Viz-Scape

viz - scape doris j chang

S

www.viz-scape.com

viz - scape Seeing, Thinking, Communicating and Visualizing

doris J chang

www.viz-scape.com

CONTENTS

1

8-13

intro

Preface Background Viz-Scape’s Team

4

64-85

Color

Basics

Technique Line Weight Tones + Hatching 3D Shapes Light + Shadow

5

85-107

entourage

Color Theory Marker Basics Ink + Paper (Plan) Trees, Water, Pools, Texture (Perspective) Trees, Shrubs, Water

7

2

14-27

114-159

adobe

(Illustrator) Tools, Clipping Mask, Axonometric, Image Trace (Photoshop) Tools, Blending Mode Light+Shadow, Entourage, Brushes, Sky, Texture, Day+Night, Water, Collage Post Production, Color Adjustment, Fog

Texture + Material (Plan) Trees, Shrubs, Rocks (Perspective) Styles, Flowering, Human Figures, People Style Sky+Clouds, Shade Structure

8

160-167

style Visual Styles Style Development Trending Visualization

3

28-63

Design

Line Quality (Plans) Line Weight, Volume, Shadow (Elevation+Section) Lines, Construction (Perspective) Cone of Vision, Horizon Line, 1-3 Point, Stairs/Ramps, Reflection Tree Forms, Paving, Line Weight

6

108-113

Diagramming

9

Basics Site Analysis

168-177

extra Board Layout Visual Hierarchy Color + Font Save As...

Additional Tips

0 11

Welcome to Viz-Scape!

The goal of this book is to provide you with an engaging and artful experience, while providing you with the most stylistic approaches to visualization, both traditionally, and digitally, within landscape architecture. Created for students and anyone interested in the profession, Viz-Scape will be your handy copy of the most useful techniques to make your drawings and renderings come to life!

Incorporated with personable characters that will lead each chapter, Viz-Scape creates a fun approach to learning.

This book has a joint website at viz-scape.com that will further guide you through this artful journey. So what are you waiting for? Let’s start flipping!

INTRO

S

Preface

preface

10

Viz-Scape is a creative project that serves as instructional and inspirational visualization content for landscape architecture, showing students techniques to focus on and how to most efficiently create visuals for their projects. The goal is quick, engaging, illustrative, visual learning that is easy to understand and comprehend for students; and encourage readers and designers to sketch and develop their own graphic style.

This book includes graphic/visual standards, tutorials, guidelines, for the profession of landscape architecture, focused for students. It has a joint website at www.viz-scape.com which further provides tips, examples, tools, and resources for visualization, on a digital platform.

Specifically, Viz-Scape is a graphic language with easy-to-navigate steps, to create detailed drawings, sketches, renderings, digital design, diagrams, etc., that is in line with today’s styles and technology.

In this book, you will find inspirational sketches, entourage, cutouts of rendering steps, trending styles, and many more! Whether you’re a student interested in landscape architecture, or underclassmen within the major, Viz-Scape will be a handy resource for you to flip through throughout your design journey.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s start creating and visualizing!

background

In my experience as a landscape architecture student, it was difficult at first to visually represent my designs as accurately and creatively as it was in my head. I wasn’t able to find a good consolidation of resources that would help me in my design process. they were either digital heavy or only of traditional hand drawings.

As for the resources I was able to find, most aren’t very accomodating to students and the way we like to learn, which is quick and simple, to the point, and not lengthy in text. It was also not very up to date and modernized in terms of styles and representation of how it was taught.

Through these past few years, I was able to learn helpful techniques that I wish I knew early on to bring my ideas to life, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to showcase what I learned and discovered (both in studio and on my own) throughout my years as a landscape architecture student.

Thank you!

Hand Sketches

as a student, I’ve always been heavily interested in the graphic and visual representation of everything; and really loved the creative process of sketching, drafting, rendering and bringing the idea or concept to life with the beauty of demonstrating how powerful design details can bring our innovative ideas to life.

11

rya

Viz-Scap’s Team

artist Rya will guide you through all your sketching and diagramming needs!

12

skylar A color genius, skylar will instruct you on everything color, from theory to markers!

parker a recent grad, parker will help you discover trending styles and help you find your own!

viz-scape’s team

viz-scape’s team upperclassmen levi will present you with presentation tips, as well final board layout ideas!

benji

kiko

Illustrator benji will provide you with entourages and examples for you to incorporate in your desgns!

A computer enthusiast, kiko will demonstrate her favorite and most useful rendering techniques!

Viz-Scape’s Team

levi

13

RYA

1 22

BASICS

In order to sketch confidently and quickly, it is important to understand the fundamentals of drawing.

Each fundamental topic has a lot of information that should be learned by understanding and by practicing. What you understand when you picture a scene will affect how you draw, so you’ll want to spend time practicing and experimenting!

When it comes to drawing, the best thing you can do is start somewhere. In this chapter, we focus on improving the understanding of forms, 3D shapes, lines, and tones. These are very common principles, and every artist starts off with these basics somewhere. These fundamentals will serve as building blocks for almost every drawing, so don’t be afraid to go out with your sketchbook and start forming lines and shapes!

technique HAND FORMS

BROADER SHAPES Long lines are achieved by drawing with your whole arm and supporting your hand by sliding on your little finger.

CIRCULAR

Technique

SMALL DETAILS

STROKES Most used IN SKETCHING

16 RYA’s Tip LONG

You should hold your pen or pencil loosely when it comes to most drawings.

Always draw with a light hand; pull your pencil/pen rather than push it.

RYA’S Tip

Micron pens and brush pens are best for pen drawings.

While markers are best for shading and coloring in big parts. Larger pen sizes can produce quick and loose results, that’s

lineweights Use of different line weights serves well for defining depth planes, better clarity, and creating emphasis and contrast in a drawing.

Wooden Mechanical

pencil

fine Liner

felt tip small marker Brush tip marker

ink + Marker Each brand of pens have scale for measuring tip sizes and types. They are available from extra fine, to medium, wide, and brush tips.

