You can create maps based on other characteristics as well, such as trade routes, major population points, or different languages.
When outlining your landmasses, consider where tectonic plates (imaginary or real) would lie underneath. This will help you to form more a more realistic map, assuming you’re drawing it from your imagination. Add details like peninsulas, islands, archipelagos, deltas, or inlets to your main land masses.
If a body of water is small but important (such as a cove or a canal) you may choose to mark it on the map and note that it is out of scale.
The key is sometimes also called a legend.
To become better at drawing and to sharpen your observation skills, spend time doing blind contour drawings every day. Go slow when observing what you are drawing. Do not worry about the results of the drawing. It is to train your eye to slow down and work simultaneously with your hand.
