Map Art

By placing a large number of blocks players create horizontal pixel art that can be viewed and displayed with maps. 
For a list of map art made on crafters.one see Map Art Archive

Types of Map Art

Mapart is typically distinguished by two criteria, elevation and materials.

Elevation

Stair/Staircase''''

Every block has one of three shades depending on the height of the highest block directly on its north. If the highest block directly on its north is lower, the light shade is displayed, if it's on the same height the middle shade is displayed (this is the color a block would have on a flat map) and if it's higher the dark shade is displayed.

Flat

Dual Layer

Materials

While you can map maps out of thousands of combinations of blocks, due to ease maps are frequently made fully or mostly of carpets. While it is standard to identify carpet maps as such, other categories are not fully defined.
Some possible distinctions on materials
'Carpet
Maps made fully or mostly of carpet'''''''

Fullblock

Mostly made of blocks other than carpet. Also used to mean "All Blocks" or no restriction on color

'Piston Clearable
Refers to a list of materials that are all breakable by pistons. Usually used in conjunction with a machine that breaks the map when it is completed.'

Carpet +
Mostly Carpet + any other blocks that may have been used. If a map needs a specific color/s that carpets cant manage, a map maker might choose to use a "fullblock" for just those color/s and carpets for the rest.

'

How to Make Map Art

There are many great resources online for this, and different map makers have their own processes. 
Most map makers use MapartCraft to convert images into schematics.