Line Weights

Multi Liner

17

Line confidence

Line Types

When drawing objects and lines, it is important to draw each side of an object with a single stroke. It is not recommended to overdraw a line with more strokes as it only gets a messy and complicated. Try to draw only one line even if it´s not perfect.

18

RYA’S Tip You should always connect two lines of an object without leaving a gap in between, even creating intersections in corners.

line types If you look at most landscape architectural sketches, they are made of a number of different lines. Some of them are wavy, jagged, zig-zag, and some are straight. They are used not only for contours, but also for guide-lines, constructional lines, shading, hatching and texturing!

Line Types

examples

19

tones/hatching

Tones/Hatching

I prefer using pens and markers when sketching due to its cleaner look, however, pencils are a good base for pen outlines. you can achieve the same shadow tones through different mediums based on the hatching technique.

RYA’s Tip

20

The foreground should be clear and made with a thick line the background should be blurry and with a thin line.

• •

Sketching is a form of practice based on the image and assortment of lines, strokes, spots and dots.

It is important to choose the correct line type, tone, and thickness to determine a landscape’s depth, volume, and texture.

RYA’s Tip

most used lines

Ink pens will always produce crispier and finer details than pencil. They are ideal for finalized work , as their thickness and consistency reads clearer.

textures • • • •

Ink pens and pencil create very different effects when drawing. They can create a variety of lines, strokes, and tones depending on different factors.

A versatile drawing tool creates helpful and endless possibilities of light and dark effects.

Pencil-adding more pressure can change the weight or darkness of the line, tones can be adjusted based on pressure.

Ink Pens - tones must be produced through density of lines and strokes, along with hatching techniques.

Tones/Hatching

These line styles were the most used technique for me when constructing landscape plans, perspectives, and sketches. These line types are preferred due to its organic forms that are easily build-able.

21

SPHERE RECTANGLE CONE PYRAMID CYLINDER PRISM

3D Shapes

22

Most shapes and forms can be determined through guidelines that are foundations

3D shapes

Step 1. Draw the outline horizontal and vertical block

Incuts are created with lines and form from imagination, which requires an understanding of 3d shapes.

The basis for landscape construction is a visual ability

3D Shapes

a simple box can be a start for more complex shapes

It is good to have an understanding of geometric shapes, to imagine objects and perspectives, and have a confidence in creating forms. These shapes are embedded figures within many drawings.

23

Incuts

plane of light shadow

penumbra plane

plane of light

Light + Shadow

light + shadow 24

penumbra plane shadow plane of light Plane of Light -- most illuminated part of the object Penumbra Plane -- the in between area of the darkest and lightest.

Shadow -- the darkest area on the object.

Light + Shadow

STEP 1: Determine location of light source (from above, left or right) STEP 2: Plane of Light is transparent STEP 3: The Penumbra Plane is the closest side to the plane of light, and we fill this with a middle tone.

STEP 4: The most opposite side of the light source is the Shadow, fill it in the darkest.

plane of light shadow

Step 1. Determine the light source. Leave the plane of light blank

penumbra plane

step 2: nearest side is middle tone, and opposite side is darkest tone (shad

25

Shadows are normally distinguished into

form

shadows and cast shadows. Form shadow is

the one from the object itself and the cast shadow is the result of the obstruction of light in the object.

Step 2: Connect the intersection with a line and get the outline of the cast shadow.

Light + Shadow

Step 1: We draw lines from the top of the light through the top edges of the object. And from the bottom through the bottom edges

26

RYA’s Tip I suggest testing out the shadows of different forms by casting a light on them in the dark, and then studying where the bright and dark points are.

To improve our sketches, we need to add more details, specifically by working with light and shadow, to create depth and perspective. This makes the scene come to life, which makes it easier to visualize as a 3D scene.

Light + Shadow

find the edges of the shadow source side the left and back of the object.

27

RYA

2 33

DESIGN

After understanding the fundamentals of drawing, we can take what we learned into landscape design and sketching!

In this chapter, we go more in depth on how to create renderings through traditional hand drawing means. Drawing and sketching remains an important part of the design process and is greatly valued in landscape architecture and other design professions. There are multiple instances where designers have to communicate their concepts or ideas with a sketch. We narrate in graphic forms and our ideas have to be put on paper through plans, elevations, sections, and perspectives. Knowing the basics behind these visuals will greatly benefit our design process.

This chapter will help you gain the confidence to hold a pencil and produce quick landscape sketches that are not only detailed and informative, but beautifully executed!

line expressions light

heavy relaxed

Line Expressions

RYA’s Tip

30

I like line expressions that are relaxed, flowy, and fast for structural drawings. And organic and lively lines for landscaping, such as trees and shrubs.

flowy fast organic

The effect of line weights can be drawn out with line expressions, creating different movements and forms. Each landscape architectural drawing has multiple line expressions, whether organic for trees, or fast for buildings, you will find these lines in most renderings.

hesitant hostile passive confident lively

line quality

RYA’s Tip

To test designs firsthand, you would use freehand lines to note some initial ideas. After a general design is illustrated, you can use trace to overlay it and refine it with a straight edge and darker pens/ markers.

Usually used at the start of a design process, these lines are imperfect and experimental.

These lines are often repeated and overlayed,due to the brainstorming aspect.

consistent lines As design progresses, forms and lines will be more consistent and mature. It can still appear sketchy, but this step is useful in showcasing various design iterations.

finalized lines

When a design is finalized, more attention and detail is applied.

Lines are straighter and cleaner, giving it a more finished look.

These sketches are then taken into CAD for even more precise work.

Line Quality

freehand lines

31

3A

PLANS PLANS

In landscape architecture, our designs generally relate to a greater context.

To understand the overall site, we often have to show plan views to illustrate information about trees, paving, buildings, and the surrounding forms. More often than not, our designs will always have to provide a plan view to inform viewers about everything within the construction. In plan view, trees, shrubs, buildings, will always have different types of symbols that is abstracted to mimic the real form.

