Good Day!

[Ilkka]

Thanks for a warm welcome.

As it happens, I actually do have some digitally made, finished maps. Will be posting links on the appropriate forum.

I've been planning to scan my hand drawn maps for years, but somehow I never get to take them to a copy shop... Strange.

Looks to be done in colored pencils if I am correct?

You're right. The colours I use are water soluble, although I haven't used the water colour option much because of lacking skills/practice. I have one map in the making I would like to colour with a brush instead of pencil. Time will show if I ever get it done.

If you could share your techniques in hand drawn maps that would be wonderful!

I don't know how to describe or share my technique with inks & colours on plain paper. Pedantism is my chief tool. I work like this:

1) Choose a paper with a preferred texture.
2) Choose good pencils, with quality ink. (I mostly use Pilot and Pigma: Micron, both are Japanese)
3) Practice the markings and styles beforehand.
4) Draw small, so it looks good & solid from a distance.
5) Don't scetch everything ready, let your pen & mind discover the terrain as you work on it. (This is artistic nonsense, but I prefer it. )
6) Add some shadowing for a finish.

But that's banally clear to everyone... Not much to share really.

-ile

[Morshwan]

Such an impressive hand-drawn map. I like it very much.
I am glad to see mad guys like spending so many hours to draw trees !! Did you used a black pen to draw it and after you coloured with pencils? What kind of pilot pencils do you use?

[Gamerprinter]

#4 - I should practice more, good tip.

#5 - this is how I work, myself. I never sketch, or rather I sketch on a separate piece of paper to work-out ideas, but once I begin to draw the actual map, I draw with complete detail in mind, never tracing a sketch, because it isn't there.

For complex geometry of structures with many straight or circular contours, I sometimes "cheat" by creating a solid black on white vector created structural plan on one sheet, then trace with pen on translucent paper (placed over the cheat sheet) to insure straightness of lines or trueness of circular structures, but fill all details without reference.

Excellent tips - not so banal, if you're already familiar with map drawing techniques!

GP

[Torq]

Just to reiterate. Welcome to the guild Ilkka. I'd love to see more of your maps. your style looks very cool, so post often and see ya round.

Torq

[Turgenev]

Great map! It just oozes atmosphere. I really need to pick up the pen and pencil and do more hand drawings. Welcome to the Guild, Ilkka.

[The Cartographist]

Welcome to the Guild. Your map is incredible.