Drawing Conventions: Landscape Drawings and Music Scores

Drawing Conventions 4

In this chapter you will learn about:

• The importance of drawing in accordance with established universal conventions • Similarities and differences between graphic and analog drawing • Guidelines for ensuring accurate and complete drawings • The use of architect’s and engineer’s scales

Drawing Conventions: LanDsCape Drawings anD MusiC sCores

The application of what are described as graphic representation conventions is steeped in drafting traditions. Many years ago, drafting was considered a craft, practiced and cultivated by draftsmen—professional or semiprofessional trained employees who were prized for their skill and, in many instances, their artistry. The artistry for which the earlier draughtsmen were known was accomplished by hand, using a wide array of instruments and guides, drawn within and pencil on linen and later vellum paper and Mylar film. Presentation renderings were created using watercolor washes, colored pencils, conté crayon, and pastels. Some people refer to those as the “good old days,” the days of analog rendering. Increasingly today, the physical materials involved in drawing by hand are being replaced by digital methods. We now draw “by hand” by manipulating the keys on a computer, navigating on a computer screen with a mouse

or stylus. There are many advantages to digital drawing; it has increased productivity, facilitated a new way of communicating and sharing files, and yes, led to the creation of a wide range of artistic expression. Figure 4.1 is a recent image demonstrating the interrelation of analog and digital media in the production process at a professional landscape architecture office.

Figure 4.1 Contemporary landscape architecture office utilizing both digital and analog media

In the contemporary landscape architecture office in Figure 4.1, paper and electronic files have their place in the working environment. Professional employees are at their computer stations in the background. Paper printouts of current projects were laid out onto tables to be reviewed and marked up for later revisions that will be done on the computer.