In the ancient stories of Scotland, down by the misty lochs and the swift rivers, there lives a water spirit known as the kelpie. Most locals remember it first as a horse, a firmly muscled creature standing alone at the water's edge with its dripping mane intertwined with aquatic plants pulled up from the depths. Yet the kelpie is no ordinary beast. It is a shapeshifter, and in the old tales, it sometimes steps out of the water as a man or a woman, overflowing with temptation. Still, it is that lone horse that lingers in memory, calm and inviting, as though it has been waiting there just for you to draw near.

And that is where the true danger lies, for the kelpie never shows its darker intentions. It carries something of the Scottish landscape deep inside it. It is the wild beauty of the place made flesh, a living reminder of those treacherous edges where the solid ground meets the portal to the depths. One careless touch, and you will meet death with a smile on your face, until it is too late.

Where Are Kelpies Found?

They say that every loch and waterway holds the potential dwelling of a kelpie. With tens of thousands of lochs scattered across the rugged landscape, it is no wonder that most have their own unique stories. In some places the kelpie becomes tied to one particular spot, perhaps a lonely river crossing or a stretch of water long known to be treacherous. Over the years these dangerous places gather stories around them like moss on stone, until the name of the kelpie and the name of the water seem to belong to each other. What matters most is that the kelpie is not a wanderer. It is bound to its place. It belongs to the water that gave it life, and its stories serve as a living mark upon the land, a reminder that certain places ask for caution and respect.

A Boundary Creature

The kelpie dwells right at the boundary, where solid land gives way to water. These are old thresholds, places that have always felt uncertain, neither fully one thing nor the other. In the old ways of thinking, such edges carry a kind of charged power, as though the veil between worlds grows thin there. The kelpie belongs to that uncertain line. It is a creature of edges, born where the known world begins to slip into the unknown. Some stories speak plainly of death. The kelpie lures its victim onto its back or into its grasp, then plunges into the deep, dragging them down to the cold, silent depths where they drown. Yet in other tellings, there is a deeper sense of transportation, as if the creature carries the unwary not just to death, but into the otherworld, that shadowy fairy realm that lies beyond mortal sight. The traditions do not always draw a sharp line between the two and what matters most is the crossing itself. Once you step past that boundary, once the solid ground falls away and the water takes hold, there is no return. Whether it is simple drowning or a journey into something stranger, the result is the same. The old life is lost, and the depths keep their own.

How to Identify a Kelpie

Though the kelpie appears as a horse, there are certain details that are said to set it apart from an ordinary animal. Its mane and tail are often described as wet, sometimes tangled with weeds or plants from the water, as though it has just emerged. Its eyes may appear pale and unnatural, giving it a presence that feels slightly off even if everything else seems normal. Its coat is often described as dark, though some traditions speak of a white horse, and in certain accounts, its hooves are reversed.

These signs are not always immediately obvious, and that is part of the pattern in these stories. The kelpie does not reveal itself clearly or all at once. It appears familiar enough to be approached, and only upon closer inspection does something feel wrong. By then, it is often too late.

The Lure

The most consistent thread running through every kelpie tale is the way it draws people in. The creature often stands quietly at the water’s edge, as if it has been left behind by its owner or is simply waiting for someone kind enough to take it home. There is nothing immediately threatening about it. That calm, patient look is exactly what makes the encounter so dangerous. When a person draws near, the kelpie allows them to approach without fear. It may even stand steady while they climb onto its back. But the moment contact is made, everything changes. The rider finds they cannot let go and their hands stick fast to the creature’s hide as though glued there by some dark magic. With a sudden plunge, the kelpie surges forward into the water, dragging its victim beneath the surface and down into the cold, silent depths.

Some traditions add a chilling detail. When the waters finally grow still again, the only trace left behind is the victim’s liver washed up on the shore. That single gruesome sign tells everyone that the transition was not to some parallel world, but an embrace of death. These stories were told most often as warnings, especially to curious children who might wander too close to the water. Yet they carry a deeper truth as well. The edge of a loch or river can look perfectly calm and harmless on the surface, while beneath it lie hidden things that can claim a life in a moment. The kelpie, in its way, gives a face and a name to dangers that have always been real.

Capture at Your Peril

Kelpies are said to possess the strength of many horses, far beyond anything an ordinary animal could manage. Yet there are old traditions in which a kelpie can be captured, at least for a time. If a man can slip a bridle over its head, the creature can be bound and controlled. While it wears that bridle, it may be forced into heavy labor, hauling stone for walls, pulling loads that would break a normal horse. This control, however, is never more than temporary. The stories are clear that the moment the bridle is removed or slips free, the kelpie returns straight to the water. And when it does, it does not simply vanish without consequence. It remembers what was done to it, and its return often brings vengeance, ruin, or death to those who dared to bind it. Local legends tell of one man of the MacGregor clan who managed just that. He bound a kelpie and used its strength to build his stronghold. The work went faster and heavier than any ordinary horse could have allowed. But once the creature escaped…needless to say that line of the family suddenly ended.

A Tale of the Kelpie

One story tells of a group of young boys who set out to fish in waters known to be dangerous. While near the shore, they came across a fine horse standing unattended. It looked calm, with nothing about it suggesting immediate danger. Whether drawn by the beauty of the animal or by some quiet magic, they forgot all the warnings they had grown up hearing. One by one they climbed onto its back, treating it as they would any ordinary animal they might find grazing, laughing and joking as they settled in. The youngest among them hung back a little, unsure. But the horse seemed so gentle that he finally reached out and touched its coat, perhaps to stroke its neck. That was the moment everything changed. His hand stuck fast to the hide as though glued there by filaments of magic. In that instant he understood the terrible truth, while the others still laughed, oblivious to the danger. He tried to pull away but could not. With a last act of desperation, he drew his knife and cut off his own hand, freeing himself just as the creature turned toward the water. The kelpie rushed headlong into the loch, carrying all the rest of the boys with it where they were dragged beneath the surface. He alone returned to shore, forever marked by the loss of his hand and the memory of his friends’ laughter fading into the cold depths.

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Waves work patiently at the land, and now and then an arch of stone remains, carved by water and weather. Their silhouettes define the shoreline, and become iconic features on your fantasy map.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to draw a sea arch, breaking it down into simple steps you can easily follow.

Want some free brushes to draw your maps? Get The Free Apprentice Brush Pack HERE

Sketch the Coastal Cliff Shapes

The first thing you’ll want to do is sketch out the basic shape of the coastline. Use a sweeping horizontal stroke to really seel the perspective, and then draw some simple cliff faces down from the points.

Sketch the Archways and the Base of the Cliffs

Now you can close off the bottoms of the cliffs where they will contact the water. Remember, the shape should generally follow the cliff edge on the top. Finally, you can sketch in a couple of partial circles in the areas of the cliff that are jutting out to place your sea arch.

Add More Form to the Cliffs

Keep fleshing out some of the details, like sediment layers in the cliffs, and vertical lines to give further form. The other key to getting a more 3D look is to draw in the inside of the arches to give a sense of thickness to the rock.

Draw Smaller Rocks & Wave Lines

The final part of the sketch is to add in a scattering of rocks in front of and behind the arches to add visual interest. Then you can draw some wavy lines that generally follow the shape of the cliffs and don’t be afraid to have them disappear behind certain parts of the arch to give more depth!

Now let’s ink the line art!

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Ink the Final Line Art

Create a new layer above your sketch if you’re working digitally and switch to a heavier brush that has line weight sensitivity turned on. This means the harder you press, the thicker the line will be. This will allow you to get some more natural, organic-looking lines. If you’re working with traditional tools, I prefer a brush pen for this step.

Block in the Main Colors

Create another layer below your line art and block in some colors for your map. The colors you choose are really up to you, and it depends on the aesthetic of the map. For me, I am going to stick with more sepia values for the land and contrast it with the cooler blues in the water.

Paint the Base Shadows

Create a new layer below your line art and above your color layer and set the blend mode to “Multiply”. Then use a low opacity brush like I include in the Free Apprentice Brush Pack HERE. This will allow you to make several passes and gradually deepen the shadows. I like to use a very desaturated blue (almost grey) for this step.

For the blending, I like to use a textured brush as a smudge tool to give a bit of a painterly look. Again, you can find a free one I like to use in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

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Deepen Shadows & Add Detail

Create another layer above your previous layer, but this time set the blend mode to Linear Burn! You can use that same desaturated blue, but I switched to the Wash Brushes in the Modern Map Maker Brush Pack to get a bit more of a watercolor look.

The key here is to look at the details in your line art, and determine the areas that would be more hidden from the light source. You want to add shadows where the sun would be completely blocked by the cliffs, but also where objects overlap.

Add Highlights to Make it Pop!

Create one more layer, but this time set the blend mode to Add or Screen, then switch to a very light yellow or grey. Once again, look at your light source and just paint a bit of highlights where the light would be striking. Don’t be afraid to use that smudge tool to blend things a bit, or the opacity slider on the whole layer to tone things down if you need to.

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful, so you can draw a sea arches on your next fantasy map! Be sure to check out some of the other tutorials below to help you in your map-making journey.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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The sea stretches before you, the same wine-dark expanse crossed by Odysseus as he wrestled with gods, monsters, and the whims of fate. Greek ships like his carried stories across the Mediterranean for centuries, their painted eyes watching the horizon for both danger and destiny.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to draw an ancient Greek ship like those that shaped epics, inspired mythologies, and still spark our imagination thousands of years later.

