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How to draw a world map?

23 March 2021

The world map is a very ancient representation of the Earth’s globe projected onto a flat surface. It is therefore believed that before the digital era and before printing, maps were drawn freehand on paper or other types of media. In this review, we will try to teach you how to draw a world map, but in a fairly simple way.

How to draw a black and white world map.

Drawing a black and white world map is by far the simplest. However, you will need: a pencil (preferably HB), paper (A5, A4, A3) of at least 90 g to avoid erasure marks, a white eraser (preferably Maped, Carioca, Comté) and a marker or ink pen or felt-tip pen for finishing.

Drawing a black and white world map is by far the simplest. However, you will need: a pencil (preferably HB), paper (A5, A4, A3) of at least 90 g to avoid erasure marks, a white eraser (preferably Maped, Carioca, Comté) and a marker or ink pen or felt-tip pen for finishing.

To start, it would be difficult for everyone: beginner or experienced, to draw a world map from memory. You must therefore choose a model; ideally, choose a large-sized map on the internet and preferably a black and white map.

Once your model is chosen, you can make a pencil sketch recalling the general curves of each continent starting with the American continent. The sketch may not be very accurate, but the goal is to reproduce an overview or global view of the continents.
The sketch does not take long to do, but you must take care to keep the proportions well. If you want more precision, you should grid the model with a pencil and do the same for your blank sheet. This way, you will have reference points for more resemblance to within a few millimeters.

Once the sketch is finished, you just have to finish your outlines by pressing a little harder on the pencil. This is the moment to refine the details. After that, inking is done with a felt-tip pen once you are sure you have highlighted well; you just have to erase the pencil marks so that everything is perfect.

How to draw a colored map

Drawing a colored map is not so complicated, because the steps are the same as for a black and white drawing. The only difference is that for a colored map, you need a few more materials: dry or oil pastels or colored pencils, a white pencil, cotton or disposable tissue.

To learn how to color, get inspired by a precise colored model. For example, you can outline the countries (if your drawing is large enough) and fill them with different colors. Some maps are shaded and it is to shade the colors that you will need cotton for blending.

Once the colors are applied on the paper, rub them lightly until the colors are uniform. And to obtain shades: the harder you press, the more the color shows, and the less you press, the more transparent the color is.

In short, practice from time to time if you want to learn to draw well, because nothing is done perfectly the first time.

Learn all about the world map on our website

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