Greetings to our amazing community, and welcome to the twenty-fourth edition of our Stars of the VTT Galaxy interview series. In this series, we illuminate the already bright stars that make up our community of Bazaar Creators.
In this interview, we were lucky to chat with Ren, a talented illustrator, cartographer, and board game designer about her journey in the TTRPG space. Step into her shoes, the challenges of freelancing, and find out what it takes to bring immersive game worlds to life with stunning maps and tokens.
Get ready to explore the creative mind behind Renflowergrapx below.
Our sky consists of many stars. Each of them illuminating our planet. As you can guess, the stars are you. Yes, it's you, the great content creators who, in your own unique way, shine on our worlds. Thank you for being part of our heavenly sky and weaving the fabric of our Community.
Let's meet today's star.
Introduce yourself- for those who don’t know what you do, what would you describe yourself as doing for a living?
Ren: This question isn't always as easy as it seems. The answer I usually have prepared for these situations is: 'I create content for tabletop RPGs and board games.' That’s usually enough to address the first wave of curiosity.
But if someone asks in more depth, I’d say I’m an incurable nerd with a very visual mind, living in fantasy worlds that I bring to life through my work. In short terms? I’m half illustrator, half designer, and a passionate role-player. This is Ren in public, but also Maria in private.
What’s one random fact about you?
Ren: One random thing about me? I have a slight attachment to neutral colors like green and gray. And apparently, I don’t know how to answer simple questions, haha. Definitely, my social anxiety is one of those things.
Can you tell us about your journey from being a GM and board game designer to becoming a full-time freelance cartographer and illustrator? How did you get started creating TTRPG content? Was there a specific moment or project that made you realize this could be your full-time career?
Ren: I love this question. I love it because it’s like the story of my life that I keep repeating to anyone. I live my journey with so much enthusiasm and I'm proud of it!
Simply put, I’ve always been drawing since I was a child. It was always my gateway to new worlds. I got into role-playing games in my teenage years, and I haven’t looked back since. I studied Graphic Arts and got into side jobs related to publishing.
However, during my online freelancing journey, while trying to find my footing, I ended up talking to clients who asked me if I knew about D&D. That’s where it all started. Realizing that this niche world I loved was starting to catch the interest of others led me to turn my passion into a job. That was the turning point. Before that, I’d just annoy my friends with my maps and the player characters I’d always draw for every campaign!
These two worlds - art and RPGs then pushed me into other areas, like tabletop games, where I often preferred projects related to fantasy settings or, at the very least, projects that would bring something new to my journey.
I’m not sure if I got too wordy, but designing map assets for some clients made me realize how much I loved it. From that point on, I wanted to try drawing everything from scratch, combining drawing with the creation of role-playing content!
How has your style and approach to creating TTRPG content evolved? Have there been any significant turning points or influences on your art?
Ren: I know it sounds paradoxical to those who know me because I draw for work and... for fun. So thinking that at the beginning, I almost only used textures and a few drawing elements... It feels strange, right?
Yet, my turning point was dealing with the spread of TTRPGs. I realized that creating assets somehow limited the artistic expression and the mood I wanted to convey. So, with the growth of the community and the increasing spread of arts, I started to fall in love with the work of all the creators, and I was inspired by every composite illustration. Artists do this for me, they inspire each other in an endless cycle of creation. It inspired me to the point where I started sharing more and more of myself until I found support from people who believed in these creations of mine. And I can only be grateful for that.
Where does the inspiration come from in the work you do? Or perhaps, your “muse”?
Ren: IN RPG CAMPAIGNS! Ahhhhh! What a difficult question! Besides surrounding myself with people who, like me, are drawn to this gravitational force, they inspire me more than anything else... I’ve had the curse and sometimes the luck of being born with a mind that’s very attentive to details. Stories, movies, TV shows, and video games have always attracted me because of some photographic details. So, I draw inspiration from my surroundings and the people, just like any other illustrator.😀
To this day, every map I’ve made (or almost) has conceptually come from a quest we’ve shared as friends during some storytelling night at the table, after getting excited about a game or a series and wanting to relive a part of it. I can’t live without it!