Want some free brushes to draw your maps? Get The Free Apprentice Brush Pack HERE

Observation: Ancient Greek Ship Design

Before sketching your own ship, it helps to understand the signature elements that defined Greek vessels in ancient art. These features appear again and again on pottery and you can use it as a source of inspiration. It’s important to point out that the goal is not a precise scholarly illustration that is 100% historically accurate to a particular time period. Even some of the things listed above have exceptions in history (Like having more than one mast). What you are doing is compiling a mental list of shapes and aesthetics that all cause your final illustration to look “Greek” to a viewer.

Sketch the Size of the Ship

With our list in mind, we can begin by sketching a couple of simple rectangles, which mainly inform the overall size of the ship and mast.

Sketch the Silhouette of the Ship

You can now begin carving out the main silhouette of your ship within the boxes from the previous step. Remembering the sloping shape of the bow, and the elegant curve in the back. Even with just this, it already looks like an ancient Greek ship.

Add Basic Details like Oars and Ornamentation

We begin with simple shapes and work toward complexity. Now you can sketch in things like oars coming out of the side of the ship, as well as the eye at the front and the tail feathers at the back.

Decoding the Symbolism

The Eye

The most distinctive feature on the prow is the painted eye, an emblem meant to protect both ship and crew. To the Greeks, this eye helped the vessel “see” its course, ward off evil, and navigate the uncertainties of the sea. It’s one of the oldest and most widespread symbols in Mediterranean maritime culture, appearing on artifacts for centuries.

The Feathers

At the rear of the ship, you’ll find an upward-curling stern ornament, often shaped like a fan of tail feathers called an “aphlaston.” For the Greeks, it was one of the most iconic features of their ships. Capturing the aphlaston of an enemy ship was a public sign of triumph. Cities displayed captured aphlasta in temples as trophies of naval conquest. Tomb reliefs for sailors and captains included aphlasta to mark their identity and status.

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Draw Contours on Sails, Ropes, and Railings

Add contour lines to the sail, and imagine it filling with the wind as it drives the ship through the water. You can also add some further detailing to the eye, railings, and rear of the ship.

Sketch Waves and Water Details

It’s now time to put our ship in the water. Draw a series of waves with either rounded tops, slightly pointed, or a combination of the two. You can then add some sea spray at the front to indicate the ship slicing through the water.

Ink the Main Shapes of the Ship

If you are working digitally, you can create a new layer above your sketch and ink in all the main shapes. I like to use a pressure-sensitive brush or brush pen for this step so I can vary the width of the lines easily. The lines may appear a bit bold in this example, but trust me, it will look great when it’s a smaller scale on the map itself.

Finish Inking the Details

To finish off your line art, go through and add some subtle hatching lines to indicate shadow. You can also add a bit of texture to imply boards along the hull of the ship.

Now, let’s add some color!

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Paint Main Colors on Ship & Water

Create a new layer beneath your line art and block in the main colors of your ship. In Homer’s Odyssey, the hull of Odysseus’ vessel is repeatedly described as dark or black, since Greek ships were coated in tar or pitch to keep them waterproof. For this piece, I chose a deep brown instead, which fits the warmer palette of my map while still echoing that historic detail. I also added red accents along the prow and stern a color often used in Greek decoration to give ships a bold, distinctive character.

Paint the Shadows on the Ship & Water

To add some simple shadows, the first thing you’ll want to decide is the location of your light source. Then, create another layer above your color layer and below your line art to begin painting your shadows. Set the blend more of that layer either to “Multiply” or “Linear Burn”, and you may want to play with the opacity slider once you get going to dial in the intensity of the shadows. I like to use a low opacity brush like the shading brush included in The Free Apprentice Brush Pack and a blue/gray color.

Imagine how the light would be hitting the ship and look for areas that would be obscured from the light. Use your line art as a bit of a guide and add shadow where different things on the ship and water overlap.

Add Highlights to the Ship & Water

Finally, create one more layer and set the blend mode to “Screen” or “Add”. Again, once you get painting, you can adjust the opacity slider to dial it in. Just note that “Add” tends to allow more of the color you’re using to bleed in and influence the color you’re painting over. In this case, I’ve switched to a desaturated yellow to reflect the color of the sunlight. Look for edges and areas that would be sitting in direct sunlight to give everything some pop.

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful, so you can draw a delta on your next fantasy map! Be sure to check out some of the other tutorials below to help you in your map-making journey.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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Many of us first fell in love with maps and fantasy while gazing at J.R.R. Tolkien’s map of Middle-earth. Something stirred our imagination as we stared at the Misty Mountains and searched for the entrance to Moria. Inevitably, this led us to want to pick up a pen and draw a map of our own. But where to begin?

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to draw the classic Tolkien-style mountains!

Want some free brushes to draw your maps? Get The Free Apprentice Brush Pack HERE

Draw the Central Mountains

Sketch an arrow on your map where you want your mountain range to appear. This will help you focus on the shape and placement before you draw anything more permanent. Then you can draw a few simple mountains that follow that line. Try to vary he placement of the peaks ont’t he mountains, as well as the size. Try to keep the tallest mountains near the center of the range.

Draw the Foothills

Circle back now and add some smaller mountains and foothills. This will give the appearance of the mountains tapering into the surrounding landscape rather than just sitting on top of the page.

Outline the Shadows

The key with this ‘Tolkien’ style that you see on the classic Middle Earth map, is that the highlight is rather narrow. In this case, the light is coming from the right. Another thing to point out is that I like to leave a bit of halo around mountain peaks that would end up blending into the shadowed area of the mountain behind it. If you don’t do this, the mountains can end up looking visually muddied.

Fill in the Shadows!

Now it’s as simple as filling in the rest of the shadows with your pen and you’re pretty much done. One thing I’ll highlight is that with this style the shadow really stops at the case of the mountain and is relatively flat compared to how I normally would draw mountains. It’s all a stylistic choice in the end, but I think this accurately reflects what you see on Tolkien’s map of Middle Earth.

If you want to watch a video demonstration for this tutorial, I’ve included it below.

Happy Mapping!
- Josh

Check Out the Video Tutorial Below

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The air is heavy with the scent of salt as you trace the winding river to its end. Here, the waters split into countless streams spreading like the roots of a tree into the sea. The soils are rich, teeming with life. A place where civilizations might rise, or secrets might sink beneath the silt.

In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through drawing river deltas that look as though they belong on ancient charts and treasure maps. Features that not only shape the land, but hint at the stories and mysteries flowing through it.

Want some free brushes to draw your maps? Get The Free Apprentice Brush Pack HERE

Begin with a River & Coastline

Draw a river that forms a funnel into the sea or ocean. For a delta to form it needs to be semi-protected from the currents of the ocean washing the silt that will form the delta out to sea. For this reason, it makes more sense to start with a river outlet that is inset and protected within the landscape.

Before we continue, it may be helpful to examine a Map Tip I did that gives a really simple breakdown of how Deltas form.

How Do River Deltas Form?

1. Rivers carve their way downhill, carrying soil and stone from the highlands

2. When the terrain flattens, the river loses momentum and begins to deposit silt near the river mouth.

3. If the ocean currents aren’t strong enough to carry away the sediment, small islands will form.

Sketch the Main Shape of the Delta

Sketch the main shape of the delta by imagining the water carrying silt down the river, and how it would deposit where the river meets the sea. Draw in a few main streams that will flow through the delta and form islands.

Draw Additional Rivers and Connect Them Together

Make your brush slightly smaller, and start to connect some of those main rivers like pieces of a puzzle. Deltas are one of the unique places where rivers consistently split because of the high water table.

Fill Out with Smaller Streams

Use an even smaller brush to draw in a few small streams that fill out the rest of the marshland. Allowing some variety in the line width helps to create visual interest on your map.

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Outline the Islands with Ink

Switch to your inking brush now and outline each of the islands. Remember, you’re using the original sketch to show where the streams are, and you are drawing islands in the negative space.

Detail the Islands of the Delta

Switch to a brush pen or a pressure-sensitive brush and draw some broken lines on the bottom part of the little islands to give them some depth. You can then draw some tufts of grass scattered throughout the delta to just give a bit of texture.

Draw Your Map!

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful, so you can draw a delta on your next fantasy map! Be sure to check out some of the other tutorials below to help you in your map-making journey.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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The room is filled with the scent of dust and old wood as you pry open the creaking cellar door. Stacked in the corner are a few battered wood crates, their rough boards concealing who knows what treasures or traps inside.

Every good dungeon, inn or market needs a place to stash supplies or secrets. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to draw some wood crates that can add a layer of believability or mystery to your fantasy map.

Want some free brushes to draw your maps? Get The Free Apprentice Brush Pack HERE

Sketch the Box Shapes

Begin by sketching a few boxes that you want to place in your map. Focus on scale and their overall shape. Combining boxes of differing sizes and shapes can help add visual interest. Unless of course, the setting needs to look more organized with similar-sized boxes!

Sketch the Frame Boards

Add to your base shapes by drawing out the boards that will frame each box. Experiment with cross pieces that are parallel with the sides, like the crate on the left, and ones that run diagonally.

Add the Remaining Boards

Finally, add the rest of the boards that will make up the wood crate. For visual interest, I tend to draw these boards a little narrower than the ones that make up the frame.

Ink the Main Shapes

Create a new layer if you’re working digitally, and switch to a line art brush with some pressure sensitivity. This will help you vary your line width and allow for subtle imperfections. You want the boxes to appear a little rough and organic, so allow some small breaks in your line as well like you can see in the sample above.

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Draw the Boards and Add Texture

With all the main line art done, you can circle back and begin adding some texture. This admittedly is a bit of a balancing act and will depend on the scale they appear on your map. The smaller they are, the less texture you need. Make sure you add some lines that imply wood grain, and maybe a few knots in the wood.

Block in Main Colors

Create a new layer below your line art and paint in some color. You can use a solid color, but I’d encourage you to also experiment with using a texture brush to add in some subtle variations. Just pick your main color, and then shift the hue, saturation, and brightness around just a little bit to incorporate variety.

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Paint the Cast Shadows

The first thing you’ll need to do is determine your main light source and where it is in relation to your wood crates. For an interior map, it may be coming from a fireplace, a torch, or a luminescent pool of dragon bile…you never know! The point is you want to use that light source to determine where the cast shadows are going to form on the ground.

Create a new layer, and set the blend mode to “Multiply” or “Linear Burn”. With a low opacity brush and a medium gray you can paint in the main cast shadows. Use your light source as a guide!

I would suggest keeping this simple in the beginning. Use some guidelines like I did in the sample above, and make the shadow sharpest right next to the corner of the box and fade it out the further away it gets. Yes, with a small light source like a torch, it would technically be casting a sharper shadow, but then you’ll have to mess around with the height and form of the box. If you’re just getting started, I would fudge on it and just fade out the shadow to give the impression of a larger, soft light source. Almost no one will notice except other artists, and they’ll understand why you did it haha.

Add Detail Shadows

You can now circle back and start deepening shadows and painting them in on the top of the boxes. Personally, I usually create a new layer for this step, once again with the blend mode set to “Multiply” or “Linear Burn”. Look for places where boards overlap and meet, and paint a bit of shadow in those areas.

Paint the Main Highlights

Create another new layer, but this time set the blend mode to “Add” or “Screen”. The result of each is pretty different between Procreate and Photoshop, so just experiment and see what works for you. With the same low opacity brush, select a warmer color to reflect the more yellow torchlight of an interior map. At this point just focus on painting the tops of the boards broadly where the light would be illuminating them. Once again, you’ll add more detail in the next step. This just helps them pop and stand out a bit more.

A Final Pass of Highlights

For the last step, note where your light source is and paint some sharper highlights on the edges of the boards closest to the light. You can then add some sharper highlights on the face of some of the boards to further give the impression of wood grain.

Thank You!

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful, so you can draw some wood crates on your next map! Be sure to check out some of the other tutorials below to help you in your map-making journey.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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As you enter the tavern, you see a crackling fireplace casting a warm, golden glow across the room, its flickering light dancing on the worn wooden beams and inviting you to rest your weary bones after a long journey. The scent of burning oak fills the air, and the soft murmur of fellow adventurers sharing tales pulls you closer.

A fireplace like this isn’t just a detail, it’s a place to gather for your next adventure. But, how do you draw one on your map? In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to craft a fireplace that not only looks good but has a unique flair to fit your fantasy inn or tavern!

Want some free brushes to draw your maps? Get The Free Apprentice Brush Pack HERE

Sketch the Main Fireplace Shapes

The first thing you want to do is decide on the overall size of the fireplace you want to draw on your map. Begin with some simple rectangles to show the chimney, main wall, and the hearth. Keep things simple right now before you start refining your shapes.

Refine the Sketch with More Unique Shapes

If you were drawing more of a typical medieval-looking fireplace, you may want to stick with a rectangular look. But, I want it to feel a little bit different since we are in a fantasy setting. Shaping just a few of the angles to have a bit of curve can go a long way to make a simple object stand out.

Ink the Main Outline

With your basic shapes in place, you can now ink the main line art. I like to use a thicker outline for the structure pieces, and will switch to a thinner brush as we move into the details. Having a good variation in line width gives a little more character and helps make it visually interesting. I prefer a brush pen if I’m drawing on paper, or a pressure-sensitive brush if I’m working digitally.

Draw in the Stones

Switch to a thinner brush and add some divisions on the fireplace to give the impression of stones. Don’t be afraid to allow little breaks in your line which gives some texture. You’ll notice I’ve also added a couple of simple details like a wall hanging above the mantle, a couple of pillars on either side of the fireplace, as well as the fire itself.

It’s worth mentioning that “realistically”, you probably wouldn’t see any of the flames coming out of the fireplace in a true top-down perspective…unless they were billowing out and likely to set fire to the whole room! However, this is one of those moments I think you can take some creative liberty to show a few flames just because it’s more visually compelling.

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Add Texture to Stones & Wood

To finish up the line art, you can add a bit of texture to the stones and the wood mantle. You’ll notice that for the stones I like to use more random broken lines and stippling, while the wood has longer, flowing lines to convey a bit of the grain. This will vary if you want to illustrate a different species of wood or types of stone, but this is a good place to start.

Block in Main Colors

If you’re working digitally like I am, just create a new layer below your line art and block in some colors. For the stone I went with more of a blue-gray just to contrast well with the warm colors of the wood, fire, and background.

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Pro Tip! Add Subtle Color Variation

You know how sometimes you encounter a little piece of information that has an exponential impact on improving your work? This is one of those moments. If you really want to improve the level of professionalism in your maps, then taking the time to add some subtle variations between repetive objects like these stones will make a big difference. Just shift the saturation, brightness, and hue slightly from your main color and recolor a few of the stones. If you compare the last two images, you can see that just by doing this the fireplace already looks more interesting.

Paint the Main Shadows

Lighting in interior maps can be trickier than on a traditional fantasy map. Unlike those, where you generally have one light source, here you have two. I also tend to prefer focusing on conveying depth over strict realism. If you aim for realism, you may find the shadows are too intense and distracting. For overlapping objects, add a light shadow to the lower one. Corners can also benefit from subtle shading. However, as shown in my light direction sketch, I avoid shadows directly beneath the hearth near the fire to reflect its glow.

If working digitally, create a new layer below your line art but above your color layer. Set the blend mode to Linear Burn or Multiply, and use a blue-gray color for shadows. With a low-opacity brush, block in the main shadows, focusing on depth and light direction. We’ll add texture in the next step.

Deepen the Shadows

Now you can go back and deepen some of those shadows to bring out the depth. Be sure to also add a cast shadow on the floor, which will help connect the fireplace to the scene. Look for edges, cracks, and places where you added detail, and generally, they will all benefit from a bit of shadow.

Paint in the Highlights

The final step is to add some highlights to increase the contrast and help everything pop. Create another new layer above your color layer, set the blend more to Add or Screen, and select one of these colors. I used more of a grey for the “outside” because I felt like it helped the warm color coming off the fire to stand out more. You’ll notice it more in the next step.

Use your low opacity brush like before and broadly paint in the highlights. You’ll notice from the screenshot in the corner that I like to paint a little more heavy-handed, and then I’ll lower the opacity of the entire layer. In this case, bringing it down to about 40% gave me the right balance.

Add Finishing Touches

While I’m not going to cover it in this tutorial, I added a bit of an environment to our little map because it helps you see how the fire and the smoke pop when we add them.

The Smoke
Create a new layer above everything, including your line art. Set the blend mode to Screen, and with a light gray color and a textured brush, you can paint in a bit of a cloud coming out of the chimney. Rather than using a blur effect, I prefer to blend it and smudge the edges with another texture brush. It helps retain some painterly interest while allowing you to blend the smoke into the surrounding landscape.

The Fire
Add another layer with the blend mode set to Add and paint in more highlights with the same color as before. Finally, I took a bit of a rough stipple brush to just fleck in a few highlights right around the flames. This gives it a little more life and a bit of a crackling quality.

Thank You!

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful, so you can draw a fireplace on your next map! Be sure to check out some of the other tutorials below to help you in your map-making journey.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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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.

Need some brushes to get started drawing maps on a tablet or a computer? Download The Free Apprentice Brush Pack

Sketch Basic Oval Shapes

To draw your swamp, sketch some simple ovals of various sizes to represent the trees. Be sure to let them overlap to create a sense of depth. You’ll also want to mix up the number of trees in a group to avoid any visual patterns.

Sketch the Tree Trunks

Add some simple trunks to the base of each tree, and make them flare out a little at the base. Don’t worry about the branching at this point since you’re mainly focusing on the height, placement, and how they will overlap with other trees in the swamp.

Roughly Ink the Tree Tops

If you’re working digitally, create a new layer and switch to a brush to ink in the lines. I prefer something that is pressure-sensitive for the size but doesn’t affect the opacity of the brush. That way you can have some more organic variation in the line-weight to mimic a more traditional tool like a brush pen. Use some cloud-like strokes to fill out the shape of the tree, and don’t be afraid to allow some breaks in your lines. This will help it feel more natural.

You can get a good inking brush for Free in the Apprentice Brush Pack HERE.

Draw the Trunks & Branches

When it comes to drawing the main trunks and branches of a tree, I find it helpful to start with a very simple shape that kind of gives you the silhouette of the trunk. You can then shape that into a couple main branches which you can vary from tree to tree. With the main scaffolding in place, you can have smaller branches splitting off. Just be sure to use thinner lines as the branches move out from the main trunk.

Want to Quickly Add Trees?

Adding some basic trees around your city map is a simple way to give more personality. But, what if your story takes place in a tropical setting with palm trees, or somewhere in the mountains where conifers would grow? With this upgrade for The City Map Builder, you now have a much greater range of options for types of trees which will help make your map more immersive.

