Next time you want to create a gift for someone, consider a lettering map! Today, I’ll walk you through how I made an artistic and fun Ethiopia lettering map for a friend.
I like to innovate and post new project tutorials regularly, but some projects are just so cool that I can’t resist making them again. This lettering map is an excellent example! Last year, I made a Brazil lettering map similar to this one. Today, I wanted to create a gift for an Ethiopian friend, and I knew that the lettering map concept would be perfect. In today’s article, I’ll show you how to make this Ethiopia lettering map. Feel free to modify the concept for any country, state, or city!
To make an Ethiopia lettering map like this one, you’ll need the following supplies (find a list below the photo):
Next, print a large outline of a map of Ethiopia (you can use Google Image Search to find a map). Place your watercolor paper over the map, then use a bright window or a light box to trace the map onto the watercolor paper.
Now, if you have the Lasso Lettering worksheet, print page 2 to keep at hand as a reference (or open the worksheet in your PDF reader).
GET THE LASSO LETTERING WORKSHEET
Then, use your mechanical pencil to begin filling in state outlines with their names, written in Lasso Lettering. Extend flourishes from the lettering (and independent flourishes) all the way to the borders of the state outlines. Doing so will ensure that the finished artwork is recognizable as a country from a distance.
Keep on making lettering and flourishes until your map looks something like this:
I ran into a challenge on this lettering map that didn’t come up on the Brazil lettering map: teeny-tiny states. Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Harari are all practically dots on the map. For those states, I abandoned the Lasso Lettering style and wrote as small as I could within the state outlines.
Once you’ve finished the pencil draft, it’s time to bring your map to life with color! Use a blunt art syringe to moisten the colors in your watercolor palette that can be found in the Ethiopian flag: dark green, red, light blue, and yellow. (I opted to use glittery Arabic gold watercolor instead of yellow, which is also what I did with the Brazil map.) Then, use the watercolor calligraphy technique to apply watercolor to the back of your nib and write with the watercolors.
Use a different color for each state to differentiate them from one another.
Continue to trace over your pencil draft with the watercolors, alternating colors as you move from state to state.
Once you’re absolutely certain that your watercolor has dried, use a high-quality eraser to get rid of any pencil draft lines.
When all the pencil draft lines are gone, you’re finished:
You can use this lettering map concept for all sorts of different places. Generally, countries with only a few states or territories are the easiest to tackle. Creating a map of a place like the United States, which has 50 different states, is definitely do-able, but it will take a while and should be made on paper that’s at least 11″ x 14″. In the video below, you can see a bit of my process behind making a lettering map of Brazil:
If you’re dealing with a country that only has two usable flag colors — again, like the United States — you can incorporate black into the map to use as a third color. (The U.S. flag is red, white, and blue; but you can’t really write with white on light-colored paper!) Black is a nice neutral that will enhance the color scheme.
Try to think out of the box with this project! You don’t have to limit yourself to making lettering maps of countries. Use the concept for cities (for example, New York City has Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, etc.), states (divided into cities or counties), and more.
If you like this concept, but you’re new to using a dip pen, consider making a lettering map like the one below. You can create it with any pen, and you don’t have to worry about switching out colors.
Of course, if today’s tutorial motivates you to foray into the world of dip pen calligraphy, you can check outThe Beginner’s Guide to Modern Calligraphy. Either way, I hope you feel inspired to make something cool.
Have a great weekend, and happy creating!
Warmly,
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