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from freelancing that you wish you knew when you started?
Ren: Serious question here, it deserves a serious tone. LEARN! Learn everything you can. You never feel like you've made it in this field, and if you do feel like you've made it, you're probably doing something wrong.
But if you ask me more specifically, I wish I had understood that what I do has a value that goes beyond money, and that time is never taken, but especially given. (With taken I mean lowkey "lost").
You create maps and tokens for TTRPGs. What’s your creative process for designing battlemaps and fantasy maps? Do you start with a concept, a story, or something else?
Ren: If you’ve noticed, when I introduce myself, I refer to myself as a cartographer or an illustrator. I rarely mention tokens. I started making tokens for myself, to use them in my games! This is because I needed an endless library for my campaigns.
One day, when I was trying to present my maps in a marketplace, I used graphic assets entirely drawn by me, composed a map, and inserted the tokens into the map. I did it because it’s natural for me to bring the environment to life, as I said, my mind flies quite a lot. And well, they rejected my map assets and accepted the tokens. So, I gave myself a chance to focus more on the less polished, more raw, and hand-drawn things.
But now, stopping being long-winded, let me tell you what my process is... Which I believe was the original question, hahaha.
Usually, it starts with a detail. Whether it's tokens or maps, I always begin with a single detail. To be more specific, maybe when I’m walking home, I see a streetlamp reflecting intermittently on a stone, and from that, I get that nighttime aura that imprints a scene on me (which, of course, I’ll end up putting my players through one day or another!). From there, I started drawing, trying to capture that feeling or that fragment I perceived.
With maps, it’s pretty 'self-explanatory,' but with tokens, it always revolves around a concept. A hat, a mustache, an expression, a color. So, I can say that the entire drawing process is usually a chase where I desperately try to reproduce that detail that slips away in the corners of my mind.
If I can add an important reflection: this aspect has helped me embrace my drawing with more confidence, something I used to keep just for myself. To this day, this somewhat 'paintery' style seems to be the most appreciated characteristic.
How do you approach designing unique content? And how do you balance creativity and practicality when designing maps for GMs and players? I suppose being an experienced GM helps with that?
Ren: An experienced GM? Who, me? I don't consider myself an expert master; I probably don’t even have half the experience I’d like. I’m more of a GM who doesn’t forget that I’m a player too. Sometimes, at the table, the GM is seen as just the one leading the scenes, the one who hands you the salt when you ask for it. For me, the GM is a player just like everyone else, but with a bit more responsibility.
But, to answer the question, I’ll say that having experience as a player and GM helps me think about the elements and gives me a bit more intentionality in how things are arranged. I also recognize that my style as a GM might be similar to others, but many see things I don’t, which is why I surround myself with passionate people - they’re like lifeblood, go hug your nerdy friend NOW!
Joking aside, knowing the purpose of a work definitely helps in providing better tools for the one using it, but my preference will always lean more towards the narrative/emotional side rather than pure tactics/mechanics. Basically, Lore > Gameplay- change my mind.
How do you decide which themes or environments to focus on when creating maps? And what’s your favorite kind of map to create – sprawling cities, intricate dungeons, or perhaps outdoor wilderness settings?
Ren: My favorite maps are the night-time ones. Apart from the fact that I've widely declared my love for classic fantasy, I enjoy drawing places that are vast, gloomy, dimly lit, and maybe even a bit 'Souls Like.'
However, since I can’t have a gallery full of just night-time places (though I'd love to, really), I let my supporters choose the themes. Especially on Patreon.
And I know, I realize I should've mentioned that earlier, but I'm not great at promoting myself. I've always gone at my own pace, following the rhythm of someone who loves taking all the time in the world to capture a moment. Anyway, through the community, I can propose ideas, and they express their preference, giving me a fresh challenge that motivates me to do my best. And of course, they also get the slightly dark variations that I love.
