# Mapping Resources > Mapping Elements >  Free - Hand Drawn Town Buildings

## rpgmapmaker

So, I have been trying to get back into map making and started working on drawing a town for a bed time story that I am telling my daughters... anyway while I was looking at what others had done I came across this map  Ashenport-Town-Map by Mike Schley (who draws great maps).  Inspired by his work I made a crude attempt at the style he was using for the buildings and came up with these. I will keep posting things I make as I work on this map.

The color images are reference for what the elements might look like with color but I am also attaching the raw scans as a .png w/transparency so you can use and color them to your needs. Set them to multiply mode and re-size them and you should be fine  :Smile: 

*---Buildings---*

GIMP Brushes By RobA
Building .png files By RobA

*---Trees---*

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These are free under public domain... but if you use these to make a map please post it or link to it so all can see, thanks (not mandatory)

I welcome comments, critiques, and requests 
(while I am in a drawing mood and not deployed)  :Wink: 

-RPGMapMaker

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## Ascension

Whoa, cool stuff.  I'm very glad someone did this cuz I've tried and can't draw a straight line anymore.

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## Carnifex

Thanks! Much needed. Free to use?

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## rpgmapmaker

I can't draw straight either... I lay paper over graph paper :-)  also I used two different pens a thicker one for the boarders and a thinner one for the "dirt & details".

Consider them Public Domain... I am a hobbyist and I am content to share  :Cool: 

If you can make money using these... at least one of us will  :Razz: 

-RPGMapMaker

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## A R Frost

These are awesome!!! I have been wanted to tackle a redo of my City-State of Aslem map but seeing that I have no artist talent. I have a little of the eye and design talent needed but absolutely zero drawing talent. 
My question is, and I'm sure its already been explained on the forums I just haven't stumbled across it yet.
How/Is there an easy way to color in the building or any .png file that you add. I have a bad shake due to military related disabilities. And when I copy and paste the .png into my working file(using gimp) I have a almost impossible time getting some of the smaller pixellated areas. To be honest I do probably 90% of my map making with brushes. I know that I don't have the talent to create the needed objects myself. Hell, even the texture I used on my world map was a large brush set at varied opacities and randomly placed where I felt it looked good. 
Any pointing in the right direction would be received with open arms.
And again thanks for sharing these great buildings.

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## Jaxilon

These look very nice. I'm not sure where to put them in my Gimp folders in order to use them though. Do I just slap the .png into my brushes folder? Nope, that doesn't work. This is why it's good I can draw a little bit. I would like to figure out how to use em because they could save a lot of time someday.

I think it is cool that you do this to tell stories to your kids. 

btw, take a whack-O-rep  :Smile:  Just cuz I don't know how to use it yet, doesn't mean I don't appreciate your effort.

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## rpgmapmaker

Because I did not take the time to make them into brushes you will have to add the .png as a layer, set it to multiply and cut each building into a new layer... or just select and move as needed... then delete out any unused buildings. 

For coloring the easiest way is to make a new layer under the building layer and paint with the color you like...

For the color version I did the layer order and what I did... not really a tutorial but a quick insight.

Buildings - Set to MultiplyShadows - Gray color brushed with my mouse set to Multiply (this is the shadow on top of one half of the building)Color - I select the building shapes by a Ctrl click on the building layer (in Photoshop) and filling this layer with a brown color - Set to normal.  I also add some noise to this layer after I fill it... this helps the fill color to not be so flat and "painted".Drop-shadow - Same as color layer but filled with black and blurred. - Set to normal

I do a lot of "inking" or coloring in Photoshop and setting a layer to multiply and paining on top or under a line drawing is you new best friend.  the color layer goes over most line drawings but since my building layer is also set to multiply I stuck it under this time...

I hope this helps... I will try and do a tutorial on this building style and some coloring and finishing tips because of the interest.

Sorry about not tailoring this for GIMP but... I don't use it and after playing with it, I am not going to... mostly because I already know how to use Photoshop and the interface and tools in GIMP are just different enough to make it not worth it for me.  But if you already know GIMP the terms I use should work in GIMP with some looking around.

-RPGMapMaker

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## Jaxilon

Yep, that's all I needed to know. Eventually I will make my own brushes for things but so far I haven't gotten around to it.

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## Steel General

Neat stuff, thx for sharing!

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## Ramah

Wonderful stuff, RPGMaker. Thanks for posting these.

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## ravells

Absolutely lovely! Thanks RPG!

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## RobA

Thanks for these.

For convenience, I ran your image through a script I have to divide scanned images and got the individual houses as png files.  I also ran it through a batch gimp brush converter.

Note that in Gimp 2.8 (coming soon) you can rotate brushes dynamically.

In the meantime there is a rotate brush script I have seen kicking around somewhere.

-Rob A>

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## mearrin69

Hey, these are great! Thanks for sharing. Consider yourself repped.
M

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## rpgmapmaker

Thanks to all for the nice comments!  And special thanks to RobA... I would rep you but I have to spread the love before I can rep you again.

