How To Draw A River On A Map

Now that we've drawn a continent with mountains, it's time to give it some rivers. Only before we brainstorm I'd like to mention that I've written a volume on the subject field of making fantasy maps.

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In any case, information technology's time to look at how nosotros depict rivers in vector format.

Vector Design

In case you've not read the previous manufactures in this series, this tutorial focuses on how one can use vector tools to create a pleasing and functional map for a fantasy novel or other purpose. For this I volition be using a vector design application called Affinity Designer, although you may use Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator if you adopt. Vectors will give us more freedom in our workflow, equally well every bit not being affected by the limitations of pixels.

Step 1 – Draw Rivers

There are several ways to draw rivers using vectors, and it all depends on what you want the rivers on your map to await like. But earlier we remember about how nosotros desire our rivers to look, we need to describe some. Make sure you've drawn at least a few mountain ranges, as the rivers will menstruation thence. With that washed, it'southward fourth dimension to make some flowing h2o.

Use Affinity Designer's Pen Tool to draw rivers.

Create a new layer chosen "Rivers." Using Affinity Designer's Pen Tool (or Pencil Tool if you have a drawing tablet), depict a path starting somewhere in your mountain range and catastrophe at the coast. You lot'll desire this curve to current of air back and forth. Later you've drawn the path, bold you drew information technology without a drawing tablet, the next step is to vary the stroke size. It's a good idea to make it start out thin, get thicker and thinner forth the path, and eventually cease up thick when it reaches the declension.

Deltas and Tributaries

Now do the same thing with slightly thinner strokes to create your deltas at the coast and tributaries in the mountains. To brand sure their ends align perfectly with your main river, you'll need to plough snapping on. And so, in the Snapping Options, run across that "Snap to object geometry" is enabled. At present your rivers are essentially done where drawing is concerned, just there are however some things left to do. In this example, it all comes downwards to your preference. I'll exist showing you iii methods for finishing up your rivers, and y'all can pick whichever you similar best or figure out your own method.

Method 1 – Black Rivers

Mask your river so it ends at the coast.

The first method has the simplest artful of the three. If you've not already washed so, group all your rivers together in the Layers console and drag the group into your landmass. This will make it so you lot won't be able to meet the parts of your rivers that are in the ocean; they'll cease at the declension. Unfortunately you'll demand to turn your landmass into a unmarried shape in gild to do this, simply that'south non likewise big a problem if you've finished drawing all the lakes. Just select your compound shape and flatten information technology (Layer > Convert to Curves).

If y'all prefer, you lot can duplicate your landmass, catechumen it to curves, set both its stroke and fill up colours to pure white, and mask that shape to your Rivers layer. This will preserve your landmass merely it might exist a bit troublesome if you lot edit your landmass later. To avoid all of this trouble, simply create an entirely separate layer above your Rivers layer and move all your lakes out of the compound shape and into your new Lakes layer.

Method 2 – Coloured Rivers

Change the colour of your rivers to match your oceans.

In this second method, instead of having the rivers be black similar the outline of our continent, nosotros modify the rivers' stroke colour to whatever colour nosotros've made our oceans. If you lot want them to have an outline, add together one in the Layer FX panel. Then mask the landmass's shape to the rivers as you did before.

Method iii – Cutting-Out Rivers

Subtract the shape of your river from your landmass shape.

In this third method, catechumen the rivers' strokes to shapes every bit nosotros did in the second method. Now add them to your landmass's compound shape and ready each of their modes to Decrease. Now your rivers volition look like they're h2o just like the oceans. One issue with this is that it will make editing the rivers after a bit of a pain. Another is that it doesn't look especially skilful if your landmass's outline is too thick. You can prepare this by making your compound shape'due south stroke thinner and setting the stroke to marshal to the outside of the shape.

Washed!

Regardless which method you chose, with your rivers consummate you tin motility on to the adjacent pace. If you've only drawn one river, depict some more than. Remember that rivers tin can pretty much period in any management (non simply southward), but they generally flow from the mountains to the sea. In the side by side tutorial in this serial, we will brainstorm adding the all-important forests to our map.

For this tutorial I used version six.1 of Affinity Designer

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