PL A NS

lineweights variety of line weights can add depth and dimension to a flat plan.

elevation view

plan view

Line Weight

higher, closer to viewer

lower, further from viewer

34 foreground

background

landscapes in plan

trees (higher and closest you) heaviest line weight

ground cover (lowest) thinnest line weight

RYA’s Tip Use micron pens for thin line weights (0.1 for ground cover, 0.4 for shrubs). Use marker tips and edges for thick line weights (trees).

Line Weight

shrubs medium line weight

35

Line Weight

correct! - important elements such as trees and building have stronger lines and create distinction from the rest.

36

RYA’s Tip

Shadows and line weights create focus on what you want to emphasize, making it easier for the viewer to read and navigate the design.

wrong! - emphasis ground plane and not focused elements

The tree plan symbol is known to be a volume and a sphere rather than a flat circle.

Therefore, it is important to illustrate the volume of a tree shape in plan view. With a light source, we can distinguish the overall shape and volume of a tree. We create tree volumes to contrast it from the surrounding

dark RYA’s Tip You should add more texture and foliage density towards the area furthest from light source, to suggest a tree sphere.

light

varying gradient styles

Tree Volume

tree volume 37

light source

shadowing

elevation shadow area

shadow area

Tree Shadowing

plan

38 RYA’s Tip You can combine the effects of tree volume and shadowing to create a cool three dimensional feel to the landscape drawing!

Tree shadows can add spatial effects to a plan drawing. The contrast gives off a distinct visual style to the overall drawing. With shadowing, we see the tree being lifted from the ground plane.

volume

When it comes to tree shadowing, there is always a light source, and we place the shadow in the area furthest from that light source. A second circle is drawn and moved in accordance with the direction of the light source. We fill that area in with a tonal value.

light source

RYA’s Tip The darker and denser of the shadow, the stronger focus on the tree. This will create a visual impact, which will make the focus pieces pop!

*refer to page 20 for different hatching techniques

chartpak marker brush pen

You can use markers or brush pens for shadows, as this will make the process faster with just one quick stroke. You can use black, gray, or purple colors for shadows.

Tree Volume

tree volume + shadow

39

flat roof

hipped roof

Structures

When it comes to roof plans, larger scales will show it in more detail, and smaller scales will just be comprised of outlines. To make the building appear lifted with its dimension and height, we incorporate volume lines and shadow. These shadows are created from parallel lines that are projected from the corners of the roof plans.

top

structures

40 stairs

ramps

bottom

garden pavilion

You don’t need to cover every part of a pergola with vegetation, this will make the drawing messy.

Structures

shade structures

41 pergolas

RYA’s Tip

When elements overlap, line weights and shadows are important to showcase pergolas and structures that are higher, lifting it above ground.

3B

ELEVATION+ SECTION

An elevation is an upright plane that is projected from a plan view. From a fixed position within the plan, the viewer will be able to look at the scene in their perspective, straight on. Elevations are useful in communicating information about building facades and vertical elements, which you can’t view in plans.

It is formed with a sight line that is cut through a plan, and everything behind the sight line is projected into a plane.

Choose elevation views that visually communicate what’s in your design the best. Symbols such as trees will become more realistically depicted in an elevation A section is similar to an elevation, but with a vertical cut through the whole land form. It is a cross section that portrays everything below the sight line as well.

They are graphically highlighted with a thicker and stronger outline.

ELEVA TIONS + SECT IONS

When viewed in plan, some designs are harder to understand without additional context. Elevations give additional information about the spatial elements and relationship with each other, giving the viewer an up front look at the design.

elevation line

44

Lines are projected from the plan view to the base line. From these projections, we can make up what the elevation will look like.

Like plans, elevations also require different line weights to differentiate each element from another.

Based on what you want to focus on, lines can either be thicker in the background or foreground. I prefer to use thicker lines in the foreground to make things

elevation view

Elevation Lines

base line

lineweight foreground

background

Some elements within plans are not readable, here, we see that the translation of the hedges are lost in plan view. The shapes and height of the hedges are only visible in elevation.

A sense of depth can be created through graphic emphasis on the foreground or background.

emphasis on foreground

foreground +background

emphasis on background

Foreground+Background

RYA’s Tip

Adding more color, darkness, thickness, and detail in elements closer to you will create a focus on the foreground. And opposite when you want to focus on the background.

45

section cuts Section Cuts

A section is a vertical cut down a landforms or structure. We get a cross section when the area is cut through and separated. The viewer looks at this cut through at a 90 degree angle.

46

area viewed

changing levels

infilled cut area

You should cut through areas that will show the most context in the site design. Areas such as topography change and water bodies are great places.

Section Cuts

RYA’s Tip

47 When you show elements behind the cut line, it would be a section-elevation.

Construction

construction

connected points create a topography or section line

48 Cutting through topography change means you are cutting through contour lines. Each contour line has a specific vertical height, which is defined in numbers. The points where the cut meet the contour lines can be extended down to create topography change in the section.

uses

You can use section designs for multiple uses.

They can be used to illustrate detailed materials under the section line, or showcase the overall position of structures, water bodes, and plants within the landscape.

types

There are multiple styles to showcase section lines. They can be visually enhanced with thicker varying types, based on what the goal is.

strongest contrast most used

strongest contrast

Uses + Types

Gives information about the materials under the section line

49

3C PERSPECTIVE

Perspective views offer even more of an in depth visual for your designs.

They provide more sensory and realistic depictions of spaces, as if the viewer is physically in them.

However, perspectives require a detailed understanding of geometry, horizons, etc., that can either make or break a design expression. There are 1-3 main types of perspectives that will be illustrated in this chapter.

It is important to understand the fundamentals behind vanishing points, horizon lines, and cone of visions to accurately construct perspectives!

PER SPEC TIVE

picture plane

cone of vision The distance of the viewer to the seen object is influenced by the viewer’s peripheral vision, which determines the cone of vision. Based on the cone of vision, the sharpness and size of the seen object is affected.

ground plane viewer

seen object

Cone of Vision

The further a viewer stands, the more they see. And the closer a viewer stands, the less they see.

