Drawing Worlds
A guide to getting your students hand-drawing maps!
Art and geography have long been intertwined. In Babylonian times, people marked clay tablets that appear to be both art and cartography. Cartography took a giant leap forward during the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution. Renaissance maps are known for their artwork as well as representing the Earth’s landforms more accurately than their medieval counterparts. Maps were hung on the walls of merchants and power brokers to signal knowledge, influence, and the literal ownership of land during the Age of Exploration.
Begin an original cartography project by learning artistic techniques you can share with your student to create their own hand-drawn maps.
Fantasy Mapping: Drawing Worlds
Suggested Order for Drawing Map Components:
Wesley Jones might add drawing topic videos to his YouTube Channel in the future. If so, it might alter the list somewhat.
Composing a Map
Types of worlds
What scale is your map? Is your map local, regional, or larger?
What type of world are you going to create?
Supplies
Don't forget to ask your PTO for help getting supplies!
Grades of drawing pencils are organized in a scale based on softness or hardness.
