Representaঞon + Landscape
Landscape Architecure Program Graduate School of Design Harvard University
Spring 2022
Drawing Vegetation and People Tu t o r i a l
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Representation + Landscape
V e g e t a t i o n a n d P e o p l e Tu t o r i a l
CONTENTS
res ources
page 0 4
u s i ng foun d veget atio n im ages
page 0 5
make your ow n P NG
page 0 8
hand drawn vegetation
page 0 9
vector traced vegetation
page 1 1
col l aged veget at i on
page 1 2
u s i ng 3D veget at i on libraries
page 1 3
scale reference for drawings
page 1 8
representing people in your drawings
page 2 0
drawing shadows
page 2 2
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Re s o u rce s Herbaria Resources
People Resources
● Harvard Herbaria:
● https://skalgubbar.se/
https://kiki.huh.harvard.edu/databases/specimen_in-
● https://black-img.com/Cut-outs
dex.html
● https://escalalatina.com/
● New York Botanic Garden Steere Herbarium
● http://www.nonscandinavia.com/
http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/collections/
● https://skalgubbrasil.tumblr.com/
● Neuchatel Herbarium
● https://pimpmydrawing.com/people
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2012/07/11/30000-
● https://www.studioesinam.com/pages/cut-out-
plants-from-university-of-neuchatel-
people
herbarium-for-wikimedia-commons/
● “vector illustration png” Google search ● “png silhouette” + activity or pose Google search
P N G Ve g e t a t i o n R e s o u r c e s
Te x t u r e R e s o u r c e s
● Only GFX Tree Silhouettes
● https://lostandtaken.com/
https://www.onlygfx.com/?s=trees
● https://www.textures.com/
● A simple google search for a specific species +
● behance.net (search “free textures”)
“png” “silhouette” “vector” returns good results
● www.textureking.com
● CAD Block Trees
● https://www.pexels.com/search/texture/
https://cad-block.com/trees_plants/ https://www.firstinarchitecture.co.uk/category/cadblocks-2/cad-blocks-trees/ https://acad-block.com/trees_plants/ ● Roots https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=root+vector
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Us i n g Fo u n d Veget at i on Images Wo r k f l o w Using found PNG silhoue es or images of trees is a fast way to populate a drawing and represent the color, iden fying features, and branching or canopy structure of trees and vegeta on. RASTER (Photoshop) >find a high resolu on PNG image and place into your Photoshop file >delete background > Ctrl + click to select layer >Shi + Backspace to fill new layer with solid black to create a silhoue e VECTOR (Illustrator) >place PNG or JPEG into Illustrator >’Image Trace’ PNG >adjust Image Trace settings >Expand and ungroup output >Layer your vector vegetation and adjust transparencies if desired + ● note : If making complex drawings with a lot of vegetation Image Trace vector work will make very heavy files, opt for raster or rasterize your image traced vector objects to reduce file size and ensure smooth printing see links in introduction for PNG vegetation resources or use Google image search using terms like “silhouette” “free” “PNG” + the specific species you are looking for
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Us i n g Fo u n d Veget at i on Images Tr a n s f o r m i n g F o u n d P N G s i n A d o b e I l l u s t r a t o r ( V e c t o r ) 1. Place PNG into artboard
2. Object > Image Trace > Make
Create a duplicate layer with original PNG that you can always refer back to
3. Adjust Image Trace Se ngs adjust mode, threshold, paths, corners
4. Expand Image Trace and Isolate Object
and noise to achieve desired effect
Select background fill (Select > Same > same fill color) > delete
Object > Image Trace > Expand > Ungroup (ctrl+shift+G) >
Mode: Black and White
● note : once you have a vector object you can experiment with fill, outline, transparency. To convert final tree back to raster (for lighter files): Mode: Greyscale
Object>rasterize
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Us i n g Fo u n d Veget at i on Images Tr a n s f o r m i n g F o u n d P N G s i n A d o b e P h o t o s h o p ( R a s t e r ) 1. Download PNG
2. Delete Background (If not a transparent PNG)
Download a PNG of a tree or plant or find
Select > Color Range > Select Background Color > delete
