Map Drawing Tutorial 6: Shading and Hatching


There is more to making maps than simply outlining the locations. Good shading can really mean the difference between an average map and a good map (or a good map and an awesome map).

I like to shade my maps in a style that reflects the cartographer who might have drawn the map within the setting. An elf would probably have a different style of shading than a dwarf or an eldritch spawn of an unnamable being, each would focus on different elements that the consider to be important within the context of the map.

Future tutorials will show how to use these hatching and shading techniques to give maps a specific "feel".

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