Hand Drawn Map tips?

[Gamerprinter]

Very easy, but it requires a lot of sketch lines and erasing. So like some of you have said, having an idea of factions, some features you actually wont on there etc before drawing it will really help in drawning my maps, and plus this is to help people get another insight on how to draw stuff, maybe they've never hand drawn a map =D

I never sketch. I prefer pen, because I pre-draw the image entirely in my head prior to placing it to paper. I never erase. I start drawing away and if I make a mistake that I can't hide, I start again, but usually don't have to.

Just because I draw it in my head, doesn't necessarily mean the final outcome is exactly how I saw it, rather it just gives me direction and the artwork finishes itself. If it doesn't work, I try something else.

The other one I really wanted to know is how you name things, I've used generators and all sorts of stuff to get names, and well the best thing I've found so far is to get a word part like "Dor, Ion, Lon, Ius" etc and just add other word parts, such as my map name "Ashlon", Ash - Lon...

I am no linguist, however, like cartography, its something that interests me, so I know little pieces and parts of words from various languages. I research anytime I need more data. However, I choose from what I know, then look at an ethnic regions words that describe town or river and add them to the parts I know.

Sometimes, I completely make it up out of my head, say it outloud, to see if it sounds interesting. If it works I use.

More often than not, I plan my map site names like I plan everything else - in my head.

[Yandor]

Awesome! all great ideas, and hopefully it will help not only me but others too

The thing I've discovered, but no idea if its actually linked anywhere here (probably is) but heres a link to a very simple but can become complex when you get the hang of it, its powerful when used right... Its a Fantasy name generator as many of you probably already know =D

http://rinkworks.com/namegen/

[Naryt]

I like to generate my own names using this process. PS, if you like the article, you should save a copy as the original appears to have vanished into the aether.

[Airith]

Well, AutoREALM, a mapping program, comes with AutoNAME which provides all LotR names, lots of old languages (welsh, english, scottish) and different assortments.

I don't use it as I'm trying to use GIMP now, but I usually combine two words into a completely new word. Some (maybe rather bad, but I thought they were good at the time xD) examples, in the mountain - Mehtunai, laketown - Ketwa, basin city - Sibayth, wrath ring - Grahnth, ring fortress - Tregos, east plain - Tesan, below Racin[mountain] - Lonae.

I think synonyms work well too, like if you have an old forest, Elder Forest might work.

Or just names that come to you, randomly out of your head.