How to Draw Cliffs on a Coastline
If you want the coastlines on your fantasy map to look like they’re popping off the page, adding some cliffs is a great way to do it. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to do and is a simple way to make your map look much more professional. In this Map Tip, you will learn some simple techniques to help your maps stand out from the crowd, so let's start mapping!
All the brushes used in this tutorial are available in The Modern Map Maker Essential Brushes.
Draw a Coastline
Begin with your basic coastline shape, and remember that since this will be in isometric perspective you will need to use a more horizontal sweeping stroke.
Add Cliff Face
Now draw a sloping vertical line at each point along the coastline. Notice the lines slope toward the shore and are slightly jagged. Depending on the style you are going for, one mistake I often see is making these lines too straight up and down.
What Brush Am I Using?
Below you can see a sample of the Chalk Sketcher Brush that I will be using for all the line art in this tutorial. I like that it is pressure sensitive so you can vary the line weight line a brush pen, and has a bit of texture built into it so it looks like you’re using traditional tools.
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Draw the Cliff Top
Begin connecting the vertical points you just added, by using a line which roughly follows the shape of the coastline. Be sure to erase where the new cliff obscures the coastline behind it!
Add Detailing
Draw some simple sediment layers using broken lines to just give a bit of texture to your cliffs. You can also add a few lines on the top of the cliff to connect it more to the surrounding landscape.
Add a Bit of Color
If you are working digitally, you can now create a new layer below your line work and paint in some basic colors. I kept the shading to a minumum in this example just to show that a little bit can go a long way and you don’t need to be a master painter to add some basic color and shadow.
Don’t forget some squiggly wave lines along your coastline to bring it all together!
I hope you found this little Map Tip helpful in your journey to map your story. If you want to support Map Effects and help other map makers, be sure to share this with someone who will find it helpful and pin it to save for later!
Happy Mapping!
- Josh