52

RYA’s Tip To make sure all important elements are within clear vision, the center of focus should be placed within the cone of vision.

horizon line

vanishing point Hl

manhole view

Hl sitting down

RYA’s Tip Use differing horizontal lines to show what the emphasis is on. Use lower higher horizontals to show more trees, and lower horizontal lines to make the scene more grand.

Hl

standing on chair Hl

Horizontal Line

All linear perspectives have a horizontal line, which is equal to the height of the viewer’s eye level. This line is not visible in real life, but an important consideration in perspective drawings.

53

1-3 point perspective 2 point perspective vanishing point

1-3 Perspective

Hl

54

one point perspective vanishing point (VP) - the point where all parallel lines converge and project to a single point on the horizontal line.

three point perspective

RYA’s Tip

I like to use one point perspectives to show designs that have more features on one side, two point perspective to show equal parts of two sides, and three point for more

1 point perspective

1-3 Perspective

2 point perspective

2 point perspective (worm view) 3 point perspective

55

converge to vp

p

v to e erg nv o c

We see here how non parallel lines perform. Edges of the pathway, line of trees, and the interior lines of the structure appear smaller as they meet the vanishing point.

picture plane

1Point Perspective

viewer

vp

hl

56

1-point perspective

In a one point perspective, all lines parallel to the horizontal line remains parallel. Objects and lines will retain their forms but they appear smaller as they get closer to the vanishing point.

p tv ef ol t e erg v n co

ht

rig to e g ver n co

picture plane

RYA’s Tip To locate vanishing points in a perspective, project lines from elements and structures to each end of the scene.

2 Point Perspective

viewer

57

2-point perspective

In a two point perspective, the object of space is rotated in plan view and no plane is parallel to the picture plane. Vertical lines remain perpendicular to the horizontal line.

stairs+ramp Stairs and ramps also use vanishing points and are tilted towards the viewer’s picture plane. They can either be above or below the viewer’s eye level depending on the direction of slope. The steeper the slope, the higher up or down is the vanishing point.

Stairs + Lights

repetition

58

Repetitive elements such as light posts and columns in perspective . The duplicated vertical posts are increasingly foreshortened and smaller in size as they get closer to vanishing point.

atmospheric You can create atmospheric perspectives by making different elements different tones based on how close or far they are. This creates more depth and spatial relationship within an image.

Reflections in perspective follow the same vanishing point and form as the object themselves.

Reflections have the same verticals but are simply extended below the reflection surface.

The verticals are the same length as the original object as well.

Reflection

reflection

59 RYA’s Tip

water reflection

Reflective surfaces do not have to be as detailed as the original object. Water reflections are created with horizontal lines, denser at edges and fading as it grows out.

tree form

Tree Form

01.

Outline the main shape of desired tree.

03.

02.

Draw holes within the canopy and define roots.

Draw in indents and refine shape of tree’s crown.

04.

60

final tree drawing with leaves around

Draw visible branches that continues from the trunk.

tree volume

To express tree volume, create denser textures on the shady and bottom side of the tree, opposite of light source.

RYA’s Tip

I prefer to use simple trees in landscapes that focus more on the built forms, but adds an understanding of spatial layout. And use detailed trees in landscapes that focus on texture and greenery.

canopy.

in leaves 02.Draw 03.Add foliage and stroke texture.

the shadows.

When drawing trees in perspective, to make them more detailed, you should incorporate the tree’s specific shape and volume. To do this, create darker shading in areas that are deeper within the tree. These areas can peak through or within the edges of the tree that’s opposite of the light direction.

Tree Volume

01.Outline the tree

61

paving RYA’s Tip

Paving

Paving in perspective tends to be darker when it’s closer to you, and lighter as it gets further. As it gets further, features, lines, and elements also grows smaller.

62

line-weight

correct!

Line Weight

correct!

63 RYA’s Tip Refer to page 44 to review what the lineweights should be when they are closer or further from you!

look how the elements pop within the space!

SKYLAR

3 44

COLOR Color within a design will always broaden the limitations behind an otherwise black and white drawing. Imagine trying to illustrate autumn texture and flowers in gray scale images! Adding color to your visuals will further bring it to life and define texture and foliage components.

Color will also bring character and personality to a landscape rendering, which will create better narratives about a design’s intention.

Understanding the basics of color properties can dramatically enhance and strengthen a design! In this chapter, examples and inspirational portrayals of coloring will guide you through your next coloring endeavor, whether marker or watercolor. Coloring will always be a fun and exciting process!

color theory

Color theory can be used for mixing color and combining to make color schemes.

COOL COLORS

Color Theory

Best for winter foliage, water, sky in a landscape drawing.

66

Best for autumn foliage, sun effects, flowering plants.

The color you choose on your designs will reflect your aesthetic, style, and emotion of the concept. Finding a color palette will be greatly beneficial for a continuing project, to reinforce as well as distinguish it.

WARM COLORS

Primary colors are red, blue, and yellow.

When you mix the primary colors, you get secondary colors, which are orange, green, and purple.

sky’s Tip

You don’t need to saturate your drawings 100%, but using it for accents, pops of color, and focus areas will be successful in illustrating your concept.

sky’s Tip

Complementary colors not only complement each other in a drawing, they can also be used as neutral tones when mixed together, to create brown shadow colors.

PRIMARY

complementary

Color that are opposite from each other.

SECONDARY

analogous

Color Theory

You can make any color with these colors!

You can combine these colors to create tertiary colors.

resources

Colors that are adjacent to each other.

COLORSPACE ADOBE COLOR COLOR HUNT COOLORS.

sky’s Tip Adding white to any color gives the drawing more of an atmospheric look and pushes the area further away in a scene.

67

Color Theory

colors of visual spectrum

Adding white or black to a color.

68 sky’s Tip

An object in the foreground will have a brighter more intense color, and the same color will be more muted in the distance.

