If you look at the attractively illustrated phantasy map on posters , in books , and across the Internet and care that you could make such incredible piece of worldbuilding , then you ’re in luck . We have some guidelines for making your maps better , more beautiful , and easier to infer .
Top image : Map of H.P. Lovecraft ’s Dreamlands by Jason Thompson .
1. Understand how your map tells a story.
Jason Thompson , an io9 contributor who has created sometruly prominent D&D mapsas well as maps of H.P. Lovecraft ’s Dreamlands , points out that the very act of appear at a single-valued function can evoke up a someone ’s resourcefulness . He told us , “ You look at a mapping and this area is wait for you to go to it . Look at all this land ! ”
https://gizmodo.com/gorgeous-insane-posters-take-you-on-the-greatest-d-d-c-1639298655
“ The very act of creating a map , it ’s like take a snapshot . You ’re freeze it in meter , ” he continued . Thompson notes that , in games and fantasy worlds , sometimes the map is treated as the static world . But sometimes , function can go beyond that .
see all the wonderful function — both fan - made and official — that we ’ve see for A Song of Ice and Fire . We ’ve seen mathematical function that do , in fact , catch a snapshot of the worldduring the prison term that George R.R. Martin ’s series is set . We ’ve seenthe story of the world told through a series of political maps . We ’ve even seena map of the Earth ’s geologic history . Each of these maps considers the story of Martin ’s world , but in a dissimilar agency .
https://gizmodo.com/a-fantastically-detailed-geological-history-for-game-of-1561092800
mathematical function can , in some cases , be an instant insertion to the world we ’re visiting . ConsiderKeith Thompson ’s rather spectacular caricature mathematical function of Europe , which he made for Scott Westerfeld ’s Leviathan series . The map gives a clear picture of Leviathan ’s alternate history and its battle between mechanically given Clankers and bio - manipulative Darwinists . A map may even conduct the room the people of a culture perspective the world — even if the state of the humankind itself is in doubt . look at thefan - made map based on George Orwell’s1984 .
https://gizmodo.com/this-map-describes-the-world-of-george-orwells-1984-or-1541688821
2. Always keep the viewer in mind.
The key thing to keep in intellect about mapping is that they are a way of conveying information . You need your watcher to be able to translate your map — and you desire your viewer to desire to attend at your mathematical function in the first billet . Mike Schley , who draws mathematical function for the Dungeons & Dragons plot as well as for other games and books , severalise us over e-mail that this is always in the front of his mind when he set forth a newfangled mapping :
Each time I work on a mapping or environmental visual image of space I attempt to keep a triad of fundamental points in mind . In ordination to be successful , the image take to satisfy the principal requirements of utility , clarity , and peach . Will the finished piece provide the information the viewer need in an understandable manner and animate their imagination ? If any of these three elements are missing , the resulting image will either be unhelpful , unreadable , or ugly .
3. Study real geography.
One of the path that you could make your map more visually sympathetic is to interpret the way that geographic elements work in the real world . search at the shapes of mountain chain of mountains and rivers ; think about the formation of lake . Schley offer this number of advice :
A general sympathy of geography , weather patterns , geology , etc . helps quite a bit when plan worlds . Mountains snare rainfall and river flow downhill to the sea no matter what world you ’re developing . Unless , of course , your single-valued function rest on the back of a enormous distance come turtle . Then all bet are off .
Thompson also agrees that , while a basic agreement of geographics is crucial , not every geographic element on your map has to line up with the tangible world . “ I can wear there ’s a magical weather condition design that keep open thing from being hot and dire there , ” he told us .
The folk at radius / worldbuilding alsosuggest some fabulous resourcesto help oneself you create better mankind . For example , if you ’re forge on a function of a city , you might desire to check out Kevin Lynch’sGood City Form .
4. Pick your palette.
Often , if you ’re work with a print book , you have no choice but to work in black and white . But colouring can do a fate to heighten the tone of your map . Want your map to have a storybook feel ? see at illustrations that fire the feel you ’re run for , and hit the books their colour pallette . Want your world to finger like it occur from a particular era in human chronicle ? Look at maps from that same earned run average . Thompson says that sometimes he ’ll chance an antique mathematical function that he really likes , and use that map ’s colour pallette as a source of esthetic inspiration .
