to the right, white to the left). If you have any shading it can get trickier though.

[@forrest4trees]

JP I need help! Could you please show how you give your digital art a hand drawn brush look? I can’t find any tutorials! I love your videos and would really appreciate if you could show this. Thanks!

[@JPCoovert]

It's different per program and there are TONS of tutorials, just be specific when you search. Good luck!

[@forrest4trees]

@@JPCoovert Thanks! I just found what I was looking for. Your content is the best!

[@infinite13390]

Have you ever designed a map based in the sky? Sky dungeon, floating blocks, different ways to traverse? Would love to see your take on it.

[@JPCoovert]

There's a point crawl adventure in my shop called Sky Garden about Astral Giants living on a cloud. Not exactly a dungeon, but definitely my take on the idea you're mentioning!

[@bigbongtheory4222]

I'm new to dnd. How would u go about playing this one with minis? Would u just have to upscale?

[@archangel0891]

Judt found your channel.. have you ever thought about doing custom HeroQuest maps/quests?

[@nickmccoy4239]

Hey JP, what kind of graph paper do you use? I am thinking of trying this myself and would love to know!

[@JPCoovert]

This! www.dickblick.com/products/bienfang-gridded-paper/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=10613-1026&gclid=CjwKCAiA2rOeBhAsEiwA2Pl7Q85OVbs6vGeIdlgYRzif9Z2REftENAB6WhU1IiDhrCqsjPW_PkMB9hoCXMIQAvD_BwE

[@joeTheN]

Don't be so fussy about filling in the "solid" areas around the rooms, halls, etc. Or consider a photoshop version with said details greyed out. it looks pretty, but when I want to freshen up a dungeon the players have played by adding new hallways, rooms, tunnels to craw through, the cross-hatching can get in the way. Blanking out some empty space ("filled in by fallen stone blocks") is easy. The rest could be easier.

[@Kubsterrb17]

I have been wondering JP, whether do you show your maps to your players or not? You are preparing it on a grid, so it would seem that is has been created with tactical combat in mind, but at the same time don't you feel that showing such map may kinda spoiler the whole adventure for your players? They can directly see, where the tresure chamber is, where possibly boss will be encountered? Do you scan your maps and hide their parts via some kind of fog of war program, or maybe you just put something over the paper sheet so their view would be limited? Also, Just wanted to say, that I love your content. Cheers, from Poland.

[@JPCoovert]

Thanks Jakub! Yeah, this map I would cover up where the players haven't explored. I have printed out rooms of maps before, but that is kinda slow and can get confusing. Covering up with paper has worked the best for me.

[@Kubsterrb17]

@@JPCoovert Can you say what are you using most often for covering the map so it wouldn't show though the top layer?

[@ambivaliart9780]

@@Kubsterrb17 construction paper is popular, but anything that is thicker than regular printer paper (or a different color than white) would probably work. Maybe index cards would be good, so you can tactically reveal only a section at a time

[@JPCoovert]

@@Kubsterrb17 Black construction paper!

[@TaylorLopez412]

For dungeon masters: what do you DO with a map like this? I LOVE how it looks, I love how beautiful it is, and you really make it feel like something I could do myself when prepping for a session. HOWEVER, what then do I do with it? Do I give it to my players as a physical map for their dungeon? It's obviously a little small to use as a full-blown map to put minis on. Or do you just keep it to yourself and enjoy your own work with no intention of showing the players (at least not right away)? This question plagues me ☠

[@JPCoovert]

I like to put the map on the table and use a little token to show where the player's group is. My players are experienced enough to know that their characters don't know the layout of the dungeon and can suspend some disbelief and all that. This probably doesn't work for every group, but it does for me!

[@TaylorLopez412]

@@JPCoovert thanks for the insight! I have a desire to surprise my players by trying not to reveal too much beforehand, but I also want them to be immersed by such cool art like this. Perhaps I can cut a map up into pieces and reveal it like a mini map. Either way, thanks for the demonstration, it’s awesome!

[@seanjaskowiak3407]

Ive just come across your channel and am enthralled by your map videos and am trying my hardest to use what you teach in isometric maps... BUT, I am having the hardest time with town perspective and tower maps... Any chance you could do these two things in a slow progression? Sorry if that's presumptuous, but you never get anything if you don't try

[@JPCoovert]

Thanks! Check out my "How To Draw an Isometric D&D Town Map" video!

[@seanjaskowiak3407]

@JP Coovert I actually did! It's great, but I am having issues with range if that makes sense. You have a foreground, middle ground, and background... I can't figure out how to place those correctly, and you went super fast with your placement. I could literally copy your map, but that would be plagiarism and not cool. So, I'd rather learn how those three things are decided.

[@JPCoovert]

@@seanjaskowiak3407 Hmm... Since it's on the grid there technically isn't a for/middle/background. I guess stuff that is higher up on the map would be considered the background? Grab a second sheet of grid paper, a scrap sheet, and copy my map (or someone else that you like). It doesn't have to be a finished map, but that's a good way to learn!

[@seanjaskowiak3407]

@JP Coovert if I've got your permission, I'll do just that. It looks odd without it, but I can't remember my 7th grade art class all that well lol. The isometric dungeons do really well with it - "by accident." As an actual artist, could that be done with a city view? I don't know and I would best differ to your knowledge.

[@LamirLakantry]

Okay, but practically how does this get used in game? Do the players just get to see the entire map before entering? Also, with a grid size that small, the standard 1 inch base character models won't fit, so do you make a separate second map scaled up for each room and hall or something? Is all this work only for the DM's eyes?

[@hobbyandchill2936]

I would love to see a video where you translate the map to actual play. Do you draw a smaller map for minis when players are actually playing, or do you just use the smaller map and your imagination?

[@JPCoovert]

I don't really mess with gridded combat. So my maps are usually just to help keep track of general layout and where the players have been.

[@Doctor-from-blackmesa]

How do I sign up

[@juangutierrez7277]

What is this? A dungeon for ANTS?!?

[@nevergonagovieyouup4383]

bro just causally time warped as if we wouldn't notice

[@maxducoudray]

“If you can draw a straight line…” And I’m out!

[@qasembaker5417]

Don’t go too fast

[@posterboi87]

The problem I run into is I LOVE your videos for me but I'm looking for something for my 8 year old son. He is the game master for his friends but so far we have just been printing maps from DunGEN. Your videos don't SHOW how you come up with the maps, it only shows what the map looks like when you're done. Example: this vid starts which a whole pencil drawn map. You just explained what you did while filling it with permanent ink

[@JPCoovert]

You could get the guide that I talk about in this video or watch many of my other videos!

[@posterboi87]

@@JPCoovert lol I kind of went through them all lol.... Just ended up throwing the book in the cart lol. Thanks

[@gamingwithowen2707]

I feel like he is overestimating the skill of some of us. Still a great video though

[@JPCoovert]

No way! If you follow the steps, are patient, and do a little bit of practice I promise you can draw something that looks just as good!