# Mapping Resources > How Do I ??? >  ...make maps which look hand drawn?

## lospo

Hi everyone, i'd like to create a fantasy map for  my pathfinder group. 
I'd like to use this style:
http://www.unreal-fantasy.pl/gfx/wfr...online-map.jpg

Can someone tell me how can i start?

I'm a linux user so i can use Gimp and Inkscape. 

PS: if possible i'd like to use only vector images to place on my map... 

Thank you!

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## jfrazierjr

Well, I expect this is mostly hand drawn using a tablet and something like GIMP/Photoshop.    I have little experience with Inkscape, but if you want Vectors, thats that you would use.  I believe MOST of the way this make is constructed should be possible in Inkscape, but it will probably be somewhat time consuming.   As for where to start, Ascension just recently created a tutorial for making houses.  Thought it was written for Photoshop, many of the techniques can be easily incorporated into GIMP with some slight adjustments to create pretty much the exact same effect.

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## lospo

thank you so much!
Today i'll learn with the tuto!

Another: in your opinion all the little house is single hand made or is there a some kind of "copy/paste"??

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## Ascension

You can't really use copy/paste too much because of the roof slant...one side is in the shade so if you start rotating houses too much then the shade side gets messed up.  As J said, the map you show was hand-drawn but you can get close to that style with Campaign Cartographer City Designer.

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## lospo

Ok, I will try it, maybe it's the simplest way.

BUT 

The image attached (found on the city guide by Ravi Shankar) [This is my actual bible] is excacly what i'd like to create: pure topview and simple draws.

I don't think that every single biulding is hand made and i can't see any kind of shadows. 
In your opinion how can I redraw a city like this? 

THANKS!!

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## Redrobes

Check out this thread and look up the links to the WIP cos it says how to do it.

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...-Fogdown-Redux

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## ravells

I'm with you that vector has many advantages (no pixellation at any zoom and export to pdf being the main ones). Check out this thread which looks at creating a vector city. I think Fogdown was one in photoshop/gimp and all the buildings placed using a stained glass filter. It is a beauty, but you can get close to it using symbols-along-lines in vector. Or you can use the stained glass effect on the buildings and then convert the result into curves in vector. Do a search on 'Lazy Man's city' - it's my eternal hope in trying to find a way to draw convincing city buildings quickly.

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## lospo

...mmm...
First: i forget to tell my goal, which is to create maps for my pathfinder party to play on.

I make some decent (not beautiful, only decent) village and small town maps usig a tutorial regarding the "Roleplaying City Creator" and it could be the right way for  single and stand alone map. Rapid, fast and useful.

My idea of vector map is intended for some bigger project (ie: the capital or another ultra big city) to print portion of map without any pixelation.

By the way, i understand some thing: first: phoshop tutorial is not intended for gimp. Second: vector is really more complex o understand.

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