We use RGB in digital materials, by using light in an additive method. Here, the color begins with black and as more color is added, the color turns lighter, resulting in white.

Add Grey

Tone

Add White

tint

cmyk (SUBTRACTIVE)

We use CMYK in print materials, by mixing paint in the printing process. Subtractive mixing means that as you add more colors, the color turns darker and darker, resulting in black.

Add Black

shade

Adding grey, white, or black to any color is effective in creating lighter, darker or more muted styles of the same color.

Color Theory

rgb (ADDITIVE)

69

marker basics I generally prefer using

chartpak

markers in all my concept plans and perspectives. After trying out all the different markers out there, I believe it’s the

fastest and most

effective medium for me! It can be

Marker Basics

used as watercolor or distinct marker styles. You can further illustrate your concepts by mixing in colored pencils, but I I generally only use ChartPak markers, as it provides enough detail.

70

marker colors 1) Evergreen: deep foliage, landscape shadows 2) Slate Green: ground cover, landscape foliage 3) Light Olive: bright foliage, accent color 4) Apple Green: brighter landscapes, grass 5) Grass Green: muted landscape, grass, foliage 6) Turquoise Green: water, glass, accents 7) Blueberry: dark sky, shadows, water, shadow 8) Purple Sage: accent, ornamental, flowering 9) Mocha: soil, wood, paving, clothes 10) Suntan: stone, paving, wood, stucco 11) Cadmium Red: accent, flowering 12) Peach: medium accent and flowering color 13) Flesh: light skin colors, red tones 14) Light Sand: muted sand, stucco, wood, bark 15) Cadmium Yellow: lighting, accent, sun 16) Cool Gray #7: dark shadows 17) Cool Gray #2: light shadows, pavement, glass

sky’s Tip I recommend the listed colors for general coloring on trace, that would work well throughout all landscape architectural color rendering.

prismacolor

My favorite!

copic

chartpak

ChartPak are solvent-based and comes with a wide range of colors, I use the 250 count and I use it in all my landscape color renders.

Prismacolors works as goos as ChartPak, but the range of colors are not preferred.

Copics are great as watercolor pens since they are alcohol based.

Marker Basics

marker pen

copic ciao

sky’s Tip The caps of ChartPak markers can come off pretty easily, and when it does, the ink dries quickly.

So I recommend screwing it back tightly!

71 sky’s Tip Markers can cause uneven strokes. To resolve this, apply color in continuous strokes and not in stops and starts.

linetypes ChartPak markers are not only good for coloring your drawings, they can quickly produce lines and curves that will accentuate specific elements within your design, such as shadows or lighting.

horizontal makes wide lines For quick shadowing and solid coloring

vertical makes thin lines Marker Lines

For finer details and outlines

72

sky’s Tip Always test out the color of your chosen marker to make sure it will turn out the way you want!

sky’s Tip Having a WHITE gel pen will make dramatic affects to your colored drawings! Use it as lines in water, to accentuate tree shadows, and many more!

Choosing the correct paper for the desired look is very important! Because of absorbency, when

Pen + Paper

white ink pen

trace paper, the colors will appear fainter and lighter. Because

73

paper format coloring on

of the solvent-base, the markers can appear like watercolor on trace! I often use this method to color landscape drawings, and scan them into Photoshop to edit it. When I want more distinct color styles, I will color on normal bond paper. The markers create a cool affect, and I do this often when I want to accentuate only certain elements within a site.

trees in plan 02.

02.

01.

Start off with testing color.

Use dark to light and blend.

Trees in Plan

03.

74

04.

04.

03.

Use the back side of marker tip to repeatedly add dots which would accentuate the dark part of object.

final tree with white and black shadowing

Use lighter blue towards the end.

Use other color hues, such as turquoise within middle.

Drag the lighter blue Add darker pieces of colors upward and blue within area and blend. Same with blend. darker blue.

Water

Start with darkest blue and go lighter towards end.

75 sky’s Tip

water

When coloring water, I always go with a relatively hard hand when coloring darker parts of the water, dotting the darker colors to contrast in the lighter areas.

finish off with curving lines in white!

trees

You can color trees in different ways to give your landscape a different style and look. Whether it’s in different colors to represent different seasons, or simple strokes compared to detailed strokes, you can adjust your coloring technique to your desire.

Tree Styles

one tone with shadow

purple shadow

76

tree style examples

simple stroke

dotted colors

color outline

green to yellow

strokes+ dots

Tree Styles

white outline

turquoise to green

77 purple dotted style

01.

Choose a water color base and avoid the lightest area.

pools

02.

Pool Styles

Add darker shades such as purple and dark blue on shaded areas.

78

03.

Add a darker blue on ridged areas for more definition.

04.

Use a white gel pen for water stroked and dots t bring water to life.

circular water form example

01.

02.

03.

Pool Styles

sky’s Tip You can create even more definition with a distinct shade color along the pool edge. This illustrates the height and volume of a 3D pool look.

79

04.

textures + materials wood

Textures + Materials

pavement

80 walls

glass

Here are some coloring technique examples of common materials within a landscape design. You can mix up colors and textures to your unique designs!

natural landscapes grass sand

textured grass

Natural Textures

stones Flowering texture

sky’s Tip

81

water

When it comes to materials in a landscape, it’s most efficient to use light strokes and organic dotting to make the effects look natural.

darker to light

trees in perspective light part leave blank

Trees inPerspective

dotted coloring (natural)

sky’s Tip

solid coloring (simple)

82

stroke coloring (abstract)

Notice how most coloring techniques have a gradual affect from dark to light.. I like to leave the lightest park blank to accentuate the trees in a landscape.

Dark to light!

01.

02.

03.

01.

02.

03.

02.

03.

Trees inPerspective

rounded stroke coloring

dotted coloring

01.

using markers to outline canopy

83

Accentuate branches by drawing them in white!

shrubs with a dark 01. Start green base

layer over with a 02. Softly lighter green

over another 03. Layer lighter green

stippling technique 04. Use with yellow colors

final shrub color Shrubs

Incorporate reds to make the shrub look like its flowering!