Speaking of it, what role has Patreon played in building your community and supporting your growth as an artist? How has the support of your patrons impacted your ability to create and expand your TTRPG content? And how did the feedback influence your approach to future projects?
Ren: Patreon has been F U N D A M E N T A L.
Patreon has given me the joy of being able to be myself and also make a few mistakes. The concept of a platform that supports you for what you do is a unique experience. It’s not like having a shop where you take and go; it’s more like knowing there’s someone at home waiting for you. So it’s had a huge impact, even opening me up to playstyles and details that, as a GM, I might not have emphasized enough. Like the request for more secret doors or, simply, the request for basic spaces.
As an illustrator, I make the mistake of trying to create something bigger and "more", and thanks to them, I realize how often the simplest and quirkiest idea can be the one that creates the best sessions. All of this is priceless! Some people even privately share stories of their sessions with me... And it’s wonderful.
What are your goals and aspirations for your Patreon page? Are there any exciting plans or upcoming projects you'd like to share with your patrons?
Ren: Ouf! Right now, I’m in a phase of restructuring for my Patreon. Or more specifically, I’m looking for a greater source of inspiration, because the more I draw, the more I realize I also want to enrich the world I create. Recently, in addition to battlemaps, I’ve started introducing fantasy maps into my Patreon. This brings an extra workload, which sometimes doubles the effort required... But I always try to optimize and create a multiverse of concepts.
If you ask me how I’d like to structure it in the future... I think I’d like to open up spaces for sharing lore for the maps. But I have this stubbornness of being a lone wolf, and it’s not easy to do everything on my own. So I keep denying myself that joy and limit myself to providing drawn worlds accompanied by quests and written concepts to play with. But yes, I’d love to write lore-based content.
Your tokens are impressive and a bit unusual (in a good, positive sense🙂). What are some of the unique challenges you face when creating tokens versus maps?
Ren: Making tokens makes me a bit rigid. I enjoy drawing people and creatures, but for some reason, I tend to draw characters only for myself, as a hobby.
When I started making tokens, I used to add them to my Patreon as a map complement. As I told you, with each map I included a little text snippet to introduce and explain the environment, and so the tokens were based on that story. I started to realize how much demand there was for weird NPCs rather than heroes. And since I love playing simple, vulnerable characters, I embraced that demand, fitting it into my comfort zone.
However, I don’t like being repetitive. When a job becomes repetitive, I lose interest and find it intellectually dishonest to dwell on repeating the same concept. That’s why I branched out into the "Portrait" saga, where the tokens are a bit less common and have a more refined touch.
To conclude, the real challenge is satisfying myself and my desire to never get stuck in one specific place. Except when it comes to night maps! Lol.
Can you point to a particular project or piece that exemplifies the essence of your art? Let's say your favorite one.
Ren: It's never easy to choose a single piece. But I can tell you there are a couple that I really liked for their simplicity, even though they weren’t very successful tactically!
Bridge of Souls - This is one of my favorite maps for its mood. One of the times I could grasp that detail I had in mind.
Forge Factory - This is another one I loved doing. The concept of this Forge with rooms for the workers, a first aid room, and a cave entrance. Just a good place to be hired.
And this variant of the Sand Worm map.
The idea of planks, bridges, and connections built around a petrified purple worm obsessed me since I got this suggestion. The original map was just the Purple Worm, but with the help of feedback and lovely support, I could take the words from the community and create this.
And Doors Of Time - Nightmare Variant.
A floating platform for a wave-style fight. The idea is of a tower defense style of combat, where you need to hold on and fight for X turns.
And what's your least favorite piece of content you've created? (If it exists).😊
Ren: Lemme see...
There have been some pieces that I didn’t like, but I still had to publish them to keep up with the schedule. I’m not sure if I’d do it again, but definitely, among the pieces I like the least but that still get attention, I think the Empty Caves are among them.
