THE LEARNING ARCHIVES

Whether you're creating maps for a novel, rpg, or just for fun, this collection of tutorials and map tips will help you create more professional and believable maps for your story!

How to Draw An Isometric Fortress
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw An Isometric Fortress

If you want an easy way to draw three-dimensional buildings and structures on your fantasy map, then using an isometric perspective is the method for you! The reason this technique is so achievable is that it really comes down to following a grid. As long as you do that, then you can draw all kinds of things like buildings, towers, or something as complex as a city.

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How to Draw Stone Pillars
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw Stone Pillars

If you enjoy finding inspiration for your stories from real-world locations, then look no further than the stone pillars of Wulingyuan, China. These impressive monoliths are one of the most iconic locations in the world; with their unusual shape, covered with trees that somehow manage to grow hundreds of feet in the air like a natural hanging garden. In fact, the movie Avatar pulled inspiration from this location when creating the world of Pandora! But the real question is, how do you draw something like that on your fantasy map? In this tutorial, I’ll break down the process so you can add these iconic features to the world you’re crafting.

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How to Draw a Snowy River
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw a Snowy River

How do you draw something like snow on your fantasy map? Fortunately, it is pretty simple if you know how to draw your line art and build your color palette. In this tutorial, you'll learn some simple steps to transform a typical river into a winter setting for your next story. This is a great way to level up your maps whether it's for an rpg like Pathfinder or your next novel. So let’s start mapping!

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How to Draw a Mountain Lake
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw a Mountain Lake

It’s one thing to draw a lake in a nice open region, but how can you realistically draw it tucked into the mountains? In this map tip, we’ll look into how a lake forms, and then help you to learn how to draw one on your fantasy maps!

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How to Draw a Volcanic Eruption
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw a Volcanic Eruption

It’s one thing to draw a dormant volcano, but how about one that’s erupting? In the previous tutorial, we walked through How to Draw a Volcano on Your Fantasy Maps, but now let’s make it a bit more dynamic so it can be a real focal point for your worldbuilding.

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How to Draw a Volcano
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw a Volcano

Volcanoes are one of the most dramatic features you could include on your fantasy maps, not only for their destructive power but also for their unique beauty. It’s not surprising many historical cultures viewed them as a place to commune or appease their deity. Adding a volcano to your maps can open up many storytelling possibilities, but how do you go about drawing one? In this tutorial, I will break down my process so you can start mapping!

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How to Draw Forests
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw Forests

From the gloom of Mirkwood to the comfort of the Hundred Acre Wood, forests are one of the most iconic settings in storytelling. There is just something about a forest that brings a feeling of mystery, not knowing what lies around the bend in the trail. Whether you are creating a setting for your next rpg campaign or writing a story for your book, an enchanted glade in the middle of a dense canopy, or a lost city reclaimed by the trees is where myths are born and retold.

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How to Draw Stippled Mountains
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw Stippled Mountains

There are many ways you can draw mountains on a fantasy map, but this method will walk you through how to use a traditional stippling technique which brings a bit of a Victorian aesthetic to your modern fantasy cartography.

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Where to Place Rivers on Your Fantasy Maps
Map Tip Josh Stolarz Map Tip Josh Stolarz

Where to Place Rivers on Your Fantasy Maps

Rivers are likely an essential feature for the fantasy world you’re creating. Water is vital for life as we know it, not only for survival but transportation or trade. Understanding where to place them on a map is challenging if you don't want it to appear arbitrary. But if you grasp how water moves through a landscape, it will go a long way toward creating a sense of realism for your maps and worldbuilding.

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Drawing Cliffs in Different Perspectives
Map Tip Josh Stolarz Map Tip Josh Stolarz

Drawing Cliffs in Different Perspectives

When you sit down to draw a fantasy map for your story, one of the first things to decide is the perspective you’ll use. The most common tend to be isometric and top down, but which should you use? Here we will look at some of the benefits of each using something like cliffs to show some of the differences.

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How to Draw a Canyon
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw a Canyon

Canyons are a striking feature of any landscape and can really be a focal point in the story you're telling. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw canyons that bring a sense of depth to the landscape and make your fantasy map really stand out.

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How to Draw Rivers
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw Rivers

How do you make your rivers stand out so they’re more than just a squiggly line on your map? In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw rivers that have a sense of depth and look like they are actually part of the landscape.

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How to Draw Ridge-line Mountains
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw Ridge-line Mountains

Mountains are an important feature of a map as they impact weather patterns, where rivers flow, and ultimately where cities and nations arise. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw mountains for your fantasy maps using the ridge-line method. If you love fantasy style mountains but want to push them to have a little more realism, then this technique is for you.

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How to Draw a Cliff Drop-Off
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw a Cliff Drop-Off

How do you draw a cliff that is facing away from you on your fantasy map? If you have ever drawn a plateau, canyon, or chasm but wanted it facing away from you, then you know this can be a challenge. In this tutorial I'll share some simple tricks you can use on your maps.

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How to Draw an Isometric Castle
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw an Isometric Castle

Learning to draw a castle for your maps is a great way to begin telling the story of the world you’re creating. Not only do castles act as a seat of political power for a lord in the region, but they are also an important site of trade and commerce. I have broken down the steps I take when drawing a castle so you can begin drawing them on your maps.

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How to Draw a Waterfall
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw a Waterfall

How many of us have hiked for miles just to see a waterfall? Even if you haven’t, it’s not difficult to recognize the beauty and power that so many find compelling. This is why they are such an interesting feature to include on your fantasy maps. In this tutorial, you will learn some simple steps to walk you through how to draw a waterfall on your map for your next rpg or book. Let’s start mapping!

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How to Draw Canyons
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw Canyons

Drawing canyons on your maps is a great way to make the terrain a little more interesting and add depth to the landscape. At first glance, you might think they are difficult to draw, but with a few simple principles, you can start adding canyons to your own fantasy maps.

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How to Draw Sand Dunes
Tutorial Josh Stolarz Tutorial Josh Stolarz

How to Draw Sand Dunes

Drawing a plateau on your fantasy map is a simple way to make the landscape of your world stand out from the flat terrain you see on most maps. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw impressive cliffs that rise out of the landscape. Which can become key storytelling features in the world you're creating for your next book or role-playing campaign.

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