Fellow explorers,

There’s nothing quite like the hust

le and bustle
of a big city. The massive ships at
the docks, the
colorful markets selling astonishing
assortments,
the raucous taverns overflowing with
merriment,
the magical towers filled with wondrou
s books, and
finding all sorts of trouble in the seed
y back alleys.
Truly an excellent place to explore.

But it’s easy to get lost in a spra

wling city and
that’s why we need good maps! Purc
hasing a map is
well and good, but sometimes you’ll
need to make
your own.

And the best part, you don’t have to

be a level 20
artist to illustrate a great looking city
map! If you
can draw a rectangle, a circle, and
a line, you can
create a map just like the one I’ve mad
e of Graycliff.
It just takes a little planning, some
patience, and
following the helpful tips contained
in the guide!
– Flik Silverpen

t City
Some Grea on:
ati
Map Inspir
Dyson Logos

2 Minute Tabletop
Mike Schley
Maps)
Tad Davic (Iconic
Crow)
Kyle Latino (Map
 How This Guide Works
This book is a step by step guide and source of encouragement for drawing
your own over-head fantasy cities, towns, and villages.
You’ll be making a list of important locations, learning to draw simple icons
to represent those places, planning out the map in pencil, finalizing the map
illustration with ink, and adding depth with shadows and texture.
You don’t need any drawing experience, just follow the steps in this guide and
you’ll be amazed at what you can create!

Tools for Making Maps

Honestly, any quill, ink, and parchment will work for
making maps. The tools aren’t that important, so use what
you have on hand.
Two things to keep in mind:
Scale Matters. If you try to draw tiny details with a big,
thick marker, it’s going to be challenging.
Paper Matters. There’s no covering up the lines on lined
paper and if you draw on construction paper with a
sharpie it will bleed.

One of the most fun parts of drawing is experimenting with

new materials though. If you’re interested in what I keep in
my Cartography Kit, here’s a list:
Paper: Scrap sheets of cheap plain white paper. Final
maps are drawn on Bristol Board (Strathmore 300 or
400 Series Smooth)
Pencil: 2H or HB mechanical pencil (Harder graphite, like
2H, makes lighter lines. Just don’t push down too hard.)
Eraser: White Vinyl
Pens: Fineliner or Artist Pens (Pigma Micron or Faber-
Castell Pitt Artist pens) in a few different sizes. I like to
use a bigger size (like 08) for outlines and smaller size
(like 03) for details.
Gray Tone: Copic Sketch Marker (C2 or C3).
Correction: Pentel Presto Correction Pen or a White
Posca Marker.

2
 Step 1: Make a List
We can’t start drawing a map until we know
about the place we’ll be illustrating. Let’s start
by making a list of all the important locations
in the city.
What are the notable buildings? A castle or
manor house? How about the shops with the
best prices? Where can an adventurer find
a safe inn or seedy tavern? Maybe there’s a
magic school or wizard’s tower or even a
giant floating skull!
Buildings are usually constructed around
important geographical locations, so add
those to your list as well. Is the city built on a
river or harbor? Maybe in a secluded forest or
barren canyon? Are there sprawling fields of
farmland or maybe your village is surrounded
by flowing lava.
And don’t forget about the random features
of your city. Is it protected by walls? Are there
any big changes in elevation? What are the
most traveled roads and bridges? Or maybe
an entrance to a dangerous dungeon!

Step 2: Learning to Draw Icons

Before jumping into illustrating the map, take some
time to practice drawing each item on your list. Grab
a scrap sheet of paper and your pen. Use the examples
on the following pages to figure out how each locati
on
should look.
DON’T SKIP THIS STEP! Because the individual
elements of a city map are easy to draw, it’s tempting
to get straight to the final map drawing. But drawing
each of the important locations on a separate sheet
of paper will actually save you time. You’ll learn a lot
about your city in this step and planning out your
city’s final layout will become much easier.