I think the reason I don’t like them is that, back then, I was less focused on growing and embracing that painterly style, which I thought was a weakness, but now I embrace it a thousand times more strongly.
How do you ensure your maps are functional for digital platforms like Foundry VTT? What challenges have you faced adapting your work for digital platforms in general?
Ren: This one’s tough to answer. It’s difficult to create something that works universally well when every platform has its own strengths and peculiarities. It’s always a process of adjustments.
For Foundry VTT in particular, I’ve learned to use fewer curved walls and not underestimate half-walls (elevations, cliffs, etc.). The available tools are very dynamic and functional for a GM! Of course, not all of us are tech enthusiasts, but the platform is constantly updating with features designed to make the game immersive, so I hope to create map modules that bring out the immersion of the maps at their best.
So the only method is to test, test, and test. And have big game sessions with friends to find, through their exploratory curiosity, all the points that can be improved in terms of gameplay, art, and immersion!
Speaking more generally, the difficulty I’d like to see tackled more is the ease of "uncovering" areas or isolating players in specific spots... And why not, run a nice campaign in a prison, where every session you end up back in your cell?😛
(If this was way too specific - my bad, I'm obsessed with DMing this concept for a new campaign!).
What game systems do you play? What VTT do you use?👀
Ren: Oh dear, don't ask as if it was only one... hahaha.
Currently, I'm playing in 3 campaigns. One is a classic D&D set in Mythological Greece with the classic classes and characters (I’m playing a charming halfling Rogue, Thief)... Oh wait, you weren’t asking about this! I get carried away when it comes to playing.
So, aside from the classic D&D, which apparently will follow me even against my will (due to higher demand in the group), I’m exploring more narrative systems like Fabula Ultima (high fantasy). I don’t miss trying out some short campaigns with games like Wildsea. The great thing about having passionate friends is that there’s always a game to play!
As for VTTs, we’re using Foundry for the more mechanical games, and some sessions also happen on Roll20, both for mechanical and narrative games. And of course, the classic "face-to-face" space is a must, where we can really curse the dice as we throw them into the abyss.
The spicy question- what is your favorite VTT to run on? What kind of improvements do you want to see in it?
Ren: So far, I know a few platforms, including Foundry VTT, Roll20, and Alchemy. I believe each of them has a dominant strength. Some I prefer for the speed of setting up games (Roll20), others for the graphics and tools (Foundry VTT), and others for the ability to create an 'essential' and clean environment (Alchemy).
I think I’d give a point to Foundry VTT for the ability to add sounds and lights that interact with the movement of characters, as well as for the dynamism of light and sound interactions over distances. As I told you, I love game immersion, and I believe every detail matters to turn the game into a multi-sensory experience that's more than just a photograph - it's a film.
The improvements I hope to see, overall, are always a simplification of the user interface, and the ability to add more ambient sounds and light effects. And then, as I’ve already mentioned, I’d love for some features to make transitioning from one map to another (or from one map spot to another) more immediate. Otherwise, how am I supposed to run the prison campaign!?
And what’s your favorite board game since you are a board game designer as well?
Ren: I'm in love with Viceroy actually. This simple and this complex. It's a never-ending love story! Also, Zombicide stays in my top tier. I wish I had more people invested around me, so I don't play as much as I want.
What’s a dream project you’d like to create or collaborate on in the future?
Ren: Ouff! A dream project!
I hope to work on a well-rounded story. The dream would be to start a shared worldbuilding project where players and GMs can leave notes about their quests and enrich the worlds. I believe there are already projects like this, but it would be great to do on a larger scale what I already do daily with my friends and colleagues: create a multiverse to explore. I'm just a player, after all.
What is your opinion on AI, especially in the TTRPG space?
Ren: What I think about AI, I think I’ve already expressed on my YouTube channel, in a video in Italian. Maybe I should redo it in English, but in the end, that was a reflection of my impressions up until that point. I want to speak honestly with you about this, so let me take a bit of space to do so.
