Illustrated City Map - Tourist map of a town
This illustrated city map of Medora, North Dakota was created for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation to help visitors navigate and experience one of the most distinctive destinations in the American West. Located in the North Dakota Badlands, Medora is known for its historic character, dramatic landscape, and popular attractions rooted in cowboy and Old West culture. The Medora Musical remains one of the town’s biggest draws, attracting visitors from across the country, and the map was designed to support tourism by making the town easy to understand and explore.
From the beginning, it was clear that a three dimensional modeling approach would be better suited to this project than a traditional isometric illustration. Medora’s varied terrain, surrounding bluffs, and rolling hills presented an opportunity to use depth and perspective to create a more engaging and informative map. The flexibility of a three dimensional workflow allowed me to test many viewing angles and compositions before arriving at the final perspective. More than twenty variations were explored to ensure the layout balanced clarity, accuracy, and visual appeal.
The unique geography of the Badlands became a central feature of the illustration. Elevation changes, hills, and rock formations were emphasized to give viewers a strong sense of place while still keeping the town layout easy to read. The skyline and foreground bluff elements were added later in the process and helped frame the scene, adding visual interest without distracting from wayfinding.
Illustrated city maps like this are valuable tools for tourism organizations, visitor centers, and cultural destinations. They combine practical navigation with storytelling, helping visitors feel oriented and excited about exploring a place. This Medora map demonstrates how thoughtful illustration and spatial design can enhance the visitor experience while supporting branding and outreach goals for a destination.
An animated gif showing some of the process. If you missed the beginning just wait.It will restart.
Illustration without the map key
Printed map
Escape Key Graphics is based in South Florida but has clients worldwide. Contact me for a quote on your next project.
If you would like to see more about my background please visit my LinkedIn Profile.
(and maps of similar areas)
PORTFOLIO GALLERIES
- Illustration work: Start with custom illustration and cover design, then view illustrated maps and architectural renderings.
- Fine art: Discover original paintings and drawings, the Custom Halftone Series, and mural projects.
- Design & motion: Check out the graphic design gallery, then move on to motion graphics and animated illustration.
- Maps by sector: I produce illustrated maps for boat shows, resorts, marinas, real estate, transit & parking, towns & cities, parks, and wayfinding systems.
- More creative services: Additional offerings include cover illustration, vehicle wraps, proposal renderings, and street art.
- Artistic methods: My work spans vector art, isometric & axonometric views, traditional painting, black & white illustration, GeoData mapping, overhead perspectives, and halftone effects. Recently I have also begun to utilize AI in some cases.
- Preferred software: I rely on Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp Pro, and InDesign, plus Premiere Pro & After Effects for motion projects.
