This is really beautiful stuff. I normally draw maps with the thinnest pen available and get overwhelmed trying to add detail. The bit about "without thinking or measuring things" really resonated with me. Now I'm on the hunt for a soft pencil and isometric paper!!

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!! Yeah, pens are great if you plan on publishing, but pencils are beautiful and easier to use for home game stuff!

One thing that might be worth saying about reflections in water is that you might be tempted to line the reflection up with your grid, but reflections are all to do with how light hits the eye or camera from the intervening surface. So since we're viewing this isometric map from a 45° angle, the reflections will always go downwards on the page, towards us. So I guess it breaks the isometric rules in a sense but otherwise itll look OFF in a strange way that might be hard to pin point if you try and line your reflections up with your grid, and your water won't look very watery. So if you're thinking of trying isometric water, maybe bear that in mind!

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

True!! Yeah, there is a lot more you could say about water! I actually like to have the wave peaks kinda line up with the grid, but the reflections go straight down. You are right about the camera angle!

Every time I see these videos pop up I get excited to learn about something specific in depth for the next 10 minutes. Really enjoyed them all so far, thanks Kyle!

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

Oh thank you! This is lovely to hear!

I have now fallen in love with isometric dungeons, thank you.

Would you like to do a video on more special types of textures? Such as ice/glaciers, or a sand floor??? Maybe a floor texture that represents underbrush in a forest while not diminishing the grids? I often end up with an unreadable mass of lines...

@patriarchyenjoyer69

2 жыл бұрын

A good rule of thumb is to cluster details where light transitions to shadow and to leave lighter areas with a lot of empty space. Remember that lines always darken, so when you're adding detail to highlighted areas you are effectively making it darker, lowering the value contrast, and making it less readable.

@dynestis2875

2 жыл бұрын

@@patriarchyenjoyer69 that was a confusing read for a noob like me but I appreciate it the more now that I understand what you said :) So then its the details that communicate the area (such as a forest) to whoever is playing on the map? Doesn't a lot of empty space deminish that ambience? Maybe I should just try it out. Thank you.

Bro, I don't know why your channel got recommended, but this is beautiful! I may not play tabletop games, but I am an artist and this is such a cool video! You got a subscriber :)

Aha! I hear you listening to KOBOLD! cave of the lost talisman :P excellent advice, it really is about that volume- whenever and whatever you're drawing.

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

I love those dungeon synth albums. I always credit the music in the description. And thank you for the kind words!!

This morning I literally was like,damn I'd love to know how to draw a dungeon map.Now i open youtube and here I am

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

Heck yeah!! It’s fun!!

Oh man, as a DnD player hand drawing maps like this is almost insane to me! But as an artist, I love the phrase, "Let this hand drawn (art) be hand drawn". If we wanted perfect, or whatever, we would be printing in the first place.

i love how mathamatically perfect the isometric map is

I don't even draw/play with dungeons, but came here for the drawing tips. Still amazing stuff. Never thought that just having a grid base to guide you would make such a big difference. Very nice!

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

It's fun too!! Thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad that you find this interesting!!

Found this channel by chance scrolling through twitter. So glad I did it! Awesome maps!

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

Wonderful!! Glad to found your way over!!

Needed this. Not as a map maker but a drawer

"...and really make sure that these details reed." ... I see what you did there.

This is incredibly useful, thank you! Definitely binging the rest of your vids

ooh man! now I have to think about a scene that I can draw out like this! This looks really great once again :-) Good and easy to follow tips as well :D

I'm really impacted by the arts style but by also how you drew the room gave me though that you can make battle maps more complex by giving them a 3d dimension. Its epic.

Well done, sir. I appreciate you sharing your talent.

I've been backing up and listening/referencing parts of this for well over 20 minutes straight while working on my first ever isometric tilemap. I'm in love with your explainations of your methods, and I'm letting myself make imperfections. What's even crazier, those imperfections keep turning into more unique little details that i could never have thought up on my own. Basically this is a long ass way of saying THANK YOU.

Great Video! I didn't know how to draw different textures with a pencil but this video made it really clear.

I spell words out of order very often. I always feel a bit of shame, I don't really know why, especially since usually nobody is watching. It is weirdly comforting to see you do it in video! Thanks! (And thanks as well for all the cool tips of course!)

Great tips! Thank you for sharing.

I'm getting back into art, Your videos help along, thank you

1:45 yeah that tile group is definitely a trap

Somehow this is helpful for my short comic or arts

You are the Bob Ross of map making

Soo inspiring, I definitely want to pick up isometric drawing. I most do vector work for graphic design, but I've been really wanting to find inspiration to get back into paper and pencil artwork

Just beautiful, I learned a lot really fast

this is beautiful!!

This was awesome! Really succinct and useful, also encouraging. You did make it look much easier than it is though ^_^ thanks for the video!

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Glad you got something out of this!!

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

After a little practice, it’ll be easy enough. Just keep with it!

Nice job I learned some good tips. Thank you.

I learned a lot for my indie game. Thank you.

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

Heck yeah! That’s why I do this!

ty, wonderful guide

Thank you, great lesson!

@mapcrow

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure! Thank you for the kind words!

this is awesome keep up the good work

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!

God this helped me so much thank you I truly appreciate this video. I am a first time DM and I have been trying tirelessly to make a dungeon or map and game for my daughters (14) (16). we love your videos! @MapCrow

@mapcrow

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah! That sounds like a lovely way to spend family time! Cheers!!

Good stuff as always

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

I don't understand anything 'cause I don't know English very well, but it's damn interesting and useful.