84

01.

can stop here 02. You if your shrub isn’t flowering

03.

04.

water in perspective filled area a light 01. Color blue and top of water a slightly darker color.

darker blue to edges 02. Add and a lighter blue or

white highlights darker edges white streaks

darker blue around streaks a white gel pen to 03. Use add water streaks and spots.

sky’s Tip

Notice how most coloring techniques have a gradual affect from dark to light. I like to leave the lightest park blank to accentuate the trees in a landscape.

Water in Perspective

white to areas that hit the sunlight.

85

BENJI

4 55

ENTOURAG

Entourage can be examples of graphic symbols that are often used in plans, sections, and perspectives. Trees, shrubs, rocks, water, paving, skies, and structures will be shown as inspirational and instructional examples of graphics you can incorporate to populate your designs!

The examples mostly emphasize the principles behind quick and illustrative components within a landscape rendering.

These features can be used inter-changeably in sections and perspectives, and differentiated in plan view. First try to gain some ideas from these drawings, and then try altering the scales to incorporate into your designs. You can always try tracing the images to get a sense of its overall form, but practice will always make perfect!

textures + materials

glass

deck

marble

asphalt

deck

stone

tile

sand

tile

brickwork

concrete

stone

brickwork

masonry

Textures + Materials

wood

88

masonry

tile

small tile

pavement

Groundcover

organized tile

groundcover outlines

long grass

grass

flowering

shrub

89

simple

trees in plan

tropical

Tree Examples

benji’s Tip

90

I like to first create a circular shape on plan iterations, and according to the style, add onto the circle with more organic edges and details as desired.

In plans that have detailed surrounding context and under stories, I would choose simpler tree styles to not clash with the overall design. In designs that want a focus on trees and plants, choosing a more detailed tree style will bring attention to them.

trees have different forms based on the type of tree they are!

detailed tropical

woody

Tree Examples

coniferous

tropical

91 desert

Shrub Examples

shrubs

benji’s Tip Shrubs should have less detail when the trees have more detail, and vice versa. Since trees will always overlap smaller shrubs.

ROUNDING FORM

92 ORGANIC LINEAR

benji’s Tip

Rocks + Stones

Rocks and stones typically won’t appear in small scale plans. But they can make a natural impact on big scale plans.

93

rocks+stone

trees in perspective quick + simple

Tree Styles

outlines + color

94

tree styles

Like trees in plan, there are also multiple ways and styles to illustrate your trees in perspective. These can range from quick and simple, to abstract and detailed.

abstract

Tree Styles

Abstract trees are perfect to give your drawing a unique style, but be careful not to put too much emphasis on them!

95 benji’s Tip You should figure out the type of tree you are drawing and create its overall shape, and based off of that, think about the style you want.

simple coniferous

Trees in Perspective

woody

96

detailed

palms

Trees in Perspective

weeping

bamboo

coniferous

97

flowering

benji’s Tip

Shrubs in Perspective

I like using pens and brush pens to create trees and shrubs due to the varying line weights it provides. With altering line weights, we see more dimension

98

Shrubs in Perspective

shrubs

99

human figures

Human Figures

Human figures can be an important component to your drawings! It will bring the landscape to life and create a scale visual for the viewer. Sometimes when a landscape feels empty, adding a few human figures in will make a drastic difference!

benji’s Tip When you draw figures that are up close, you can add more detail.

However, when they are further, distinct shapes that are outlines would work.

basic human figure

abstract figure

100

divided into parts

Human Figures

When drawing human figures quickly, I like drawing an oval, then creating distinct shoulders and bringing them down into a triangular form for its bottom half.

101

people styles Finding the right human figure for your site drawings can bring it to life, whether simple or detailed, consider the overall context when choosing a style.

People Styles

OUTLINES

102

QUICK + SIMPLE

People

FIGURES IN MOTION/STATIC

103 winter figures

People

additional figures

104

plan view

People

children

105 benji’s Tip Incorporating different human figures doing different activities and movements can give your design a playful and active feel to it!

Sky + Clouds

106

sky + clouds

Pergolas and shade structures are great components to your landscape designs!

It creates frames for people and scales to its overall surroundings.

Structures

shade structures

107

RYA

5 66

DIAGRAMS

Concepts and ideas can be illustrated through diagrams that portray developments such as circulation, active zones, focus areas, and many more elements, all with just some abstract symbols and lines! They can be as simple as circles, arrows, lines, and dots to portray a design’s foundational pieces.

Understanding how to successfully use diagramming techniques can really teach the viewer about your design intentions! In this chapter, you will find these graphic examples and inspiration for you to incorporate in your design diagrams.

There are no right or wrong symbols for you to use, as long as you visually communicate the elements clearly, directing the viewer!

basics points of interest, focus areas

circulation nodes

structures + buildings

Basics

use spaces, active spaces, boundaries, cut off areas

110

ecological edges/vegetative areas

static linear symbols

existing/proposed trees

Barriers, Functional/Non-Functional Edges, Walls, Screens, Active/Non-Active Zones, Corridors

Pedestrian Path, Movement, Automobile Circulation, Viewing Directions, Access Circulation, Wind Direction, Water Movement, etc.

RYA’s Tip

It’s good to mix different circulation diagrams to symbolize different uses of the space.

Using trace over trace to test out circulation paths is a crucial beginning step to designing a landscape!

Basics

active, non static symbols

111

site analysis

Here are some potential symbols that will be commonly seen in site analysis diagrams.