I think that the next part of this town map style is the *trees*... I think I will try my hand at those next and post some... there is a whole hand drawn style to this kind of town map and the buildings just don't seem to look right if the other elements around them are not done in the same style... maybe the hand drawers out there will help post some elements for this style... *wink... wink* then this could turn into a town map thread.

Just a thought...

-RPGMM

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## Greason Wolfe

Outstanding!!!!  And much thanks for these.  Most definitely a repable post.

GW

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## rpgmapmaker

I added some tree elements to the original post... as I work on more elements I will edit that post to include the new things there.

As always I welcome feedback and requests.

-RPGMM

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## rpgmapmaker

I started working on some castle elements for A R Frost and have developed an early test.



I first tried to use regular PS shapes... that gave me the one on the top right, then I made the black one on the top left, then I switched gears and tried to model it in Lightwave 3D to give me something as reference.  I also looked at satellite pictures of real castles... and finally I did the one in the top middle using a modification of the line drawing stuff I did before... there are only two pieces right now... the tower and wall.  I will make square towers and rounded walls and some other things then put it all together and see what I can build with the parts to show what can be done.... So, more to follow soon  :Smile: 

The base parts will be just the line drawings as before so the hardest part will be shadows once people try to color them.

-RPGMM

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## Sigurd

For the shadows. Could you release shapes with 2-3 layers as separate elements. Then we could put them into a graphics program and put shadows on the uprights for example....

Just a thought.

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## rpgmapmaker

This is the quick color mock-up to show what might be possible with the stuff I have made so far...






> For the shadows. Could you release shapes with 2-3 layers as separate elements...


I like the idea... but that would take much longer as I would need to make shadows from every angle...  in the end I think you would get a better overall product if you color and shadow the line art for the map you are working on that way everything matches.  I am not opposed to making some full quality color versions of the elements so that it is less work for you all... but the shadows are one of those things that will bring the map together and if they don't match can ruin the effect IMO. (just look at the cheesy ones I used in the color image below)

Here is a start to the castle they are just normal .png files without transparency.  Just set to multiply and color... The last file is the wall parts and a stairway to get up to the towers.  For the walls just line up the parts to make them as long as you need then merge them together copy and flip the copy vertically to make the other half... the darker line of the wall is the outside edge.





*I may do a video on how these were made and how I color, just to show how I do things and try to get others to make some line art for this town elements project.*

Comments, cirques, and ways I can make things better or easier to use are always welcomed!

-RPGMM

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## Boslok

Thanks for sharing!

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## Sapiento

These symbols are really great!

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## alizarine

Incredibly awesome contribution; just downloaded Boslok's Todes Grube mountains & trees resources - these will complement really well. For those of you with PS, I went ahead and created Photoshop brushes of all the images RobA has uploaded. I have CS4, so I apologize to those of you who won't be able to use these.

- Alizarine

RobA_Mapping_Brushes.zip

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## RobA

> Incredibly awesome contribution; just downloaded Boslok's Todes Grube mountains & trees resources - these will complement really well. For those of you with PS, I went ahead and created Photoshop brushes of all the images RobA has uploaded. I have CS4, so I apologize to those of you who won't be able to use these.
> 
> - Alizarine
> 
> RobA_Mapping_Brushes.zip


Sorry alizarine, but they aren't mine.  I just cut the building images apart!

-Rob A>

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## jfrazierjr

> Sorry about not tailoring this for GIMP but... I don't use it and after playing with it, I am not going to... mostly because I already know how to use Photoshop and the interface and tools in GIMP are just different enough to make it not worth it for me.  But if you already know GIMP the terms I use should work in GIMP with some looking around.


Sorry for the Necro, but I would still suggest getting to know GIMP even if you don't use it primarily.  There are a few things it can do significantly better (or even exclusively) over photoshop.  If I had the money for PS, I would likely buy it and use it, but still use GIMP for the few things it does superior(or again, things PS just can't do).  

Out of the box things GIMP does that PS can't(at least this is my understanding, which could be wrong):

Better cloud variation (ie, size/scale as well as "sharpness")Full color brushes!!!!!!Animated Brushes(part of this has to do with GIMP's lack of brush dynamics, but there are cases where this is a real honest to goodness stand alone feature worth having.)Scriptability

There might be some other things I missed.

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## Gidde

Two words to add to jfrazierjr's list: Bump Map. The lighting/beveling/embossing photoshop has to offer have always felt way too rounded (not to mention COMPLICATED) to me. GIMP is much easier. Height map -> Bump Map -> 3d!

These buildings and trees are awesome. Thanks for posting them!

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## IdiotDogBrain

Hi rpgmapmaker,

did this with your brushes. They rock!


Attachment 44743

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## rpgmapmaker

Wow!  I really like the way you use the clumps of trees to make large forests.  Keep it up!

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## Raederle

I like the style of art, but I prefer to make maps from a more decorative 3/4 view (not top down). I'd love to see your buildings from more angles.

~ Raederle

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## SJS

Sorry about resurrecting a thread, but not only were these elements (the initial houses) helpful, the mini-tutorial was helpful too.

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