My name is Niklas Wistedt, and I’m an amateur fantasy artist from Sweden. My aim is to create maps and illustrations with a strong sense of storytelling. I wish to tell tales about magical worlds and invoke a sense of wonder and wanderlust.
Drawing is one of my biggest hobbies, and I try to spend at least an hour or two each evening doing it. I find there are few better ways to unwind from your day job than putting on some mood music, pour yourself a glass of good whisky and use your imagination to create something.
I draw by hand, with ink fineliners on paper. It’s time consuming, but that’s kind of the point. We live in a world obsessed with speed and convinience and I think it’s important to sometimes focus on a singular task that is hard and takes time.
I draw inspiration from a lot of things, but most of all from early roleplaying games like the Swedish “Drakar och Demoner”, early versions of Dungeons & Dragons and various OSR (old-school renaissance) clones. I am also greatly inspired by pulp fantasy, horror and science fiction.
My drawing gear
I sometimes get questions about what pens and paper I use for my drawings. I usually use Copic Multiliners of various sizes (from 0.05 up to 0.5). I draw my top-down maps on Rhodia DotPad, and my isometric ones on Isometric Pads by Hahnemühle.
I use Adobe Photoshop to clean up my drawings after digitizing them.
Support my work – buy me a beer!
Let me be very clear: the content on this website is free for personal use, and it will stay that way. That said, I sometimes get questions if there’s any way to support my work. If you insist on giving me a tip my Ko-Fi account is https://ko-fi.com/pathspeculiar. This will make me very happy, but is not expected!
Contact me
If you want to follow me in Social Media you can do so on Instagram and Twitter:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paths.peculiar/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PathsPeculiar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathspeculiar
You can also contact me via e-mail: niklas@wistedt.net
Jag tycker du är söt!
This is such great stuff! You have motivated me to buy the drawing utensils and I’m going to see how I do!
Thanks, really happy to hear that!
You’re very inspiring. if I wanted, what would be a good way to start drawing?
How about the tutorials on this website?
I love your style! How long have you been practicing your craft?
Thank you! I’ve always enjoyed drawing, since I was a kid. But I’ve drawing more focused and actively for the last two years or so.
A particular aspect of your work that I really enjoy are the small wilderness scenes like the one you did for the “Lair of the Blackwood Bandits”, “The Tower of the Missing Knight”, and my two personal favorites the “Crag Forest” and “Forest Keep of the Knight Hermit”. Could you possibly do a tutorial on how to draw these little forest scenes? I think they do a tremendous job of selling the mood and atmosphere of the location!
Thank you! I might do another tutorial at some point, but nothing planned for now.
Well, the tutorials you have done are simply outstanding. Follow your dungeon tutorial I was able to create this
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q_N67d3-gvHGKluxpqEmsX0_HsFmlKy3/view?usp=sharing
Thanks for sharing your insight!
I loved your tutorial on drawing a village. I’m creating an RPG module based on my fantasy book for my Renaissance Faire act, and I’ve been considering using software to draw my maps. But I’ve always enjoyed creating my own. Yesterday, I laid that month-long argument to rest after discovering your work. And now that all my shows this Spring are cancelled, I have more time to draw the maps myself.
Thanks for being out there and accessible. Cheers!
Glad to hear that, thank you for the kind words!
Hello .
I wanted to write this in private messages. but google cannot send to niklas@niklaswistedt.net
( DNS Error: 1302029 DNS type ‘mx’ lookup of niklaswistedt.net responded with code NXDOMAIN Domain name not found: niklaswistedt.net )
So I will write here
I really liked https://www.wistedt.net/2020/04/02/please-go-to-sleep-arthur-cobblesworth-one-page-dungeon-adventure/
I ask permission to translate it into Russian and Ukrainian and layout as well as the original. Using your pictures and maps.
My English is not good, but Russian is my native, I translate different things for training in English an in layouting
Faithfully .
Hello Dmitry! Sorry, I had accidentally written the wrong e-mail address on the page. It’s updated now. Please e-mail me on niklas@wistedt.net regarding this.
Email didn’t work! I’d like to chat about your maps.
That’s really strange, did you e-mail niklas@wistedt.net?
After reading your tutorials I had to have a ago! I bought the same utensils and enjoyed every minute so far. I’ve drawn your top down tutorials and merged them onto one page and added a splash of colour. Looking forward to many more designs!
I came across your website purely by chance and love it! Great content and charming adventures. Feel free to check out my group’s Tunnels & Trolls website http://www.tavernmaster-games.co.uk/ and follow Tunnels_and_Trolls on Instagram. Wonderful work keep it up dude!
Your website is amazing, I’ve never seen such an awesome blog till today. Your tutorials are fabulous. I hope see more writing and works of you.
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Stumbled upon your blog by accident and I am very glad i did. The best OSR site I have found so far, You somehow capture the wonders of the game as it felt playing for the first time 20+ years ago. Keep up the good work!
You art is remarkable and yet inspiring; your generosity in sharing it is symptom of a truly inspired and enthusiastic soul yourself and it’s superb.
Cheers!
Mr. Wistedt, you are like a unicorn… albeit less stabby and probably less horny? What i mean is that your work is seemingly magical and rare and stuff. Your isometric stuff is a breath of fresh air in this oft-stagnant D&D world of top-down flat maps.
Please send me regular stuff via E mail – otherwise i will lose you to my vast plethora bookmarks!
Hey! Even tho’ we’re at war – I support your progress! I’m myself is also starting out, but I mainly write scenarios for OSR Rpg’s and want to be able to fill them with my own art. You’re art is an inspiration and really great!
Pokkers Svensker!
Regards, A Danish fan
Such amazing stuff! Very inspirational. I’m an artist too, retired from being an illustrator, and you are so correct when you say the point is slowing down. When I draw and paint, I’m in the zone and time becomes meaningless. Again, bravo!
Thank you very much!
I’m an italian publisher. Do you do commissioned maps? Can you give me a quote for these two in isometric style?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qrV9Pc6HiWUdN2FlRCNd1NChUhgFvFvz/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FonQXiWTcFQB3kt8036WZkIGKS8slQpn/view?usp=sharing
Hi Matteo, I’m afraid I don’t do commissions, sorry!