• Includes 100 Hand-drawn Stamp Brushes

• Compatible with Procreate, Photoshop, Clip Studio, Affinity, & Infinite Painter

Add the Roots of the Trunk

As you add the roots, it’s important to try and picture the trunk in 3D space to get a good sense of depth and perspective. Then it is just a matter of adding a few roots that follow that shape in a variety of thicknesses. Again, just try to avoid repetition in the number, size, and placement of the roots.

Give the Canopy and Trunks Texture

Now, let’s go back and add some more detail to these trees. With the scale these will appear on your map, you really don’t need to go crazy. More than anything, you’re giving the impression of detail, texture, and shape. Continue adding layers of branches toward the viewer, using broken lines to maintain that organic feel. Then on the trunk you can just use the roots you added in the previous step to draw some broken lines up the trunk to give texture.

Draw the Hanging Moss

Nothing makes trees look like they’re in a swamp more than long strands of Spanish moss hanging from the branches. Just make sure to avoid any obvious patterns and repetition in the shapes so they feel natural. But have fun layering them behind and in front of the branches you’ve drawn.

Block in Your Main Colors

As always, this step and the colors you pick will depend heavily on the overall palette of your map and the vibe you’re trying to achieve. Do you want a dark, murky swamp where everything feels a bit ominous? Then you may want to go with more desaturated greens not only for the trees, but also the water. For our purposes, I went with a cooler color for the water since this tutorial is in isolation and not on an actual map. I just liked the color contrast! Do what looks good to your eye.

Paint the Broad Highlights

It’s not time to really start making things pop off the page! If you’re working digitally like I am, I like to switch to a low opacity brush that has a bit of a watercolor feel to it. You can then create a new layer and set the blend mode either to “Screen” or “Add”, and with a light grey or pale yellow color, you can start blocking in some broad highlights.

Try to imagine you’re just shading the whole shape of the tree canopy and the trunk. At this point you want to avoid getting sucked into the details. Just look at the broad shapes and how you can convey the light direction. We’ll get to detail in the next step.

You can get the shading brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Paint Sharper Highlights

With your main highlights in place, you can make another pass with a smaller brush to increase the highlights in the areas that would be receiving the most direct light. This adds contrast and will help everything pop. You can do this on the same layer since you’re using a low opacity brush, or you can create another layer set to “Screen” or “Add” like I did here. The advantage to this is if you paint the highlights a little too strong, you can always adjust them a bit with the opacity slider to tone them down a bit.

You’ll also notice I’ve added some highlights to the water itself. Just use the water lines you added in a previous step as a guide and add a bit of highlight to the right side of the lines. Especially those directly in the light. I’ve also recolored the line art for the water lines by setting my line art layer to “Alpha Lock”, and painting over them with a light blue-grey.

Add the Base Shadows

Similar to what you did in the previous step, you’ll want to create a new layer, but this time set it to “Multiply” or “Linear Burn”. Then select either a medium grey or a blue-grey to begin painting in the broad shadows. Again, focus on the main shape of the tree and also add some cast shadows on the water.

Paint the Final Shadows

Finally, you can make one more pass and deepen the shadows on the trees with a smaller brush to bring out some detail. Be sure to darken the shadows, particularly under the canopy of the trees where the light would be most obscured.

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful so you can draw some swamps on your next fantasy map.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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Forests breathe life into your city maps, transforming generic landscapes outside the walls into locations that could a secret tomb or shelter a group of bandits. You never know what secrets might be lurking beneath the boughs! You may have seen my drawing tutorial for a more basic tree to use on your city maps, but now you're looking for something a little more interesting. Pine trees, in particular, can tell you something about the environment of the location. Perhaps it's an area with low-quality soil where only the hardiest trees can grow, or maybe it's an alpine location in the mountains. Either way, using different species of trees is a great way to subtly convey something about a location, which makes for a more immersive story for your players or readers.

All of the brushes I will be using for this tutorial are available in The Free Apprentice Brush Pack

Sketch Basic Oval Shapes

Begin by sketching some circles where you want to draw some trees on your map. Try to vary the sizes to keep things interesting, and combine them in different groupings to add visual interest. You can also allow them to overlap a bit so some areas feel more connected and dense.

Sketch Branch Direction

This may not seem important, but I found as I was trying to get a feel for drawing this type of tree that it was helpful. The key thing here is you’re training your brain to remember the basic branch direction of these conifers. When viewed from above, in many ways they little like a bottle brush, so keep that in mind.

Roughly Ink the Outside of the Trees

Create a new layer of you’re working digitally, and switch to a brush to ink in the lines. I prefer something that is pressure-sensitive for the size but doesn’t affect the opacity of the brush. That way you can have some more organic shifts in the line-weight to mimic something like a brush pen. You can get a good inking brush for Free in the Apprentice Brush Pack HERE.

You want to draw a somewhat jagged line, but make sure you continue to follow that outward-shaped stroke to reflect the branching. You want to avoid using cloud-line shapes like you would if you were drawing a deciduous tree.

Ink Additional Branches

With your main outline in place, you can start building up some layers of branches to fill in the rest of the tree. I like to start on the outside and work my way toward the center. You can see from the small sketch of the branch above that you want to think about a basic leaf shape, with some jagged edges that come out from the middle.

Want to Quickly Add Trees?

Adding some basic trees around your city map is a simple way to give more personality. But, what if your story takes place in a tropical setting with palm trees, or somewhere in the mountains where conifers would grow? With this upgrade for The City Map Builder, you now have a much greater range of options for types of trees which will help make your map more immersive.

• Includes 100 Hand-drawn Stamp Brushes

• Compatible with Procreate, Photoshop, Clip Studio, Affinity, & Infinite Painter

Block in Main Colors

It’s time to block in your basic color, which in this case is pretty simple. The main thing you want to keep in mind is most confers are a cooler green and is often pushing toward teal. The overall color palette of your map will ultimately drive the color though so use that as your foundation.

Add Broad Highlights and Shadows

Let’s view these trees as very basic shapes, almost like a cone that is viewed from the top. Determine your light direction (In this case it’s from the upper left) and paint in some highlights on the near side, and some shadows on the far side that even cast onto the ground. Don’t get lost in adding details to the branches quite yet and it’s best to use a light hand.

For the highlights, I like to use a layer with the blend mode set to Screen or Add, and for the shadows I use a layer set to Linear Burn or Multiply. It’s worth trying both, and using the opacity slider to tone things down if you need to. If you want to keep things extremely simple, you can use a medium gray color for both and depend on the blend mode to do its thing. Otherwise, you can also experiment with a slightly yellow color for the highlights and a blue or teal for the shadows. Just have fun playing around and see what looks best!

You can get the shading brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Paint Highlights for Finishing Touch

You can now go back with a smaller brush to add in some highlights near the top of the tree where the light would hit most directly, as well as on the tops of some of the branches. Then, darken the shadows where branches overlap and where the light would be more obscured by the tree. You can do this on the same layers you used before, or create new ones with the same blend modes to have a little more control.

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful so you can draw some pine trees on your next city or battle map.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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One of the things that adds flavor to a dungeon or battle map is the details you add to the room. If you want to create immersive settings for your RPG campaign that your players want to explore, they shouldn’t be walking into mostly empty rooms with random monsters. Is this just a sack of apples, or could there be something hidden inside?

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to draw an open storage sack filled with provisions…and perhaps something more sinister

All of the brushes I will be using for this tutorial are available in The Free Apprentice Brush Pack

Sketch Basic Oval Shapes

If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed with how to draw something, begin by breaking it down to its most basic shapes. In this case, a couple of ovals to show the outside of the burlap sack, and the open mouth of the bag is enough to begin. This also helps you focus on placement and scale before you potentially waste time on the details.

Ink Rough Shapes

You can now take those ovals as your base, switch to your inking pen, and add a rough line around those base shapes. If you’re drawing a bunch of different objects in your dungeon, I recommend using a consistent pen width at least for the main outline of the object, even if it looks a bit thick. It helps differentiate it from the background, and using the same line width helps keep things consistent across a map.

Build Layers for Depth

When it comes to adding details, I switch to either a brush pen or if I’m working digitally, something that is pressure-sensitive so I can easily vary the width of my lines. While you want the main outlines to be a heavier-weight line, the details should vary a bit more. Adding these layers will help the bag look nice and lumpy as if it’s filled with apples.

Ink Texture and Apples

To add the apples (You can put whatever you want inside like grain…or skulls wink) you want to begin with a few simple circles with broken lines, and add layers behind and around them. Build them up gradually and the next thing you know the bag will be full.

You can then go through and add a little bit a stippling where layers overlap and where shadows would naturally appear. Even though we will add some color and shading in the next step, adding a bit with the line art helps it stand out and maintain that illustrated feel that I find to be a bit more classy.

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Block in Main Colors

Now, you could just create a new layer below your line art (If you’re working digitally), and block in a cream color and a red color, and call it good. But I know you…you want your map to stand out…we can do better. What I like to do is block in those two main colors, and then I will come back and shift the hue, saturation, and brightness of a color around just a little bit and then paint that in some different areas. Colors in the real world are just not that uniform, and introducing some subtle variation like this is…chef’s kiss

Quickly Create Dungeon Maps with 400+ Features

Compatible with Procreate, Photoshop, Affinity, Infinite Painter, & Clip Studio

Easily create dungeon maps with a classic hand-drawn style for your next rpg campaign with a few clicks and a bit of imagination. Best of all, you don’t need to invest hundreds of hours learning to draw!

