Creative Spark Plugs: Topographies

I have long been fascinated with maps. I remember drawing maps of our house and the surrounding woods as a kid, and I’ve used maps and map-like images in my art and my visual journals for decades. So it’s natural that I’d adopt and adapt map-like mark making into my Creative Spark Plugs. Today, I want to explore topographic marks and lines as a way to get the hand moving and making.

This idea is a bit similar to the Parallel Lines activity that I shared a while back, but instead of lines that stay the same distance apart, these topographic lines mimic the types of lines that we see on topographic maps. The marks and lines are completely made up, yet they still seem to suggest hills, mountains, and valleys. They are a great way of getting the hand moving, and they can be used to get something started or to add to a work already in progress.

You can use a number of materials to do topographies, but drawing is probably the quickest way to get started with them. You only need something to draw with—a pen, marker, or pencil—and something to draw on—a piece of paper, a work in progress, or a sketchbook or journal page.

Probably the easiest way to begin is to work from the inside out, so all you need to do is to draw a small circle, oval, or roundish shape.

Then create a larger curvy shape around the smaller shape, and repeat with larger and larger shapes. The shapes can be uneven and irregular which will give a more naturalistic feel, or they can be smoother and more even.

Just keep adding larger and larger shapes until you’re satisfied.

You can fill up an entire page or paper, and you do this multiple times adding little topographic areas here and there.

These topographic marks work great as the beginning layer of a mixed media piece and they are perfect additions as details to pieces already in progress. I use them both ways, especially in my visual journals.

You don’t have to just draw topographies. I have also used these ideas in my daily collages, and I have explored topographies throughout the last three years.

Try it yourself, and see where these marks can take you. Remember you can share the results on social media platforms and tag me!

Thank you so much for reading. This is a free publication, and I try to offer something each week. If you find what I share valuable and would like to keep it going please buy my books, hire me to speak, take a workshop, or become a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers have access to a monthly virtual meet up where we meet as a creative community to create together, talk, and share. I’d love to have you as part of that community. Become a paid subscriber:

Happy Creating!

Eric