5  Ink Your Map

An inked version of our map.

Next, using a pen, we can add ink to our map over our pencil sketches. We will need to ink our features in a different order than we drew them.

First, ink the text - this has priority over everything else so ink this first and edit the other features around it. Because pens tend to make a wider mark than a pencil, you may find that your text expands to be larger than your pencil labels. Consider practicing inking text over pencil on your practice sheet first to see how your text changes with the pen.

Second, ink the tallest to shortest features. Trees might go first because their canopies are above everything else. If a building is taller, do that first.

Last, ink the things on the ground like roads and paths so that they can pass under the tall objects like the trees.

When you’ve drawn over all the pencil, give the ink some time to dry, then gently erase your pencil marks. You may find your map now looks less busy and you may want to add more detail at this stage. Keep an eye out for features you forgot to ink as you erase and fill those in.