Add Main Shadows

Create a new layer and set the blend mode to “Multiply” or “Linear Burn” (Try both and see what you like…Linear Burn tends to be darker and more saturated). Then determine what your light source is and where it’s coming from. In a dungeon or inn, it could be coming from a torch, fireplace, or window. It could be coming from several places but to keep things simple we’ll just use a basic light source from the upper left. Then you can paint in some broad shadows on the opposite side of the bag, and where the lip of the sack would cast shadows across the apples.

Try to imagine it as a three-dimensional shape, and where light would hit it. We’ll go back through in the next step and deepen the shadows in some areas so right now just focus on the main ones.

You can get the shading brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Deepen Shadows for Detail

With your base shadows in place, go back through and really ask yourself…”where would the light be most obscured?” Look for areas opposite to the light source of course, but also where there are folds and overlap. Even individual apples in this case can get a bit of shadow on the right side, and especially darken apples that are deeper within the sack.

Paint Highlights for Finishing Touch

Create another layer below your line art and set the blend mode to “Screen” or “Add”. Again, just try both and don’t be afraid to play with the opacity slider on the layer to hone it in where you like it. With the same brush, switch to either a light gray or a pale yellow to reflect more of a firelight look, and paint in some highlights on the bag that would be receiving light. Don’t forget to add some sharper highlights to the apples as well since they will appear more reflective than the burlap of the sack.

You’re done! I hope you found this helpful so you can add a little more interest to your next interior map. Make things interesting, and have fun drawing objects for players to explore or that just add flavor to a room.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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Embark on a journey through the untamed peaks of the Kragspire Mountains. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the technique I used to draw all of the brushes in The Kragspire Mountains Brush Pack. Whether you prefer to draw everything yourself, or you want to expand upon the mountains included in the pack, this tutorial will give you what you need to add these impassable rock formations to your fantasy maps. Mountains are not just obstacles; they are characters in your tale, whispering of dangers unknown.

Let’s Start Mapping!

Sketch the Main Mountain Peaks

Begin by sketching the main mountains that will make up your range. Vary the height and the amount they overlap to lay out their basic shape. One of the keys to this style is to make sure the peaks have sharp, but triangular or squared-off tops. The other thing is to keep their fairly narrow and verticle. They can taper out a bit at the base, but don’t overdo it.

Sketch the Surrounding Foothills

Fill out around your main mountains with some smaller foothills. I usually like to have the tallest mountains near the center, with them gradually getting smaller as the range tapers into the landscape. Just make sure even the small hills have sharp angles on the tops and that they aren’t too rounded like they normally when be when you draw hills. We want that rocky look!

Add Dimension to the Mountains

It’s now time to give some dimension by adding some ridgelines. I find it helpful to think about Kragspire Mountains like abstract boxes as I add these lines. You can still add small cliffs at the base though, but try to still use sharper angles to fit the overall look. You’ll also notice that I almost always use broken lines for the ridgelines to help it feel more organic.

Ink the Main Line Art

Whether you are working with paper or digitally, the next step is to go over your sketch with an inking pen. I prefer brush pens if I’m working traditionally, or a pressure-sensitive brush if I’m on an Ipad. This allows you to easily vary the width of the lines, and have them taper out, particularly at the base.

Now let’s start adding some detail!

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Ink the Details & Give Texture

As you ink in some detail, you want to think about adding texture and putting emphasis on the contours of the mountains. You can do this either with broken verticle lines to flow down the side of the rock face. Or, one method I really like to use on mountains is to draw a series of small horizontal hatching lines that still follow the same verticle contour of the mountain.

Block in the Main Color

Create a new layer if you’re working digitally, and set the blend mode of the layer to Linear Burn. You can then use a low opacity brush like something for watercolor to block in the main color with a medium gray. Once I’ve done that, I like to take The Smudge Tool Included in the Free Apprentice Brush Pack to blend the color into the surrounding landscape.

Paint the Base Shadows

First thing you have to do is determine your light source and begin to imagine the mountains like 3D objects. Picture where the rock faces would be hidden from the light source and just block in some broad shadows. Once again, create a new layer, set the blend mode to Linear Burn, and wit a medium-grey you can paint in some shading.

It’s good to allow some hard and soft edges as well to have variety and contrast. You don’t want everything to look too smooth or it will tend to look “digital” and fake. Don’t be afraid of hard edges, but if you want to soften an edge just use that same textured brush as a smudge tool. The reason I like a brush like that for blending is it still has texture like a frayed brush baked into it so even the “smooth” blending looks more like a messy brush than a plastic gradient.

Darken the Shadows for Contrast

Alright, now it’s time to really start bringing these mountains to life. Create another layer, set it to Linear Burn, but this time switch to more of a blue-grey color. Because the paper texture is already somewhat warm, the cooler hue will create something called color contrast. When outdoors where everything is lit by the sun, you’ll notice the shadows are quite a bit cooler. The reason for this is they aren’t receiving direct influence from the sun, but are instead being lit by the ambient light of the blue sky.

Color Theory Tip!

While this is still more of a sepia-toned map, don’t be afraid to introduce subtle color theory like this to make your map more dynamic. What’s interesting is if you were to use the eyedropper tool on the shadows compared to the other side of the mountain, the shadows are still within the range of an orange hue. But, since they are less saturated, on the color wheel they are beginning to move toward blue even though they aren’t fully there. This makes them look cooler because the context of everything else around them is warmer and more saturated.

Paint the Base Highlights

Create another layer, but this time set it to Add or Screen. I have found that what looks best will depend on the app your using, and each project. It’s easy enough to switch between them after the fact so just see which you prefer! Select a lighter grey, and with the same low-opacity brush, begin painting the broad highlights on the rock faces illuminated by your light source. Usually, you want brighter highlights near the tops to give contrast and make them look more rocky.

Add Sharper Highlights

Last of all, it’s time for some final highlights. Since you are using a low opacity brush, you can probably still paint on the same layer as the previous step. But, sometimes it’s nice to keep things separate so you can adjust the opacity slider after the fact if you need to. Just paint some shaper highlights near the peaks of the mountains to add the finishing pop of contrast.

I hope you found this helpful, and I look forward to seeing your maps!

• Josh

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Do you want to learn how to draw a dense, old growth forest on your fantasy map? From Fangorn in Middle Earth, or The Old Forest in Harry Potter, some of the most iconic locations are hidden beneath the trees.

In this tutorial I will walk you through the steps to create an ancient woodland to add depth and a sense of history to your map. I'll make sure you can bring these majestic trees to life, no matter your skill level!

Be sure to pick up The Free Apprentice Brush Pack to use for this tutorial.

Sketch the Shape of the Forest

Before you get too excited and just start drawing trees, I suggest you roughly sketch where your forests will go on your map with some simple shapes. The reason this is important is that drawing hundreds of tiny trees is time-consuming, and you don’t want to waste a lot of time redoing a forest when you realize it’s in the wrong place.

The other thing is that sketching the base allows you to experiment with more interesting and organic shapes.

Draw a Few Trees for Consistent Size

How do you prevent the inevitable size drift where one size of the forest has small trees, and the other has trees twice their size? This happens when somewhere along the way, you start drawing a tree slightly larger, and then you do another a little bigger…the next thing you know, you have a time-consuming problem.

Drawing a few basic trees at the front of your forest will give a visual check to help you stay consistent. Honestly, I don’t do this just for one forest, but I like to do this across all the forests on my map as well to keep things to scale.

Draw the Front Row of Trees

You can now fill out the rest of the “front” of the forest. Be aware which tree is visually behind another to create realistic depth and overlap. For this style of forest, you’ll want to vary the shapes of the trees to include some that are more rounded and others that come to a point. Just try to keep a sense of randomness so you don’t create too much of a pattern.

The other key to this style is not to worry about making the trees look too perfect. Allow a bit of squiggle and looseness in your stroke to make each tree unique.

Close Off the Top of the Forest

The next step is to close off the forest by adding the tree tops in the back. Remember to leave the bottoms of them open as if you’re only seeing the tops of the trees. Some people also like to make the line weight of the top edge a little thicker to help it stand out from the background.

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Draw Some Additional Tree Tops

To add details to the middle of the forest, I like to start with a few main tree ridge-lines that have a slight curve to them. This will imply some hills underlying the forest so it doesn’t appear too flat. Remember to keep mixing up the varieties of trees!

Finish Adding Tree Tops

You can now fill out the rest of the forest by scattering some tree tops throughout. How “full” you make it is a matter of personal preference. Some would say I’ve added too many in this example, while others would make sure there were no blank areas at all. Personally, my preference as you can see is somewhere in the middle.

Finish Drawing Details

Now it’s time to add the finishing touches with the tree trunks and some simple details on the trees. In the example above, you can see that trunks are pretty basic with a couple of curving vertical lines and some broken lines on the ground. Seriously, don’t overthink it!

For the rest of the trees, just a few broken lines throughout is just enough to give a bit of texture. You will notice that, because of the perspective, most of the details have a slight downward curve to them, which just further sells the isometric angle.

Add Scattered Trees

Okay, I lied…there’s one more thing you have to do for the line art. Just add a few more scattered trees around your forest so it blends into the landscape and doesn’t feel so unnatural and blocky. Just be sure to vary the number of trees in the groupings to avoid any obvious patterns.

Block in Main Colors

Now it’s time to make this forest pop off the page with some color. I like to pick a base green to fill the entire forest, and then come back with a few variations on the green to paint some individual trees. Not all trees have the same leaf color, so it’s good to mix it up.