5. Look at the work of real-world cartographers.
Really , there ’s nothing quite like actual maps to help meliorate your agreement of geography and to take in inhalation than looking at what cartographer mapping the real world have done . Also he derives some divine guidance from other fantasy cartographers , Schley tells us that real world map fire up his imagery :
Some of my favourite source of inspiration are the folks I grew up admiring such as Steven Biesty and the stable of artist that National Geographic trust on for their wonderful article illustrations and fold - outs . Later on , I discovered Daniel Reeve ’s work on the LotR film single-valued function and begin spending more time with historical cartographers like Al Idrisi and Henry Pelham . Exploration short letter like the journal of Lewis & Clark are great creative electric arc as well . Also , a immense wealth of inspiration can be found by simply rain cats and dogs over aerial pic books such as the Earth from Above serial . Need to get a good idea of how rivers by nature winnow out into deltas ? There you go !
6. Break out of the rectangle!
Homer Thompson points out a particular favored peeve of his regarding maps in fancy books . “ It has always bugged me , ” he secern us , “ that in the mathematical function in the vertebral column of fantasy novels , the world is always vaguely orthogonal so that it could meet in the space that ’s available for the mortal to reap in . ”
So when you ’re pass a country or a continent or a urban center , just stop and ask yourself : “ Am I drawing it this shape because that ’s the pattern of my composition ? ” Rethink the shapes and angles of your world and recollect that , just because your composition is rectangular , that does n’t signify your fantasy continent has to be rectangular , too .
7. Consider embellishments — but don’t overload your map with them.
Sometimes , maps offer up an opportunity to impart more than pure entropy . In talking about his single-valued function of Lovecraft ’s Dreamlands ( boast up top ) , Thompson says , “ The country outside the map is as important as the area inside the map . Putting meaning into all the cosmetic ruffle and giving them the same weight unit , that was really hard , but really fun . ”
Homer Armstrong Thompson particularly wish maps that convey basic information about the humanity from a length , but then pop the question “ meaningful detail up close . ” There are a numeral of ways you may do that . On the one hand , you may add heraldic symbolisation to your mathematical function , small illustrations of colossus , representations of events . But you’re able to do it in modest ways as well , with the style of your legend and compass rose , your case — even simply the agency you draw your geographical characteristic . Consider how unlike Boston , Pittsburgh , and Washington , DC , lookwhen draw in the dash of J.R.R. Tolkien .
https://gizmodo.com/maps-of-modern-cities-drawn-in-the-style-of-j-r-r-tolk-1641367075
It ’s helpful to give maps your own personal flair , but you want to be thrifty when adding ornamentation to your maps , however . Embellishments can be fun and can add worthful information , but you want to keep in idea Schley ’s admonition to focus on public utility , uncloudedness , and beauty .
8. Try different types of maps. Not every map has to show a continent.
Stuck in a estrus of take in immense continent filled with forests and mountain kitchen stove ? Trying string a mapping of a city or a small town . Homer A. Thompson mark that he does n’t see nearly enough maps represent three - dimensional space — column and chemical compound and internal representation of cities that capture not just their layout but also their skyline . Challenge yourself : see how well you understand different types of space and geography . Even if you do n’t get it quite right the first few times , practicing different function types and techniques can make you a well mapmaker .
9. Seek out feedback.
There are some wonderful community for mapmakers on the Internet , places where you could share your function , get feedback , and see the sorts of maps that other people are working on . There is theCartographers Guild , a community devoted to mapmaking and help fellow mapmakers improve their slyness . Reddit has communities liker / mapmakingandr / worldbuilding . These are slur where you could get receive review on your own map , see what new styles and techniques other mapmakers are trying out , and find resource to improve both your mapmaking and your worldbuilding . Other people can be valuable in helping you develop your skill .
10. Don’t rush! Spend as much time on your map as it needs.
Schley tells us that the number one mistake he check novel map maker make is not spend enough metre on their maps :
The best map makers are accomplished artists in their own right and tend to have a recondite interest in how prototype are craft , not just what content is going into them . Draw , reap , and pull back some more !
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