Creator Spotlight: Dungeon Baker
Map Series
Give us a quick overview of what you make!
I am a TTRPG artist – I love baking up maps and dungeons for VTT. I also invented Alphabet Dungeons - dungeons that spell out your name or initials.
How did you get started in gaming?
It was about 35 years ago when a friend of my elder brother invited me into a game – I was really young at the time – but after a trip across the desert, through a cavernous pyramid and casting spells on a mummy, I was hooked on RPG.
What inspired you to create maps?
I’ve always loved maps – both real world maps, modern and old, and fantasy maps too – and combined with an apparently vivid imagination, I wanted to bake up my own maps to illustrate and add flavour to my invented world. Now as I play DnD more often after a long hiatus, I’ve found I can create decent maps that other people want to see and use.
What is your next big goal for gaming-related work?
I have a Patreon that I work on and add to each week so my patrons get great maps – I’d like to grow that more and have more patrons to enable me to work more exclusively for them. I decided early on to only charge one flat fee per month in Patreon – that way for $5 everyone gets ALL of my monthly content – lots of different maps and variations of maps in the best quality.
What're some fun facts people should know about you?
I really do love to bake! Cakes, brownies, tarts, rolls – I bake lots for family and friends.
I taught myself how to draw and map – I don’t have any qualifications and never took a class in drawing while at school. When I was a teacher, I would draw maps and plans and helpful handouts for all my pupils – if we were doing history I would create maps to help them see the archaeology.
I enjoy writing fantasy too – this is really where my homebrew world came from and where my stories were all set.
Now that I draw for an audience other than myself, I love the creativity of the TTRPG community. For example, I think about drawing a Vampire Ship and within minutes creative people around the world can develop the idea into a better and more focused and unique map.
Time for a Baking Class!
As I have always been a map-geek (I love all real life and fantasy maps), any maps like those in the The Hobbit or D&D’s Dragonlance all fed into my creative side as I was growing up – so I was always drawing lots of maps in my youth and a more realistic approach to map making in a monotone style influenced my way of map drawing – pen, ink, pencil and then watercolour maps are where I started and still am. I draw on paper even now and prefer that to drawing on a tablet or screen.
So show us how the magic happens!
Step 1: Sketch and outline, including main items to be included
Step 2: Hatching the walls - this can be the longest process if a lot of hatching is required
Step 3: The next stage is to add any objects, specific details, rocks etc. that will add character and overlay on top of any stone flooring
Step 4: Adding the floor tiles. This can take a long time if the floor is intricate, such as the use of runes, mosaic tiles or patterns
Step 5: Shading in the whole drawing - this step brings all the elements together and always helps to improve the visibility of details
Step 6: Scan the image and use Photoshop to add a backdrop and colour as required.
Dungeon Baker’s twitter account is where to go to see his map-drawing in action and where he enjoys D&D banter – come and follow him for great art and TTRPG talk! Also be sure to check out his Patreon!
Twitter: @DungeonBaker1
Instagram: dungeonbaker
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dungeonbaker
Website: www.dungeonbaker.com
Email: oven@dungeonbaker.com