I am and have always been a lover of technology. As a digital artist, I know I’m working with tools that would make traditional art purists cringe, but as long as we’re talking about “tools,” I don’t see anything wrong with it... HOWEVER...
I believe the problem arises when AI is no longer a tool, but a substitute. I’m not saying this just because I make a living from drawing, but because seeing art is my life. Now that the markets are saturated with ‘artificial works,’ I see a general flattening of the offerings. People dreamless, look less, and live less through art. And this kills me inside. And with visual art, I obviously include what it represents.
Staying within the TTRPG theme, for example, I like that characters and environments feel "new" and aren’t just copies of things that work. AI numbs creativity and the desire to make the impossible possible. Just as art cannot and should not be standardized, we can’t make everything we do so fleeting. Including the spaces we love and that comfort us, like the TTRPG space.
I want to dream up worlds, not find endless, empty copies... I believe technology is beautiful and lethal, and I wish it were used in the right way and the right environments. But today, it's just an excuse for content farming and stealing a paycheck. As humanity and as a community, we should do better than this.
Do you have anything you want to say to the greater TTRPG/VTT community?
Ren: Yes! Absolutely yes! I want you to be hungry - hungry to see, to know, to explore, to experiment. The synergy you can experience at a game table is an intense experience that goes beyond mechanics and points. They are parallel lives we live for a brief moment, where we think the unthinkable.
Whatever game or platform you’re using, remember to keep the table a safe and welcoming space for everyone. What people can create when they are comfortable is something irreplaceable. So think less about "roleplaying performances" and more about living the moment as if it were the only one. Today, we’ve gotten used to a style of play that is almost performative, something to "show off." RPGs, however, are meant to be lived first and then shared.
Let’s help keep the environment cohesive, healthy, and productive, just like we’ve done for decades, helping it proliferate. Because I don’t forget what it was like 20 years ago, and most importantly, I’ve never stopped loving it. I hope it’s the same for you.
What advice would you give to aspiring cartographers or illustrators looking to break into the TTRPG space? Are there any resources (books, tutorials, communities) you’d recommend to those starting?
Ren: Apart from the "Lazy GM's guide"? I'm not sure how to translate that into English, I read it in Italian, sorry.
Whether you're an illustrator, a cartographer, or a player/GM, what I always recommend is to be curious. Don't chase a result, but pursue the knowledge you need to achieve it. This is what I want to tell them.
Observe, learn, make mistakes, learn again. Don’t close yourself off in uncertainties and comparisons with others, but learn to observe, be curious, and be willing to expose yourself, to show your works, even your mistakes. Those, perhaps, will teach you much more in a few moments than years of shy attempts.
To a cartographer, I might suggest visiting my YouTube channel, where I'm posting videos about fantasy maps, as well as showcasing the complete creation of battlemaps and other works.
However, I’m not sure if you want specific names of authors and resources. I’ve studied more in forums than in books, talked to people I admire, observed a lot, and practiced even more. I believe that the best approach today is to roam around communities of creators who show how much fun they have in doing and sharing. Because, in the end, that’s what fuels all of us. And sorry if I can’t give a more specific answer, but you’ve mentioned fields that are related but very niche!
What’s your long-term vision for your work? Where do you see yourself and your art in five years? What are your plans in general for the future as an RPG creator?
Ren: In the long term, I see myself working on game and art projects. Somehow, I know this is where I belong. I would love to lead the artistic direction of a game (Lore, Environment, and Mechanics), and have a team with whom I can discuss art and visions. This is why I feel saddened by the direction AI usage is taking.
However, in 5 years, I hope to have reached a good level of skill in drawing. As of now, it feels like I haven't learned enough, but as an artist, I hope to never, and I mean NEVER, feel like I "arrived." Because it is growth and discovery that keeps me alive.
Thank you, Ren, once again for your willingness and time for this conversation.
Ren: Thank you for having me!
You can follow the image links below to learn more about Renflowergrapx, and follow her on various social media:
