behind the scenes

Narnia map: from sketch to ink

I start each project by gathering references and creating a moodboard. For this map, I looked to the map in my own copy of The Chronicles of Narnia, illustrated by Pauline Baynes, alongside vintage maps and classic book design.

Black and white illustrated map of Narnia with labeled locations such as Witch's Castle, Lantern Waste, Mr. Tumnus, the Wardrobe, the Great River, and Archenland.

Building the foundations

I start in Procreate with a loose sketch, focusing on the shape of the land, the locations and the overall layout. I keep things simple at this stage, leaving out smaller details like trees, mountains and buildings.

A black and white illustrated map of Narnia featuring mountains, castles, forests, rivers, and various landmarks, with decorative borders and lion motifs in each corner.

Bringing it to paper

Traditional inking and finishing

I print the design and trace it onto paper using a lightbox, including the lettering. I like the character of handwritten text, so I use the digital layout as a guide rather than keeping the final lettering entirely digital.

I then draw the details by hand using waterproof fineliners, brush pens and fountain pens, either on Bristol Broad paper or hot-pressed watercolour paper. White calligraphy ink helps me tidy up any mistakes before I scan the finished map and make a few final adjustments in Photoshop.

A person drawing a detailed map of Narnia with a fountain pen. The map shows towns, forests, and rivers.

Adding detail and lettering

Once I'm happy with the layout, I move into Photoshop to experiment with fonts for the place names. I then return to Procreate to develop the landmass, add landmarks and build up the decorative borders and banners around the lettering.

Black and white illustrated map of Narnia with labeled locations such as Witch's Castle, Mr. Tumnus, Beaver's Dam, the Lamp-post, the Wardrobe, Mr. Pexe, the Great River, the Stone Table, and Cair Paravel, as well as mountains, forests, rivers, and castles.

My aim was to create a map that felt like it came from Narnia itself. This series is one of the most inspiring from my childhood, and I’m so glad I was able to include as much detail as I did!