3
4
5
6
 Sidenote:
If a major feature of yo
ur cit
this list, spend some tim y isn’t on
e on figuring
out how to draw it on
the scrap sheet
of paper. Use simple sh
apes like these
examples and don’t wo
rry if it takes a
few tries.
Once you figure out ho
w to
once, you’ll be able to dr draw it
aw it over
and over again, forever!

7
 Step 3: Sketch the Map
Now that you have a list of important
locations and you know how to draw
each icon that represent them, it’s time
to start planning out your map.
Think of yourself as a colossal giant,
looking down at a small piece of the
world. You have the power to place
building blocks (the location icons) and
create your very own city.
To start, plan out the terrain the city will
be built on top of. Use a pencil to sketch
the landscape and terrain icons. This
doesn’t need to be a finalized drawing,
just a loose rendition to get the idea of
how the city will be constructed on top
of the terrain.
Don’t forget to leave space for
a key (see step 4).

Next, plan out the largest

and most important
locations. Sketch in the
roads, walls, and biggest
buildings.
Again, you don’t need to
fill in all the details yet.
Roads can be a single
line instead of two, trees
can be loose circles,
and builings are just
rectangles. This stage is all
about your city layout, not
detailed drawing.

8
Once you’ve figured out the layout, then start adding the outlines of smaller
buildings. Remember to keep the scale of the buildings consistent with each other.
Don’t be afraid to erase and redo your drawings. It’s not too late to shift and change
the layout of your city at this stage of the illustration.

Continue to gradually add detail, but don’t overcrowd your map to the point of
illegibility. If your city has lots of tightly packed buildings, leave some negative space
in the open areas like roads.

When you’ve draw

locations on your n in all of the
list and filled in
rest of the map the
with enough de
move onto the ne tail,
xt step.

9
 Step 4: Labeling Locations
s
Because city maps are dense with locations, it’s easier to label them with number
you want labeled. The circles
and a separate key. Pencil in circles next to each location
can overlap the drawing or be next to it, just close enough so you can tell which
location is being labeled.
Draw a box in an open space on your map and write the name of the important
locations with a pencil inside. Try to keep each letter the same height, width, and
nice
space apart. Use a ruler to make some guidelines if you want your labels to be
and straight.
each of
Number the locations inside the box and pencil in the coresponding number in
the circles around the map.

10
 Step 5: Finalizing with Ink
Now comes the fun part. It’s time to finalize your map with ink!
Trace over your pencil drawing with a pen. Use a thicker line for the outlines of
important features like terrain, buildings, and labels.

Then use a thinner line to add the inner details.

Slow down and take your time. It’s more difficult to correct mistakes made with
ink
pens. But don’t worry if you mess up a little, there’s always white-out!
Once your map is filled up, every location has been illustrated and you’ve given
your
ink some time to dry, gently erase the pencil sketch left underneath.

11
 Step 6: Adding Dimension
you want to take it a step further, you
By this stage your map is looking awesome! If
by adding some shading.
can create some extra dimension and clarity
marker on the buildings you drew on
I like to use a gray marker. Start by testing the
the way it looks before committing to
the scrap paper in Step 2. Make sure you like
your inked map illustration.
of your map (The sun is to the
In your head, decide where the sun is over top
that would be cast in shadow. The back
northwest of Graycliff). Then shade the areas
the underside of trees.
sides of buildings, south-facing elevation, and
like the water with a gray tone.
You might even decide to fill in entire sections

If you don’t have a gray marker you

can always use color, or add some
hatching with the smaller pen.
A few parallel lines on roofs and
scribbly lines on trees can create an
illusion of a gray tone.

12
 Step 7: Sharing Your Map
Once your city illustration is complete - share it with
friends, take a photo
and import it into a VTT, or scan, scale up, and print
it to use at your table!
Congrats on drawing an amazing fantasy city. Have fun
exploring!

Find more helpful guides at patreon.com/jpcoovert

Flik Silverpen’s Guide to Drawing Cities (FSG 18)
by JP Coovert © 2023
First Printing June 2023
Thank You
Jacie. Scott. Brandon, Kyle, and Bryce.
And all the patrons that helped make Drawing Cities real.

Explore videos at youtube.com/jpcoovert and artwork at jpcoovert.com