Site Analysis

location of focus/ active areas/utility

site boundary lines

RYA’s Tip

These are the most common types of site analysis diagramming symbols I have used in my designs. You can edit the shape, color, and direction as you wish, according to what works best with your site.

sloping direction

112 any type of circulation, access, direction paths

noise

wind direction

You can mix and match these symbols for additional analysis: - Orientation of Site - Changing Elevation and Grading - Surface and Groundwater - Solid Composition + Condition - Location/Condition of Trees and Plants

Site Analysis

viewpoints

113 sun path

shade area

KIKO

6 77

ADOBE

As technologies and softwares advance, so does our ability to illustrate our designs in digital and 3D forms. Traditional and digital demonstrations of our design concepts can provide holistic depictions of our ideas onto paper or the screen. In this chapter, examples and techniques are provided for the digital representation of your landscape designs. Specifically, it shares the most useful techniques and steps I have discovered in my rendering experiences.

My favorite software to use when creating digital media is Adobe, and I believe the best post production visuals come from it.

Personally, I like developing basic models in 3D modeling softwares, and transferring it to Adobe to make it come to life. The chapter will highlight examples, explain details, and provide context on how to enhance your innovative ideas onto the digital platform.

7A

ILLUSTRATOR

Illustrator is a vector-bases program that is mostly used for icons, line work, diagramming, and graphic design applications. It allows you to create precise vector graphics that stay sharp when scaled larger or smaller. features include the pen tool, stroke and fill, line weights, shape creation and manipulation, coloring, typography, and many many more!

In this chapter, we will dive into the most used techniques I have come across as a student. These techniques have helped me in creating successful presentation boards, graphics, diagrams, and rendering components!

tools

selection

magic wand Pen type rectangle sharper tool rotate

Tool Bar

width shape builder mesh eyedropper

118

symbol

direct selection lasso Curvature pen line segment paintbrush eraser scale free transform perspective grid gradient blend graph

art board

slice

hand move

zoom

WHAT I MOSTLY USE

here are some of my most used illustrator tools! selection Selects, moves and transforms an object

Selects objects based on color and opacity Selects points and segments by dragging Creates and edits art boards

paint Creates vector brush strokes in calligraphy, textures, etc.

Edits multicolored mesh objects and shapes Edits gradient position, angle, radius, color, etc Takes and samples colors and type properties

cut + move Defines slice areas on a document Erases lines, shapes, and colors Moves the document in the window Changes how close or far your document is

drawing Draws paths that are curved or straight Adds an anchor point to line or shape that you adjust.

Delete anchor points Draws curvilinear lines Draws one straight line Draws squares and rectangles Draws ovals and circles Draws polygonal shapes Draws triangles and star shapes Freehand draws lines and shapes

kiko’s Tip

A few tools within illustrator can create a vast range of edits and designs. If shapes, paths, and lines are easier in illustrator, I would copy and paste into the different softwares.

Puts objects into different perspectives Combines objects

type

graph Creates column graphs

Creates and edits horizontal text Fills a shape with text Types on a created path Types text vertically

Creates bar graphs Creates line graphs Creates scatter graphs Creates pie charts

Tools

Selects objects by anchor points and segments

119

diagramming

illustrator is perfect for creating line work, icons, and symbols for all your diagram needs!

normal dashed

dotted

choose different arrows in the strokes panel

Diagramming

You can also create shapes and adjust the strokes and fill in the appearance palette. curving lines with the curvature tool!

120

You can create custom lines by making your text into a pattern brush!

clipping mask select both, right click>make clipping mask

draw a circle

clipping mask with text 1) Create text 2) Type>Create Outlines 3) Ungroup Text 4) Object>Compound Path>Make

5) Select both and right click>make clipping mask

Clipping Mask

kiko is clipped!

121

exploded axonometric Axonometric diagrams are useful in showcasing multiple layers of site information and how they’re connected.

with a site plan of the design, each type of 01.Start element should be on a specific layer.

KIKO’s Tip

Axonometric

Use axonometric diagrams in design context narratives! You can use it to illustrate the site analysis, circulation, concept, existing properties, etc.

122

02. Select the entire drawing, or Ctrl+A. the entire drawing to your desired 03. Rotate orientation.

your entire drawing 04. Transform by resetting the bounding box.

Another box is created that outlines the rotated drawing.

atten the drawing, click 05. Tothefltop center grip and drag

Axonometric

downward until the desired form is created.

123 everything on a layer by clicking on the circle of the layer 06. Select selected. Holding shift, drag the contents upwards. Repeat for all

the components in each layer until it looks like a readable diagram! vertical lines to the base, 07. Add starting at each point edge.

final diagram!

image trace Image trace will quickly turn your raster image into a vector base file with just a few clicks!

-look on viz-scape.com for

1) The default tracing is black and white, but you can use the image trace menu to change the palette, mode, color quantity, etc to your preference.

2) After you’re happy with the tracing result, select

Image Trace

‘expand’ in the top menu to convert the image into

124

vector shapes.

3) Right click > Ungroup This will release the tracing result into separate shapes.

You can then directly select each property to change the colors or effects. or You can use the direct select each property.

selection tool to

KIKO’s Tip

If you don’t want to use realistic cutouts in your drawings, this is a great way to quickly turn them into illustrations.

Before starting this tutorial, choose any cutout you like and place it in illustrator as a JPEG or PNG.

You can use this technique to create unique entourage in your renders. Add more detail to your entourage so it blends in nicely with your drawings!

3 colors

erase the background

default

silhouettes

shades of grey

outlines

Image Trace

change colors based on style

125

3 colors

6 colors

16 colors

high fidelity photo

7B

PHOTOSHOP

One of the most used softwares for me, Photoshop is what I gravitate towards when creating unique renderings and visuals! The features are endless , and with experience, you can transform any mundane graphic into a unique and exciting one.

You can enhance images, colors, fix up pictures, create illustrations and paintings, and even construct animations!

A raster based software, I like to treat photoshop like a digital canvas for me to manipulate, draw, paint, and enhance images. In this chapter, steps and techniques that I use to embellish my renderings are showcased.

tools

move

polygon lasso crop eyedropper paintbrush history brush

rectangular marquee quick selection frame tool spot healing brush stamp eraser

gradient

smudge/sharpen tool

dodge/burn

pen tool

type shape/line Tool Bar

zoom

128 WHAT I MOSTLY USE

path selection hand tool edit toolbar

selection Moving selections, layers, and guides Makes a rectangular selection Makes an elliptical selection

here are some of my most used photoshop tools!