In this example, I took my base green and then shifted the hue a little toward blue and lowered the value to get a color similar to a pine. I applied it to many of the more pointed trees. I then went back to my base color and shifted the hue more toward yellow, and lightened it slightly to get a warmer color to apply to some of the other trees. You could bounce around the green hues more or less and it’s really up to personal preference. The point is to introduce a bit of variety.

Paint the Shadows

If you are working digitally like I am, create a new layer above your color layer and below your line art and set the blend mode to Linear Burn. For this example I set my color to a medium gray, and used a low opacity brush to block in the shadows.

Note your light source, and paint shadows on the opposite side of each tree and tree top. You can also add some shadow between the tree tops in the middle of the forest to give some texture. Lastly, you can paint a cast shadow below the front row of trees. Don’t make it too even though as you want to keep that organic feel.

You may need to play with the opacity of the layer to dial it in where you want it to be.

Paint the Highlights to Bring it Together

Last of all, it’s time for some highlights. Create another layer, and set the blend mode to Add or Screen. I kept the same brush and color, and started painting highlights on the side of the tree closer to the light. You can also use a softer, large brush to paint a broader highlight on a few of the hills of the forest to give some more dimension.

With that, you can now draw all the forests on your fantasy map. I hope you found this helpful, and I look forward to seeing your maps!

• Josh

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As your party travels through vast plains, they stumble upon an enigmatic chasm slicing through the landscape. Its depths are shrouded in darkness, enticing you to uncover its ancient secrets.

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 question is…how do you draw a chasm? In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the process so you can easily add a crack in the earth for your party to explore on your fantasy map. Let’s start mapping!

Sketch a Cliff Edge

Grab a pencil and sketch a squiggly line with a sweeping, horizontally dominant stroke. By doing this, it will give the impression that the cliff face is in isometric perspective, which will be important for getting the depth you want on your map. I would encourage you to follow along this first time, but then start experimenting with different shapes to see what you come up with.

Sketch the Second Cliff Edge

Sketch another line that generally follows the same shape as the first line. At this point you are just focusing on the broad shape, so don’t worry about adding detail quite yet.

Add the Cliff Faces

The last part of the sketch is to draw the faces of the cliffs to start giving the chasm a sense of depth. Look for each point where the cliff would jut out, and draw a vertical line down from that point. You can see in this example I also curved the lines back from the edge slightly to add a little more visual interest.

Ink the Line Art

Grab your pen, or create a new layer if you’re working digitally and start inking the main line art. I personally prefer to use a brush pen, or a pressure sensitive brush if I’m drawing digitally so that I can easily vary the line width. Especially with rocky features like this, introducing some “imperfections” will really sell the natural feel.

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Ink Details & Texture

When it comes to adding details, the first thing I like to draw are some sediment layers that follow the general shape of the cliff. Not only does this look like layers of rock, but it also creates something called contour lines that help define the shape of the cliff. If you want a better explanation of how contour lines can give your maps dimension, I suggest Checking Out the Map Tip HERE.

Once that’s done, you can add more verticle-hatching lines that go down the face of the cliff. You can also throw in some random stopping to make things look a little more rocky.

Block in a Base Color

With your line art all done, it’s time to paint in some color. You have a lot of options, depending on your color palette for your map, and the type of stone that is being exposed. For instance, if your terrain is green grass, it may look good to use more of a blue-gray for the rock. But, to keep things simple for this tutorial I am going to go with the classic sepia, old-world style map and focus on using browns. Pick a color that’s a little darker than your background, and paint it over the cliff faces as well as the subtle cracks that taper into the surrounding landscape.

Add Main Shadows

As you add the first pass of shadows to give this dimension, focus on creating a sense of depth to the chasm. The light will be more and more obscured the further you go down the cliff face until it becomes completely black. Paint a simple gradient over the entire cliff face with the darkest shadows at the base.

You can get the shading brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Darken Shadows on the Shadows

With your base shadows done, you can make another pass and deeper the shadows at the base of the cliff face, and everywhere details would overlap. Use your original line art as a guide and darken the shadows below the sediment layers and along the detail lines. Remember though, you’re painting an organic rock surface so don’t worry about making it look too “perfect”…because it won’t look right.

Paint in Highlights

Finally, you can add some highlights to help everything stand out a bit more. Keep it subtle though, or you may cause the rock to look unnaturally reflective. Unless of course the chasm reveals an obsidian rock face, in which case make those highlights nice and bright!

If you’re working digitally like I am, make another layer below your line art, and above your shadow layers, and set the blend mode to “Add” or “Screen”. You can use the same brush as the previous step, but you can switch to a lighter, warmer color (#F2E6E0). In this case I added some broad highlights to the very tops of the cliff face, and some sharper highlights along the edge at the top to help it stand out more.

With that, you are all set to draw a cave on your next fantasy map. I hope you found this helpful, and I look forward to seeing your maps!

• Josh

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If you want to create interesting maps for your RPG adventure, including points of interest to encourage exploration is key. 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 some tricks so you can draw a cave like this on your next map. Let’s start mapping!

All of the brushes I will be using for this tutorial are available in The Free Apprentice Brush Pack

Sketch the Cliff Face

Grab a pencil and rough in the face of the cliff you want to add to your map. Avoid making the line too straight and rigid and imagine combining “S” and “C” curve shapes to make it more interesting. To draw the cave, you’ll also want to make sure that you inset into the cliff where you intend for the entrance to be. This is key to selling it in this perspective.

Build Layers of Terrain

When sketching, it’s important to work from simple shapes and slowly build up complexity. In the previous step, all we were focusing on was the overall shape of the cliff. Now, we’re thinking about how to build up layers to make the cliff feel like it has some natural shapes. Don’t worry about making your sketch perfect and tidy either, this will free you to work loosely and experiment. You can see in the sample above how you and build up layers, and use broken lines to make things feel more organic.

Add Scattered Stones

Now you can come through and draw in more detail to make everything feel rocky. Experiment with a variety of stone sizes and groupings scattered around the cliffs. The main thing to avoid is making all the stones in a particular group roughly the same size as it will appear unnatural.

Ink the Line Art

If you are working digitally, you can create a new layer above your sketch to begin inking the final line art. When drawing something like a cliff, you want to make sure your lines aren’t to smooth or even. You want to convey a rocky texture so using broken lines and varying the width of the lines will go a long way.

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Draw Detail & Texture

With all the main pieces in place, you can add some detailing to give everything a bit more texture. Use broken lines on the boulders to give them form, similar to what you did on the cliffs. Then, add tufts of grass scattered throughout with the strokes following the shape of the terrain. For the mouth of the cave I like to use stippling (Individual dots) to darken the entrance, in opposed to only using shading in a later step. Just make sure the density of the stippling gradually decreases the further you get from the mouth of the cave.

Paint Stone Color

You absolutely could stop with the previous step if you want more of a vintage look for your map, but what if you want to add some color and shading? If you are working digitally, create a new layer below your line art and select a gray color. What I generally like to do is use the eyedropper tool to select the background color, and then reduce the saturation to something I like. So in this case the rocks aren’t pure gray, but a very desaturated warm-gray.

You can then fill in the rocks with your color, but also include some layers of it on the cliffs as well. This will just give the impression that areas of the rock are exposed between the rest of the terrain.

Add Main Shadows

The first step to adding any type of shading is to determine the direction the light is coming from. For this example, we’ll place it in the upper left corner, which means all of our shadows will be cast in the opposite direction.

Create a new layer and set the blend mode to “Multiply” and select a medium gray. You’ll then also want to use a low opacity brush that’s pressure sensitive to gradually build up layers of shadow in a similar way to if you were using watercolors. The trick here is to not get sucked into the details at this point, but focus on looking at the cliff as a whole and imagining where the main shadows would be cast.

You can get the shading brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Darken the Details

Now, go back with the same color on the same layer and darken the areas that would be most hidden from the light source. Look for areas where objects overlap like the stones and edges of the cliffs. You can also paint some subtle shadows on the ground to help it feel like it has depth and isn’t perfectly flat.

Paint in Highlights

The final step is to paint in some highlights to help everything pop a little more. Just try not to go too crazy, because you don’t want the rocks to appear reflective. Create one more layer below your line art, and above your shadow layers, and set the blend mode to “Add” or “Screen”. You can use the same brush as the previous step, but you can switch to a lighter, warm color like I have here (#F2E6E0). Then you can do the opposite of what you did in the previous steps, beginning with some broad highlights first on the left side of the cliffs, and then some more detail highlights.

With that, you are all set to draw a cave on your next fantasy map. I hope you found this helpful, and I look forward to seeing your maps!

• Josh

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Learning how to draw banners is an essential part of creating an immersive fantasy map. You can use them to share the name of the region you’re mapping, or for individual cities, locations, or territories.

However, learning to draw banners can feel overwhelming if you’re not confident in your artistic skills. In this tutorial I want to walk you through how to draw a relatively simple banner anyone can draw, that still looks interesting and professional. Let’s start mapping!

All of the brushes I will be using for this tutorial are available in The Free Apprentice Brush Pack

Sketch the Main Shape

Roughly pencil in the main shape of the banner on your map. At this point, you’re just drawing the space where you’ll want the title to appear.

For this first banner tutorial, use a basic rectangle without any major arc. Then, you don’t need to worry about distorting the letters later to properly fit the shape of the banner.

Add Top of the Banner

Next, you can draw just the top edge of the scroll and determine how you want the paper to curve. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and let the banner overlap itself in places to give more depth.

Sketch Vertical Lines

Now add downward lines that angle in the direction of the curve, and then taper out slightly at the base. Be sure to avoid making the lines too straight up and down.

