Illustrating Your Own Personal Map - A fantasy map
In this class, I will guide you in drawing your own personal map. Together, we explore how to turn your experiences, memories, and dreams into a beautiful and imaginative artwork. You will learn simple drawing techniques that help you shape islands, forests, mountains, and other landmarks—each one representing something meaningful in your life.
Watch Here:
You can follow along with me, or you can make the map truly your own by adding symbols and stories that matter to you.
I created five themes to help get you started:
A meaningful journey
A life story
A place from your childhood
A wellness landscape
Or a dream world from your imagination
To help you spark ideas, I made a list with 50 whimsical town and river names. You can pick and choose what feels right for you. They are just there to help you get started- you can come up with your own.
During the class, I demonstrate step-by-step how to build your map, from sketching island shapes to adding forests, lakes, and hidden treasures. I also show you how to use alcohol markers for smooth colour blending, how to add shadows and depth, and how to keep your style loose and playful. There is no need to aim for perfection—this is about storytelling through art.
We also chat about how personal maps can reflect moments of change, growth, or future hopes. You can include a lighthouse for planning ahead, a mountain for a challenge you overcame, or a river that flows through your favourite memories.
Materials I used in the class:
Alcohol markers (I used Ohuhu brand, but any will do)
Waterproof fine liners (different thicknesses)
Pencil and eraser
Smooth drawing paper or marker paper
Optional: white gel pen for highlights
If you don't have any alcohol markers, don't worry. you can join in with art materials of your choice. Use watercolours, pencils, pens, crayons or other materials to add colour and writing to your map.
What are alcohol markers?
Alcohol markers are colourful pens filled with ink that dries quickly and blends smoothly. Artists often use them for illustrations, card making, comics, and design work. They are perfect for layering colours without smudging. The colours stay bright and vibrant, and the pens come with a brush tip or a chisel tip, which makes them easy to use. In this class, I use them to colour in my map because they help create soft gradients and lovely texture.
50 Place Names for Your Imaginary Travel Map
Here are 50 gentle and imaginative names to help inspire your personal travel maps. They are grouped by five different themes: a meaningful journey, a life story, a place from your childhood, a wellness landscape, and a dream world from your imagination. Use them as labels, landmarks, or starting points for your own ideas.
✨ Meaningful Journey
• The Path of First Steps
• River of Milestones
• Wayfinder’s Ridge
• The Crossroads of Change
• The Winding Road
• Lantern Bridge
• Memory Mile
• The Journeying Stone
• The Longwalk Meadow
• The Turning Point Trail
🧵 Life Story
• The Threaded Hills
• Storytree Forest
• Echoes of the Past Lake
• The Chapters Gate
• Grandmother’s Grove
• The Time Quilt Isles
• Footprint Bay
• The Rooted Cliff
• Lifeline Stream
• The Heartwood Library
🏡 Place from Childhood
• Lemon Drop Lane
• The Den in the Wildwood
• Blanket Fort Hollow
• Puddlejump Creek
• The Hide-and-Seek Hills
• Berrysnack Village
• The Swinging Oak
• Mudpie Market
• Wishmaker’s Fence
• Daisychain Bridge
🌿 Wellness Landscape
• Forest of Mindful Walks
• Calmstone Pool
• Breathing Tree Grove
• The Quiet Garden
• The Soothing Path
• Kindness Falls
• The Stillness Lake
• Hearthlight Bay
• Reflection Rock
• The Cup of Comfort Spring
🌙 Dream World from Imagination
• The Floating Isles of Luma
• Featherlight Valley
• The Moonseed Orchard
• Glowdrop Marsh
• Stardrift River
• The Snail’s Ballroom
• Bubbleberry Forest
• The Cloudbridge Bazaar
• Portal of the Painted Sky
• The Library of Lost Dreams