Fantasy map coastline

I’ve realised I have a particular workflow for drawing coastlines in my maps. Here’s a quick walkthrough. Each step is done on a new layer in photoshop, and I use a 5px hard round brush in each case with size set to pressure. However, all of these steps can be done in Gimp – or … Continue reading "How to Draw Coastlines on a Fantasy Map"

Lately, after releasing my last few map sets, I’ve had people ask me how I achieve the coastal hatching in my sample maps. It’s been a process. Since the release of Widman in February, …

One of the biggest challenges with fantasy maps in a top down perspective is they tend to look a bit flat. Fortunately, there are some simple tricks you can use to build up the layers of the landscape to give a sense of depth. In this Map Tip we’ll be looking at how to draw cliffs on a coastline in this perspective and make them really stand out in your map. #mapeffects #fantasy #rpg #drawing #maps

Rivers do not flow from coastline to coastline because everything would be at sea level. In essence, it would be a canal rather than a river. This is a common mistake on many fantasy maps but it's easy to fix once you are aware of it. Click here to view my full tutorial on how to draw rivers on your maps! #mapeffects #map #fantasy #rpg #worldbuilding #fantasymap #geography

In this tutorial I want to show you how to give your oceans & seas a little more character. Not only will you get a nice painterly texture, but this method is also a great way to hint at the topography just below the water’s surface.

Not sure how to make your coastlines more interesting? Here is a little cheat sheet to give you some ideas on how you can make your fantasy maps more dynamic! #rpg #dungeonsanddragons #fantasy #pathfinder

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. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the steps so you can easily draw a lighthouse icon just like this on your map. #tutorial #drawing #rpg #maps #fantasy

How do you draw a floating island on your fantasy map? In this Map Tip I will break down for you my method for drawing the underside of a floating island for your fantasy rpg or book. #mapeffects #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #pathfinder #rpg #fantasy #maps

Kythera Fantasy Map by Elliot Crosby. Created with The Map Effects Fantasy Map Builder