Map Tutorial



What you'll need:

I used a tablet and an inkling for some parts of this, but I know not everyone has such tools at their disposal so this will be primarily a hand rendering tutorial.

  • Fineliners - I use microns not for any specific reason except that they're a lot cheaper than the much sough after copic brand. You're going to need at least a couple of sizes. The ones I used here are 005, 01, 03, and occasionally I bust out the 08. (some brands will have a slightly different system for labelling these sizes. A decimal is common and works out equally to .05, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.8)



  • Tracing paper - doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. You might go through upwards of 10 sheets if you're not being conservative with it. I'm sure not. If you're map is big, get nice big pad. A bigger page would have made this project so much easier for me. Ah, hindsight.



  • A pencil of your choosing - and a good sharpener if you're not opting for mechanical. Sharp is a must.

  • One damn good eraser - what makes a good eraser? Who the hell knows. You have to test it out to find out, but everybody knows how bad a bad one can be. Mucking up your sheet with smudges. Find a good one. I use a peanut.



  • A printer

  • A scanner - the bigger the bed the better, but we can work with what we have, mine isn't excessive. 9 x 12 I think.

  • Illustrator

  • Photoshop (optional)

  • NEXT