This is just helping for texturing in general

Thank you!

holly shit. this was amazingly concise and easy to follow.

Adding specific damage to tiles in a castle is a possible ways to show a used path even where there should be none

this looks great they let me make life

Over head map, that we often get in moduels these days are great to throw into a VTT and stat playing. But Isometric maps are so much more compelling and inspiring to look like. Even just as a DM tool. I have had them in some adventures that I ran, and even then they are great to just throw up on the screen to show where things are. (Heck last session we used one such map for an abstracted large scale battle, and it worked amazingly.) I wish more publications had this. The old school RPG art with just black and white is just so compelling. Something about the "roughness" but high detail is just so appealing compared to the over saturated colors of modern digitally drawn art.

This is specifically a good method to draw backgrounds in general. Perspective drawing.

I do pixel art but this is still useful. Just seeing the process of creating these ground types gives me a better idea of how to achieve something similar.

woah felt pog looking how did he make the floor so quick without problem lol, i feel like i wanna do that tho bet it wont go well for me....

Thanks for the tips! =D Where can I find this isometric paper? I found only those with tons of lines pointing everywhere. Your paper has very soft gray lines, its so nice =D

Realmente, isso é muito interessante, ganhou um inscrito Brasileiro bro.

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!! Cheers from the Midwest of the US!

@bokuzeru8757

2 жыл бұрын

@@mapcrow a sério, :) de nada, é sempre bom aprender com um bom professor.

When I try to extend the tunnel past the pit trap it ends up looking like the pit trap is off center from the rest of the corridor. My ruler shows me my lines are in the right spot, but it just looks off. Any suggestions? Great videos.

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

If you send me a photo on twitter, I'd be happy to help you out!

Hey, nice vid. Whats the reference of the tiled sheet you use?

Busted and gross, but in the good way. Incredibly simple and beautiful.

Such a great video! I draw dungeons for fun, and have since I was a little kid, pre-D&D. Some of my fine art work (that I actually sell in galleries) is even influenced by this. Just don't tell the rich art snobs they bought something made by a gamer and inspired by gaming, LMAO.

How about fallout style maps? Like ruined buildings, old vaults, trashy settlements? How would you start drawing those?

Have you ever considered doing a similar "how to" for science fiction textures/locations?

how did a crow learn to make maps so good?

Keep it up, you are too good to stop.

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

Don’t worry, I’m just getting started!!

how do you can hold the pencil like that?

what type of pencil are you using? great tutorial btw

@mapcrow

Жыл бұрын

It is a regular HB Pencil from office max

What's wrong with a neatly new, and well cared dungeon floor? :(

Even though I work in pencils and black ink (and white gel pen), this still makes me wish Nintendo came out with an actual legit Zelda Maker, even though the current Mario Maker 2 tools are pretty decent (only side-scrolling though).

I also spell words out of order sometimes

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

Fun with reading disabilities!! Haha. It's weird to share my weaknesses online sometimes.

What kind of pencil are you using in this video? 4B? Looks way "greasy" compared to the one that I use. You change pencil to mark contours?

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

All of this is done with regular pencils from Office Max. I just don’t sharpen it too much.

@jacoporagiona

2 жыл бұрын

@@mapcrow any information on the hardness? 2B, HB...? Thanks!

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

@@jacoporagiona Didn't even know they printed it on the pencil until I checked. It's HB

@jacoporagiona

2 жыл бұрын

@@mapcrow thanks! Awesome maps by the way!

jokes on you because dirt as actually just rocks, but smaller

So what if you draw maps in a top-down view?

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

Most of the same principles apply, except volume and depth are more difficult to indicate without breaking perspective. Just make sure that the textures and values don't become overwhelming to the point of illegibility and you'll be all set!

@jesternario

2 жыл бұрын

@@mapcrow Good advice. Thanks

What pencil is this?

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

This is just a regular pencil in a pack of 24 from office max. I generally only use common no.2 pencils and 6B drawing pencils.

@SifuMarcusMartins

2 жыл бұрын

@@mapcrow thanks. You make incredible drawing

Hrm, channel name change?

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

Yep! Figured I needed a catchier name than the one I was born with.

@KyleMaxwell

3 жыл бұрын

@@mapcrow as a Latino also named Kyle, it sure caught my eye! But yeah I think this makes sense for what you’re doing here. Good luck with it!

@mapcrow

3 жыл бұрын

Kyle Maxwell haha! Yeah, in my case Latino is my last name, and it’s Italian. I am Latino in name only, if you see what I mean.

This looks cool and all. But won't it take like forever to make 1 map....

Not enough views and subscribers for sure

your stuffs just doesn't give insight into DnD maps also. i got a lot of insight in video game maps as well. Thanks you sir.

Looks nice as a show piece, but overcomplicates the terrain and contradicts what a map is used for. Keep it simple, stupid

@mapcrow

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. While I was demonstrating techniques, I didn't explain that you shouldn't do this for every single floor tile on the map. Map composition and legibility is a different thin entirely.

One thing that might be worth saying about reflections in water is that you might be tempted to line the reflection up with your grid, but reflections are all to do with how light hits the eye or camera from the intervening surface. So since we're viewing this isometric map from a 45° angle, the reflections will always go downwards on the page, towards us. So I guess it breaks the isometric rules in a sense but otherwise itll look OFF in a strange way that might be hard to pin point if you try and line your reflections up with your grid, and your water won't look very watery. So if you're thinking of trying isometric water, maybe bear that in mind!