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Artist who hand-paints some of gaming’s best fantasy world maps brings them together in oversized and extremely lavish art book
Artist and cartographer Francesca Baerald is crowdfunding Unbound – The Cartography Art Book, an oversized A3 collection of her hand-painted fantasy maps. Featuring work from Dragon Age, Warcraft, Diablo, Dungeons & Dragons and other worlds, the book highlights maps as immersive artwork rather than merely navigational tools.
The book contains more than 250 maps from video games, tabletop RPGs, board games and graphic novels, created largely with physical watercolour techniques. Its £20,000 Kickstarter target has already been exceeded by more than four times, while editions cost €150, €250 or €2,000; shipping is expected next summer.
In short
- Francesca Baerald is releasing a lavish book of hand-painted fantasy maps.
- It features over 250 maps from games and other fictional worlds.
- Kickstarter funding has surpassed four times its £20,000 target.
Explained simply
Fantasy maps show readers and players how an imagined world fits together, from its kingdoms and coastlines to the places where a story unfolds. They can help people find their way through a game or book, while also giving fictional places a distinctive visual style.
Francesca Baerald is an Italian artist and cartographer who paints maps by hand, often using watercolours. Her work has appeared in settings such as Dragon Age, Warcraft, Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons, which span video games and tabletop role-playing games.
The collection brings together more than 250 maps from games, graphic novels and other works. It reflects growing interest in the artwork and world-building behind fantasy settings, alongside their stories and gameplay.
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