specimen images from herbaria libraries
3. Fill Layer with Black to Create Silhoue e
>Ctrl + click to select layer > Select > Load Selec on > Channel: “layer name” Transparency
>Shi + Backspace to fill selec on with solid color
>export PNG
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Ma ke Yo u r Ow n P NG 1. Open Image in Adobe Photoshop
2. Erase Background Use Magic Wand, Quick Selection and Lasso tools to select and delete large patches of background
3. Clean Up Edges Select>Color Range>eye dropper color you wish to delete>adjust Fuzziness slider > ‘OK’ > delete
3. Export PNG Use the PNG image in drawings, fill with black to create silhouette or image trace in Illustrator to create vector vegetation
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Hand Drawn Vegetation Wo r k f l o w Hand drawn vegeta on is a great way to create unique linework vegeta on that can be distorted in photoshop and used in mul ple drawings. Hand drawn can be accurate and true to the species habit or more abstract and collage like, depending on your goals for the drawing. >draw from life or herbaria specimens >scan drawing >adjust levels and curves to get clean lines >delete background if desired +
Angela Moreno-Long “Conzya canadensis Studies”
● note : hand drawn vegetation is great for layering plants and shrubs to add depth to a drawing, however depending on drawing style trees can also look very stamplike and repetitive. Keep this in mind when choosing a drawing style.
Francis Halle
Mosbach Paysagistes “Bordeaux Botanic Garden”
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Hand Drawn Vegetation Cleaning Up a Scan
1. Scan Drawing or Photograph Drawing
2. Adjust Se ngs in Photoshop
try to use bright lighting with limited
adjust using Levels, Curves, and
shadows if photographing
Brightness/Contrast
Melody Stein
3. Export PNG
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Vector Traced Vegetation D r a w i n g Ve g e t a t i o n D i g i t a l l y 1. Place found images of species into Rhino
2. Use polyline and curves to trace
‘picture’ command>browse to image>specify size and location
3. Export Linework and Edit in Illustrator select lines>File>Export Selected...>Save to Adobe Illustrator
4. Adjust lineweight and add colors (Illustrator)
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Co l l a ge d Veget at i on Wo r k f l o w If you have unique engravings, drawings, or images of a desired species you can collage these into new specimens to use in your drawings. >scan or download found imagery >adjust levels and curves in Photoshop and delete background with a mask or color range selection >select portions of image with lasso or marquee >Ctrl+J or Layer>New Layer>New Layer from Selection >Collage into a unique specimen >export PNG + ● note: be aware if you use licensed or copywritten images or drawings that you must transform the images enough that they are your own unique creations and not plagiarizing someone’s work. Collaged Plant
Found Herbaria Specimen Engravings
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Us i n g 3 D Ve get at i on Li brar i es Wo r k f l o w Lumion has a robust library of 3D trees, vegeta on and people that can be used for renderings or exported as 2D images to create more realis c vegeta on in drawings. This is especially helpful for views or axons where you want a specific angle view of vegeta on. The Sun Study effect is also a helpful tool for visualizing shadows. >place trees in lumion >adjust view and save >export render layers >delete background in photoshop >(optional) edit in photoshop using filter gallery
Lumion Interface (for exporting vegetation) Layer Management (similar to Adobe Suite)
Content/Object Library
Object Edit Tools
Object Selec on Toggle (like Gumball in Rhino)
Render Tools
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1. Place Vegeta on Into Scene from Library Place > Nature Library > select desired tree > click to place into scene
“Nature Library”
“Place”
2. Adjust Tree (s)
Select
Rotate
Scale
Click to select tree>drag to move
Click to select tree>
Click to select tree>
use sliders to rotate in X-Y-Z
use sliders to scale tree
Object Menu (tree must be selected to see this)
Place on Landscape use if tree is floating in Z space
