Cartographer Behind Dragon Age and Warcraft Maps Gets Her Own Giant Art Book

Fans of fantasy world maps have something new to pore over. Francesca Baerald, the artist and cartographer whose hand-painted work has shaped the look of some of gaming's best-known worlds, is collecting her maps in a glossy new art book.

Baerald has drawn maps both inside and outside games for a long list of big names, including Dragon Age, Warcraft, Octopath Traveler, Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons, among others. Her style is instantly recognizable: dense, sumptuously detailed and painted by hand rather than assembled digitally.

The book is oversized, printed in A3 format, which is roughly the size of two standard sheets of paper side by side. That scale matters for this kind of art. Fantasy maps live and die on fine detail, from tiny coastlines and mountain ranges to ornate lettering and decorative borders, and a larger page gives those touches room to breathe. Each spread is given over to her painted maps, so the collection works as a showcase rather than a text-heavy retrospective.

Maps have long been a quiet cornerstone of RPGs and tabletop games. They are often the first thing a player sees when a world is introduced, and they do a lot of storytelling work, hinting at distant kingdoms, dangerous wastelands and places worth exploring. Baerald's contributions have helped set that tone across very different franchises, from the grim gothic corners of Diablo to the storybook pixel-art charm of Octopath Traveler.

For fans, a printed collection also solves a practical problem. In-game maps are usually seen at small sizes on a screen, filtered through menus and interface overlays. Seeing them at full size on paper is a chance to appreciate the craft properly.

If you love a well-made map, this looks like one to keep an eye on.