Connect the Base

Draw a curving line to connect the bottom of the banner and close in the shapes. Notice the bottom curve mirrors the curve at the top. While they don’t need to be exactly the same, try to keep the curve similar.

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Give the Banner Weight

This step isn’t “necessary”, but I find it’s a good trick to give more of a 3D look to the banner by giving the paper a sense of thickness

Ink the Line Art

Grab a pen and ink over your sketch, but be sure to add some subtle imperfections or tears in the paper to add visual interest.

It’s okay if your line isn’t absolutely perfect because it will add to the tattered feel of the banner.

You can get the Ink brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Draw Texture & Detail

How much texture you add at this point is really up to you. So experiment and see what fits the look and feel of the map you’re creating. With that said, you will probably tend toward overdoing it!

Add some hatching lines in area that will receive the least amount of light. This will give a little bit more of a classic pen and ink look.

Block in Color

If you are working digitally, use your color picker and select a lighter value from somewhere on your map. You can adjust it a bit as needed, but this will make up the base color of your banner.

You can paint the whole banner one color, or use a darker, more saturated color on the back of the paper to add a visual color pop. This can be a good way to also introduce an accent color that fits the color palette of your map.

Shadows - Phase I

Select a sepia color (#C8A793) to match the palette and create a new layer with the blend mode set to “Linear Burn.” Then use a low opacity brush to paint some simple shadows based on your light source. Look for corners and places the paper overlaps.

You can get the shading brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Shadows - Phase II

Use the same brush and color as the previous step, and make another pass to darken the shadows in areas most obscured from the light source.

Use a smudge tool to blend some of the shadows, but avoid making them look too smooth or it may look “digital”.

Shadows - Phase III

Paint a bit of shadow on the main banner just to give some texture and character so it doesn’t look too uniform. Add a drop shadow below your banner so it feels connected to the rest of your map.

Add the Highlights!

Create a new layer and set the blend mode to “Add” or “Screen”. Your results may vary depending on the app you’re using.

Paint along the top of the banner so it looks like the light is catching the edge. You can also add subtle highlights near the base where the paper is subtly curling up and catching the light.

Add a Title

It’s finally time to add the name to your banner! Type out your title and experiment with the blend modes. In this example I felt “Linear Light” was giving me the best result since it allowed the underlying texture and shadowing to bleed through.

If you want to pick up the font I’m using, just tap the link below:

The Legendarus Font is Available in the Shop HERE

Finishing Touches

Just to bring everything together, you can take your same line art brush and do a simple outline of your text so it has a cohesive, illustrated feel.

Lastly, use a layer mask by tapping on the text layer and selecting “Mask”. You can then use the color black to erase the corner of the “R” that is hidden by the banner.

The advantage to doing this rather than just erasing is that if you use white to paint on the mask you can brush back anything you erased. It’s just a good, non-destructive way to work in certain situations.

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What do you do when you’re raiding an orc-infested dungeon and nature calls? Well, if the wizard who designed the dungeon wants to create a sanitary work environment, then hopefully he installed some toilets. If you want to be prepared, then in this tutorial I’ll walk you through every step to making a throne worthy of any goblin king.

All of the brushes I will be using for this tutorial are available in The Free Apprentice Brush Pack

Sketch a Basic Shape

As with anything you draw, you’ll want to start with breaking things down to their fundamental shapes. Start with a basic rectangle that will make up the wood part of the seat, with an additional rectangle outside of it for the stonework surrounding.

Note that the base of the outside rectangle tapers out slightly just to make it more visually interesting.

Ink the Main Shapes

Lower the opacity of your sketch if you’re working digitally, and create a new layer to begin inking the line work. Go around the outside of the shapes, adding a few small corners to indicate where stones and boards will go.

Define the Main Shapes

Where you drew corners in the previous step you can now add some broken lines to add the boards and stones. Try to vary the number of dashes in the broken lines so it doesn’t feel repetitive.

Finally, make sure you add a hole in the middle where business can be done. Otherwise you just have a very weird table.

Close Up the Shapes

Let’s level up our latrine by putting in a bit of texture. Remember to keep it simple…no toilet is this big on an actual map. Some simple stippling and broken lines is enough to imply the surface texture.

Be sure to add some broken lines around the hole to give the impression of a beveled edge. Just because you’re in a dungeon doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a little comfort.

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Paint the Main Colors

The colors you choose should largely be based on the color palette of your map. But, in this case, it’s safe to go with a simple gray with a hint of blue for the stones, and a desaturated brown for the seat.

Add Some Shadows

Create a new layer and set the blend mode to “Multiply”. Use a medium gray to paint shadows between the stones and the boards. I like to shade with a lower opacity brush with a bit of texture baked into it.

You can get the shading brush I’m using for Free HERE in the Apprentice Brush Pack.

Paint the Highlights

We can now level up our privy and make the whole thing really pop. Use a new layer set to “Screen”, and with a light beige paint along the edge of the stones and boards. You can use the same brush as the previous step.

Lastly, make sure your restrooms are clearly marked. We don’t want to have any incidents later!

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Watch out for sharp rocks! 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. Not only will it add an element of realism to your map, but it will also provide a visual cue for your players to navigate their way around potential hazards. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the steps so you can easily draw a lighthouse icon just like this on your map. Let's get started and make sure your adventurers have a safe journey!

All of the brushes I will be using for this tutorial are available in The Free Apprentice Brush Pack

Sketch a Basic Shape

The first thing you’ll want to do when drawing your lighthouse is to sketch in a few simple rectangles to define the silhouette of the building. This is one of those steps we may think about breezing over, but let me encourage you to not skip ahead.

For this icon, I am using a couple of common art principles. One is that it’s usually more visually appealing to have an odd number of objects, which is why I am choosing to use three rectangles rather than four. The other thing is I am pairing up a variety of size rectangles and overlapping them slightly to make it look more dynamic. By using a variety of scales, you create visual contrast that is more pleasing to the eye.

Build Complexity

The next step is to build upon your main structure, by adding some additional rectangles over your original sketch, to represent the rooftops or railings on the buildings. Regardless of your drawing skill and experience, I am confident anyone can draw something like this when you start simple and work toward complexity.

Carve Out Silhouette

Now, lower the opacity of your sketch, or erase it away slightly if you’re using traditional tools. Then you can use those boxes as a guide to start rounding off the edges to make it more interesting. The added benefit of using boxes like this is it helps you to make sure things stay even on both sides of the structure.

Close Up the Shapes

With the silhouette established, it’s now time to close off the main shapes. Even though this is a two-dimensional icon, we want to still give the impression of the lighthouse having a rounded shape. To do this, you can draw your horizontal lines to slightly curve downward. Remember, we are drawing an icon, not a building that is in perfect perspective. We are implying a round shape rather than striving for “realism”.

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Draw in the Details

All of the main shapes are done, so you can begin drawing in some of the details like windows, a fire, and some decorations. One thing that is important to highlight with the arches and windows, is that the tops of them are still following the same curved shape as the tops of the walls. The ones on the sides are also slightly more narrow to again, curve the impression that the building is cylindrical.

To draw the rocks at the base, I like to begin just below the base of the lighthouse, and visually layer boulders in front of one another. Until you get the hang of it, I would encourage you to sketch the rocks first before diving into inking.

Add Surface Texture

To tie everything together, you can use a bit of stippling and broken lines to give the building and rocks some texture. This is an icon though, and likely will appear on your map much smaller than the example here. So keep it simple and don’t overdo it!

Notice the hatching on the rooftops is following the slight downward curve we established earlier. This is important to maintain our illusion of perspective.

Block in Color

If you are working digitally, create a new layer below your line art and block in the main colors for your lighthouse. The colors you choose will entirely depend on the palette of your map, but don’t be afraid to make your lighthouse stand out!

Color Theory Tip

While color theory deserves a full tutorial all to itself, one tip I can give you is to is that less saturated, or colors that are closer to gray on the color wheel play better with one another. When your colors are all too saturated, it’s as if they’re all shouting at you and demanding attention. You can use more saturated colors strategically, like I did with the fire in this example. But toning down the saturation the rest of the time is usually the way you want to go.

Paint Base Shadows

When it comes to adding shading, the first thing you always need to do is establish your light source. Do you want the light coming from the left, right, or middle? What is the light direction on the rest of your map? You don’t want all the shadows on the left side of your mountains and the shadows on your icons on the right!

If you are working in a digital drawing app, create a new layer above your color and below your line work, and set the blend mode to “Multiply”. Since shadows are generally cooler in appearance due to the ambient blue light of the sky, I am using a blue-gray color. Then select a low opacity, pressure-sensitive brush to block in your main shadows.

You can get the Rustic Wash Shader brush I’m using for free HERE.

Paint the Highlights

You made it to the final step, and that is painting in a pop of highlights! Create another layer and set the blend mode this time to “Screen”. You can use the same brush you did in the previous step, but select a warmer color to emulate the sunlight.

NOW DRAW YOUR MAP!

You’re all done! I hope you found this tutorial helpful and see how you can take these basic principles for drawing a lighthouse, and apply them to drawing an inn, a city, or a harbor on your fantasy map.

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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Have you ever been tripped up by what size to draw the trees on your fantasy maps? Most of us have a desire for our maps to feel realistic, but sometimes this can be more of a hindrance than a help. In this Map Tip, I want to give you a little insight into what scale most map makers draw their trees, what is realistic, and then how much artistic license you have when drawing your maps.

Realistic or Not?

