vector-map-drawing

Premium Tutorial: Vector Map Drawing

vector map drawing

This tutorial will take you through the process of creating a Zoo Park map from scratch. It’s all vector and besides the actual map with various elements, it also teach you on drawing a parking lot, a logo and creating a legend for the map. By the end of this tutorial, you will have all the necessary knowledge for drawing various maps and the confidence to get map drawing projects. So let’s get started!

Difficulty: Easy
Requirements: Adobe Illustrator

What will you get?

    • Instant download of PDF e-book (25 pages, 46 steps)
    • Comes with Ai file for easy reference
    • Detailed step by step tutorial to draw a nice realistic vector map drawing

Tutorial Preview:

Draw the Zoo Parking

36. Select the parking-shape and use the shade of gray indicated as the fill color. In the Appearance panel, having this fill attribute selected, press the Duplicate Selected Item icon at the bottom and as a result you will get a second fill above. Keep the same fill color then go to Effect menu > Artistic > Film Grain and apply the settings shown. Change the Blending mode to Overlay and reduce the Opacity to 40% but only for this second fill. Also select a 1.5 pt gray stroke for this shape. To define the parking spaces draw a vertical path with the Line Segment Tool (\) then shorter horizontal paths, as many as you need. Multiply the group of lines and arrange them in the parking area.

vector map drawing

Add the Trees

37. You can find the trees that I’ve used by going to Symbol Libraries Menu > Nature > Trees 2 (see image at step 29). Drag the symbol into your working area, press the Break Link to Symbol icon then Ungroup the trees. Select one of them and replace the shades of green with the ones indicated. Multiply the new tree to create other sizes then arrange them in different areas of your map as in the image.

vector map drawing

Draw the Streets

38. The actual map is ready but we will continue with the streets. Take the Pen Tool (P) and draw some paths around the map like below. The path highlighted with red is the main street and has a 12 pt light gray stroke applied. Duplicate this Stroke attribute by pressing the Duplicate Selected Item icon at the bottom of the Appearance panel, change the color from gray to white and decrease the weight to 2 pt. With this path still selected, check the Dashed Line option in the Stroke panel and type 8 pt in the dash box. The rest of the paths highlighted with black have a 10 pt gray stroke.

vector map drawing

39. Next, with the Type Tool (T) type some names for the streets using the font and the settings shown. Rotate the names according to the streets then Expand them. Also type Park Road North , South , East and West using Myriad Pro, Bold Italic, size of 8 pt and put each one in the proper side of the map.

vector map drawing

Create the Legend

40. You are almost done and now it’s time to create the legend because every map needs to have a legend. First, draw a 1000 x 980 px shape which is the size of the document that you’ve chosen at the beginning of the tutorial. Fill it with light gray just so we don’t leave the background completely white. At the bottom of the background draw the cream and the brown rectangles having the dimensions indicated. Type LEGEND and VISITOR AREAS using Myriad Pro, Bold, size of 20 pt. Expand the text, change the fill color from black to cream, rotate 90 degrees and move them on top of the brown shapes.

vector map drawing

41. Align all the symbols used so far then type the text next to each one. The No-smoke symbol is from a collection of Danger Signs designed by all-silhouettes. Open the file and copy the symbol into your document then change the fill color to red. Next, type the names of the areas from your map and finally the program of the Zoo Park.

vector map drawing

Create the Zoo Logo

42. A Zoo Park needs a logo therefore we will make one. Start with a 61 x 61 px square and select black as the fill color. Open the Symbol Libraries Menu and find the Bird and Antelope symbols in the Tiki and Primitive categories. Drag them into your working area and press the Break Link to Symbol icon at the bottom of the Symbols panel to expand them. Arrange them above the square like in the image. Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste in front (Ctrl+F) the black square and first remove the black fill. Now, select the two animals and the copy of the square and go to Object menu > Clipping Mask > Make. Next, type the text you see below, Expand it and arrange it around the square.

vector map drawing



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