# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Pen and Paper / Traditional Methods >  Lixirtunem

## Simkin

Hi all, this is a try to draw a fantasy city map. 

There is no background for the city, I started this only to practice. 

### Latest WIP ###



There is little to see for now, but as always, any suggestion or critics will are welcome.

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## Simkin

Well, today I had time, so finished the border and the frontal wiew of the city. 
While drawing, I started to create the Background of the city, maybe I will write something down in the final post. 

### Latest WIP ###


See u, have a terrific Halloween!

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## Simkin

Some new ink for this map and a little background.

Lixirtunem is a city-state built in a canyon.

Two organization had achieves an important role recently, after saving the city from an invasion of the Nomads King:
- the order of the Griffin's paladines (an ancient and honorable guild)
- the sect of Serpent's Knights (once assassins, now serves the king as spies)

The city was built around a misterious and powerfull source of magical power. An order named Temple of the Source, study it and is trying to restore the power that lately is less strong. 

A big rope bridge goes from the king's palace to the fort of the Griffin's Paladines. An ancient tradition obliges all the sons of the nobles families to cross the bridge and stay for a month in the fort and serve the paladines. 

### Latest WIP ###


As always critics and obsarvations are welcomes.

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## Simkin

Hi, this is the finished ink version. Now I have to color it. 

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Simkin.

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## Simkin

Here is my last progress.

### Latest WIP ###


I have to figure it how to fix some major mistakes (always lettering) and there are lesser details that I have to add. 

Bye

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## Simkin

So that is my final version of the map. Probably not so good, but a great improvement for me. 

I will post in the finished map session and there I'll write some background. 

### Latest WIP ###

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## Feathered fox ink

I quite like all the decorations you made around the map, including the side view that complete well the map view, that gives a really cool look. Good job !  :Smile: 

As for lettering, if I may give you a tips for future work, you would improve the overall look by adding writing lines before actually writing. That takes some times, but tracing lines parallel to each other (that you erase latter) to guide your writing is a great help, especially when you have several lines of text (as for the places names in red).

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## Simkin

> I quite like all the decorations you made around the map, including the side view that complete well the map view, that gives a really cool look. Good job ! 
> 
> As for lettering, if I may give you a tips for future work, you would improve the overall look by adding writing lines before actually writing. That takes some times, but tracing lines parallel to each other (that you erase latter) to guide your writing is a great help, especially when you have several lines of text (as for the places names in red).


Thank you Feathered fox ink, I know that lettering is one of my worst weakness and if u consider that normally I work in the night on my maps, when I start to do lettering is always too late for my brain to think ... and so I do those horribles mistakes... (and I fixed someones even worst!)

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## Feathered fox ink

As a night-mapper myself, I totally understand  :Wink: 
Personally, I prefer to do the lettering right after the sketching, rather at the early stages of the map. It is easier to tweak the drawing to give more space for the names than the other way around. Maybe that could help you.

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## Simkin

It helps a lot, thank you for the advice.

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