Here is a common scale for a tree drawn on a fantasy map. But, notice how tall that would make this tree relative to the height of the mountain! Keep in mind, that the tallest redwoods in Northern California are only around 300-400 ft.

What is Realistic?

You may be wondering, what would a realistic-sized tree look like next to this mountain we’ve drawn? As you can see in the sample image, I had to circle the tree just so you know where to look. Even this tree would be 100 ft. tall, and at this scale, it’s barely visible let alone recognizable as a tree.

To be fair, there are techniques for using trees at this scale, utilizing almost a stippling technique to imply the texture of a forest. However, this isn’t what most of us usually want to do on our maps. So let’s look at how much wiggle room you have when it comes to drawing forests.

Artistic License

The good news is, that you have a lot of artistic license when it comes to how large you draw the trees on your fantasy maps. As long as you make sure the forests are clearly smaller than the mountains. You can see in these three examples that while the styles range quite a bit in size, all of them read clearly as trees on your map.

Ultimately just relax when it comes to “realism” on your maps. It’s your job to convey an artistic representation of a landscape, not a scientific scan of an environment. As I said above, as long as the trees are scaled relative to the other features around them, you’ll do just fine.

Happy Mapping!
- Josh

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Have you ever wondered why rivers meander all over the place, even on a flat landscape? If water likes to choose the path of least resistance, what’s the point of it curving back and forth so much? Understanding little things like this is important if you want to create a believable and immersive setting for your fantasy stories. Every setting is a mixture of familiar and strange, but without the grounding of realism, you may find your story falls flat. Before you start drawing the rivers on your map, here is a quick tip on why rivers like to meander and curve, so you understand how to draw them on your fantasy maps.

Shaped by Mountains

When a river flows through the mountains, it primarily chooses the path of least resistance and weaves and is directed by the shape of the terrain. This makes sense as most rock takes a long time to erode so the water is a bit more at the mercy of the topography.

So, why do rivers meander so much on flat terrain? You would think they would flow in a relatively straight path cutting through the landscape. And yet, you could argue they weave and meander more across a level landscape!

Directing the Flow

Water may begin flowing in a relatively straight line downhill, but even small obstructions along the bank will alter the path. It could be a stone, a fallen tree, or even just a weak point in the bank but all of these things will change the flow of the water.

In this example, you can see how the water encounters a boulder that is jutting into the river and is forced to the left and toward the opposite bank.

Erosion

Once the water in our example is directed toward the left, the river will begin to erode the bank and cause a curve to form. Once this happens, momentum will start to build through the curve and it will slingshot back toward the right. Not surprisingly, the right side of the bank will become eroded and the process will begin again.

Interesting Science Stuff
You may be wondering…is there a pattern? The answer is yes because on average the length of an S curve tends to be about six times the width of the channel. Like many things in nature, there is a fractal pattern built into the way rivers meander.

Soil Deposits Along the Banks

But, it’s not just the removal of sediment from the river bank that is causing the curved patterns, it’s also the deposition of that sediment along the way. As the water moves more slowly on the inside curves, soil, and debris are deposited. This further increases the curvature and the slingshot effect of the river.

If you look at the cross-section of one of these rivers, you’ll notice that the bank is significantly steeper on the outside curve when compared to the inside curve. Sediment builds up much more gradually on the inside curve where the water moves slowly and you end up with a more gradual dip in the terrain.

Does this mean rivers just keep getting larger and larger curves?

Not exactly

Oxbow Lakes

Eventually, those large curves in the river will begin to run into itself, and that’s where an interesting feature called an Oxbow Lake comes in. The curves become so extreme that they intersect, and then naturally the water will choose the path of least resistance rather than flowing around the curve. The large curve is then in a sense abandoned by the river, and you’re left with an interesting C-shaped lake!

So the next time you go to draw your river, make sure it doesn’t flow in too straight a line! Allow it to curve around and meander a bit, and maybe you’ll be inspired to throw an oxbow lake in there for good measure. I guarantee someone who appreciates realism in their fantasy maps will take notice and say something.

Happy Mapping!
- Josh

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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 of things like buildings, towers, or something as complex as a city.

I know this is true because I actually had the opportunity to teach a group of kids, some as young as four, in our homeschool community to draw this exact castle. And I’ll tell you the same thing I told them; if you can draw a straight line and count to 11, you can draw this fortress!

All of the brushes I will be using for this tutorial are available in The Modern Map Maker Essential Brushes for Procreate & Photoshop

Draw the Main Tower

You’ll hear me repeat it throughout this tutorial, but following the grid is the key to drawing structures like this in an isometric perspective. For this first step let’s draw a simple rectangular box to create the main gate or tower of the fortress. I will include the exact number of boxes wide each segment is so you can follow along.

If you want to draw this out on paper, you can download a free isometric grid to print on a standard-size sheet of paper. Just tap the button below!

Add Top Wall

With our main tower in place, let’s add the top of the walls for the fortress. Start at the top of the tower and count down four squares on each side. This will give you the starting place to follow the grid and draw the first line for the walls.

There will be times to cut straight across the squares, as with the top of the furthest wall. Other than moments like this though, you’ll be following the angles of the grid.

Draw Towers & Walls

Now, this is when things start getting satisfying as it starts to really look like a structure. For this step, you can draw down 4 squares to form the main walls. But, let’s also add some defensive towers on our castle using the same principles we went through above.

Then, you can just close off the base of the walls, which you’ll notice follows the same shape as the top of the wall. With those two towers in the back, you’ll want the wall to “disappear” behind the main wall where it would overlap. This can really give your illustration a lot of depth.

Draw Wall Edge

Follow along the top of the walls, and draw a line inset half a square. You’re still following the grid lines, but you’ll be in the middle of the boxes instead of right on the line. Once you’ve done that you can then draw straight down the other half of the square at each visible point to create the inside of the wall. Then you can just connect those points together to close it off for the next step.

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Add Wall Platform

Now, the soldiers guarding the fortress need somewhere to walk along the top of the wall! Draw a platform one square wide following the inside of the wall. In this example, I did inset the top portion of the walkway just half a square so it doesn’t intersect with the top of the tower and create a visual tangent.

Check out my Map Tip on Avoiding Visual Tangents HERE

Draw Inside Walls

Being at the inner points of the wall, and draw straight down from each to form the inside of the wall. Then close them off at the base as before.

Add Details to Fortress

Keep following that grid and add some more interest to the walls, towers, and features to go inside the fortress. Draw a gate on your main tower, and inset it half a square to give it some more depth. Then add some windows, arrow slits, crenellations along the walls, and some buildings.

If you are working digitally, it sometimes can be helpful to draw the buildings outside the walls and then move them inside when you have a design you’re happy with. Not necessary, but that’s what I tend to prefer.

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Draw in Texture

Everything is starting to come together, but frankly, it looks a little stiff because the lines are too perfect. So at this point, I actually tend to view all the previous steps as a sketch. Whether I’m working digitally or traditionally, this is when I bust out a line art pen go back over all my line art, and allow some imperfections in my lines. We’re drawing a castle here, not a space station!

Go through and add some subtle broken lines on the walls to imply stone blocks, and on the platform to give the impression of boards or wood grain. As always, follow the grid to make sure your lines remain in the right perspective.

Depending on the scale of your map, your icons may appear quite small and may only require a little bit of texture, if any.

Add The Base Colors

If you are working digitally like me, you can create a new layer below your line art to block in some color. Be sure to choose hues that align with the color palette of your map. The assumption is often that castle walls need to be a blue/gray color, but that isn’t necessarily the case.

I’m using an orange hue for this example to match the aged paper background. By bringing the saturation down significantly though, it gives the impression of stone and has a “cooler” feel even though it’s technically a warm gray.

Add Main Shadows

Decide where your light source will be so you can use it as a guide to block in the main shadows on the walls. This will also inform the placement of the cast shadows from the structure. Including cast shadows is important for making your illustration feel “grounded” with the surrounding terrain. You’ll notice that the angle of the cast shadows is consistent based on your light source.

If you are working digitally, you can easily add shadows by creating a new layer above your color layer, setting the blend mode to “Multiply”, and selecting a medium value, blue/gray color. Then block in your shadows with a low opacity brush so you can build up your shadows gradually.

Deepen Shadows

If you’re using a low-opacity digital brush, watercolor, or even markers, you can now make another pass through the shadows to darken some areas. Look for inside corners, where things overlap, and near the tops of the walls and towers.

Blend & Texture Shadows

While you can keep the harder edges, I like to use a texture brush as a smudge tool to soften the edges of the shadows. The textured nature of the brush is what helps to prevent the transitions from looking too smooth and digital.

Get the Free Smudge Brush by Tapping the Button Below

Add Some Light

With all the shadows in place, you can now add some pops of light to brighten the areas most directly hit by your light source. For digital artists, you can do this by creating another layer above your shadows, and setting the blend mode to “Add” or “Screen”. Then, select a light gray with just a bit of yellow or warmth to it. Use your low-opacity brush then to block in light on the towers, walls, and buildings.

Be sure to keep using that smudge tool throughout to blend values together and add some texture!

Paint the Final Highlights

This last step is subtle, but can add some pop and contrast to your fortress. Using the same brush and settings as before, paint stronger highlights along the top edge of the wall where the light would catch the sharp edge.

You can then also add some more highlights in areas like the stone and wood to bring out some texture.

NOW DRAW YOUR MAP!

You’re all done! I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you feel equipped to start drawing all kinds of structures on your fantasy maps in isometric perspective. Stick to your grid and you can create some pretty awesome things

Happy Mapping!

• Josh

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