Edit and Adjust Colors and Transparency
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3. Set and Save View Photo > set view by panning and adjusting focal length > store camera> render Photo Click to enter render panel
Render Panel
Export Render
Build Click to return to model space Set Camera Eye Level
Store Camera (like Named View in Rhino)
Set Camera Focal Length
Mouse Commands for Changing View: Right Click: Pan Camera Left Click: Update changes from model space Click + Hold Scroll Wheel: Pan camera height Left/Right Arrow Keys: rotate left/right Up/Down Arrow Keys: zoom in/zoom out
4. (op onal) Adjust Shadows >set view for render>”Add Effect”>Sun>Sun Study >Adjust angle, time, date, season, and location >export render layers
1. Add Sun Study Effect >“Add Effect” in Fx Menu>Sun>Sun Study
2. Adjust se ngs
3. Export Render Image with Ligh ng Map The Lighting Map and Material ID additional render outputs can be used in Photoshop to select elements, delete background and isolate shadows
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5. Export View Render > select additional output formats > select export resolution quality > save to folder 1. Select Render Resolu on and Addi onal Outputs note: the higher the resolution the longer the render time
2. Create PNG in Photoshop use ‘Lighting Map’, ‘Material ID’, and ‘Sky Alpha’ Additional Outputs to isolate selections in Photoshop to delete background > use tree and shadow PNG
Lighting Map
Material ID
Sky Alpha
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6. (op onal) Adjust in Photoshop
Use Mask and or Color Selection to delete background
Play around and edit using adjustment layers, Filter Gallery (Filter>Filter Gallery) and Layer Blending Mode to manipulate the vegetation
Example:
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Scale Refe rence for Drawing Wo r k f l o w When working between 3D model space and 2D drawings a simple scale reference is helpful for placing vegeta on and people without having to use heavy 3D trees in your model space. >draw polyline to reference element height >place polyline reference at different locations >make2D your Named View >export linework >import as layer in your Illustrator or Photoshop
making trees and people that are a correct scale for the perspec ve of your drawing
drawing 1. Draw Polyline Reference make sure your “osnap” is on by selecting at the bottom of your screen>’polyline’ command>click to place start of polyline snapped to your groundplane with polyline command active>type the height of your element (for example 25’ for a tree or 6’ for a person>shift+click in right or front view to place an orthagonal vertical line at your desired height
2. Populate Model with Reference Lines you DO NOT need to place a line for every tree, only at key locations relevant to the view you are drawing, enough to provide you with a reference for scale at different distances. 1-3 lines at a few key intervals is enough
perspec ve view of model
saved perspec ve view for drawing
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3. Named View-save your viewport Use Named View to save the settings and viewport of your drawing
adjust camera and perspec ve se ngs
navigate to named views
save your viewport
4. Make2D-export your lines in your Named View viewport select all lines>with all lines selcted click into Top View>’Make2D’command>set view to ‘Named View Name’ and Projection to ‘View’ (Top)
Make2D linework is sent to origin (0,0,0)>select lines>File>Export Selected...>Save to AI file 5. Use Linework in Drawing Use reference lines as a layer in drawing to size vegetation and people elements
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Ways to Represent People in Your Drawings People are an important part of drawings to communicate atmosphere, usage, and scale. The style you select is dependent on aesthe c goals as well as what you are trying to communicate about a design. Be mindful of who the users may be specific to your design context, what ac vies they might be doing in the design and details like clothing that matches the season of your drawing. The list of sources in the introduc on include a variety of websites that emphasize diversity in representa ons of people and ac vi es.
PNG Image Cutouts and Silhouettes PNG people can be found online (see resource list) or you can easily make your own from images. PNG Image people create a more realis c drawing while silhoue es are be er for drawings showing larger scales or gatherings of people. Workflow
Scape “The Chattahoochee RiverLands”
Vector PNG Silhoue e: Place PNG in Illustrator > Image Trace > Expand > adjust color fill and outline (see Page 7)
Raster PNG Silhoue e: Delete background>Ctrl + click to select layer > Select > Load Selection > Channel: “layer name” Transparency> Shift + Backspace to fill selection with solid color (see Page 8)
YellowOffice “Durana Lot 1”
Make Your Own PNG from Image: Use Object Selection and Lasso tools to select people > Ctrl+J selection to create new layer with person selection> Turn off background
Bas Smets “Park Josaphat”
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CAD Block People For linework drawings in which you want greater detail than just silhoue es or outlines use pre-made CAD Block libraries of people. These can be adjusted and tailored depending on drawing style (e.g filling in hair or clothes) Workflow Download library>open in Illustrator>use vector lines (see Page 5 for resource list) OR
Chelsea Kilburn “That Sinking Feeling” 2020 GSD MLA Thesis Prize
Trace image in Rhino>export lines>edit in Illustrator
Hand Drawn Hand drawn figures add a unique iden ty to a drawing Workflow scan in drawing>adjust levels and curves to get clean lines in Photoshop >delete background (see Page 11) Tatiana Bilbao from Louisiana Museum Exhibit
Ve c t o r I l l u s t r a t i o n C u t o u t s Cutouts can add a playful illustra on feel to drawings and provide specificity in representa on of people while not being totally photo-realis c. Vector cut out libraries exist for download or you can create your own. Workflow Adobe Illustrator: Image Trace > “Color” mode > adjust settings > Expand > delete background Photoshop: Delete background>select layer>Filter>Filter Gallery>Artistic>Cutout
Xin Feng and Jiani Zhang, Core IV Studio Spring 2020
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Drawing Shadows Manipulating PNGs in Photoshop Wo r k f l o w When working in Photoshop crea ng views or renders you can quickly add shadows to people, trees, and infrastructure using the PNG and warp func on. This
1. Duplicate element
technique is best when working only in Photoshop and you need sugges ve shadows, not shadows specific to a certain place and me. >make a copy of PNG item (person, tree, element) >Ctrl + T to transform PNG>Ctrl+Click on corners to Free Transform the element >Free Transform the shape at desired angle on ground mimicking a shadow >Select Layer by clicking layer then select>load selec on> “layer name” transparency> ‘OK’
2. Free Transform copy to shadow form
>with element selected Sh +Backspace>Fill with Black >change opacity and blending mode depending on how crisp and dark or light you want your shadows >add a Gaussian Blur of 2 or 3 to so en edges> Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur... + ● note : if there are existing shadows in an image you are using you can follow these as a guide. It’s ok to estimate, but make sure all your shadows are the same direction and length and make sense in relationship to where the sun is in your drawing.
3. Fill layer with black
4. Ajdust opacity, blending mode and add blur
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Drawing Shadows Shadows in Plans-Illustrator Wo r k f l o w Adding shadows in plan drawings add depth and context informa on to your drawing. >add vector plan trees to artboard >copy trees to new layer under original tree layer (this is your shadow layer) >fill shadow layer trees with black and no outline >offset shadow layer depending on angle of sun >change opacity to desired shadow intensity
1. Duplicate Tree Layer Select layer> drag down to “create new layer” icon to duplicate
2. Fill Shadow Layer Trees and Offset
Create New Layer
select all shadow layer trees and fill black with no outlines>drag or arrow key move to offset shadow layer to desired angle
3. Adjust Opacity adjust opacity of shadow layer to desired shadow intensity
Opacity
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Drawing Shadows Projecting Shadows in Photoshop Wo r k f l o w O en you need to adjust shadows as they cast onto objects in your drawings. Perspec ve Warp in Photoshop is a useful tool to create realis c shadow behavior.
1. Enable Perspec ve Warp
2. Define Planes
With shadow layer selected > Edit>
Click+drag to define the planes of the object you are
Perspec ve Warp...> Follow on screen instruc ons
projec ng onto
3. Adjust Planes
4. Exit Perspec ve Warp
Drag the corners of your planes to adjust perspec ve
When you have desired warp hit ‘Enter’ to exit
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Drawing Shadows Projecting Shadows in Rhino Wo r k f l o w You can also use the ‘Project’ command in Rhino to create shapes mapped to surfaces. This can be used to get shadow warp shapes on terrain surfaces.
1. Place Shapes Place 2D linework of shape you want to project > place above the surface (in Z space). In this case tree canopy shapes are placed at tree reference lines.
2. Project Select lines/shapes you want to project > type ‘Project’ > Select surface you want to project to > Choose ‘DeleteInput=yes’
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