RETOUCH Takes and samples the chosen color

Makes a straight-edge selection

Removes imperfect spots and areas Paint with a sample or pattern to cover imperfect areas

Paint selection and automatically selects

Uses a sample in a selected area to cover imperfections

Select areas with similar colors

Paint with a sample from a particular area.

Makes a freehand selection

crop

Paints with a part of an image as a pattern Sharpen soft areas in an image

Trims images while resizing the canvas

Smudges and paints over an area

Trims images while creating a perspective from it

Lighten and highlight areas

KIKO’s Tip

I treat Photoshop like a digital canvas, where you can edit, transform, and adjust anything you desire! These tools help you achieve that!

cut + move Lets you draw smooth edged paths Creates and edits a path by placing an anchor point

Changes the color saturation in an image

PAINT

drawing

Erases pixels within an image

Creates horizontal text

Adds an anchor to a created path

Paints areas with different brush styles, opacity, size

Draws a rectangle shape

Removes an anchor from a path

Paints hard-edges strokes

Draws an ellipse

Paints realistic strokes that looks blended within the image

Draws a polygon

Creates gradient blends within colors

Draws a line

Fills areas with similar colors with the foreground color

Makes adjustable shapes from selected shape

Moves an image within the window Magnifies and reduces an image view size.

Tools

Darken an area in an image

129

BLENDING MODES

Blending modes are used to combine a blending layer with layers beneath it (base layer). Similar to how transparency works, but with interaction to the pixels underneath, it creates a unique way to overlay colors and images, creating layered complexity.

normal (50%) Default layer

dissolve Paints and edits each pixel, result is very pixelated and random.

Blending Modes

darken

130

Pixels lighter than blend color are replaced and pixels darker than blend color don’t change.

Multiply Doubles the base color by the blend color.

Similar to how a marker darkens as you do multiple layers.

color burn

Darkens base color to reflect the blend color and increasing contrast.

linear burn Darkens the base color to reflect the blend color by decreasing brightness.

darker color Displays the lower value color in the blend and base color.

base color blend color

lighten Selects the lighter color between the base and blend color as the result

screen Multiplies the inverse of the blend and base colors; result it always lighter.

color dodge Brightens the base color to reflect the blend color by decreasing contrast.

linear dodge Brightens the base color to reflect the blend color by increasing brightness.

KIKO’s Tip Using blending modes is a great way to blend layers like you would with paper, but in the computer!

Always try a couple of blending modes to make your designs even more intricate!

overlay Base color is mixed with the blend color to reflect the lightness and darkness of base.

Preserves the highlights and shadows.

soft light Burns the colors if blend color is darker than 50% gray, and dodges if blend color is lighter.

difference Subtracts either the blend color from the base or vie versa, depending on which has brighter value.

exclusion Same effect as difference mode, but with lower contrast.

subtract

hard light

Subtracts the blend color from the base color.

Screens the colors if blend color is lighter than 50% gray, multiplies colors if blend color is darker. Useful for adding highlights and shadows to an image.

Divides the blend color from the base color.

divide

Increases or deacreases the contrast based on the lightness or darkness of blend color.

linear light

Increases or decreases the brightness based on the lightness or darkness of blend color.

pin light If blend color is lighter than 50% gray, darker pixels are replaced and lighter pixels don’t change; and vice versa.

hard mix Adds the red, green, and blue values of the blend color to the RGB values of the base color.

hue Creates color with hue of blend color and the luminance and saturation of the base color.

saturation

Creates color with saturation of the blend color and the luminance and hue of the base color.

color

Creates color with hue and saturation of the blend color and the luminance of the base color.

luminosity

Creates a color with the luminance of the blend color and the hue and saturation of the base color.

Blending Modes

vivid light

131

light and shadow

Elements within a landscape have highlights and shadows, you can create the same look using the dodge and burn tool!

dodge

Lightens the area (highlights)

Darkens the area (shadows)

burn

-look on viz-scape.com for entourages, such as trees, you can use in your renders!

KIKO’s Tip Dodge and burn is a tool I always go for to create dimension, character, and naturalism in my renders! Use it around edges, middle areas, and areas to make it pop!

Light + Shadow

Shadows: Affects the dark areas Midtones: Changes the middle range of grays Highlights: Affects the light areas Exposure: Controls the intensity of tool

132

Light + Shadow

Works on ground cover too!

KIKO’s Tip

I mostly use mid tones for dodge and burns, set to at least 50% exposure. You can use this technique in almost any texture, plans and perspectives!

133

entourage creation When you can’t source good examples of tree, people, or other type of entourage. You can create the entourage by cutting out these features in images, with a few easy steps.

-look on viz-scape.com for entourage resources

color range

tree image

01.

Color range allows you to select features that only have colors that you click on. You can use this to precisely cut out canopy entourage that has complicated pixels.

Entourage

quick selection

134

Pressing Shift, click colors that make up the tree.

02.

As you can see, the quick selection tool did not carefully distinguish the tree from the background.

Therefore, we would look to other selection tools.

Pressing Option, click colors that do not make up the

fuzziness Less fuzziness makes the selection more precise, while more fuzziness makes the selection more general and less precise.

Edges of the canopy can be further refined with more color range selection.

However, in this case, I use the magic wand tool to take out the edges.

First cutout of tree canopy from color range.

Not as clean as it can be.

Using a combination of selection tools such a color range, direct selection, and magic wand would work best for defining entourage.

KIKO’s Tip

final entourage Ready to be used in your perspectives!

If you want even more precision, you can use the eraser tool to erase parts around the tree to make it a single object to be placed in your projects!

Entourage

03.

135

entourage shadowing Creating shadows for your custom entourage will make your visuals come to life!

KIKO’s Tip

Shadowing

For shadows, dark blue blends better with cool tones, an dark orange for warm tones. Also, use opacity to blend the shadow with the rendering.

01. make duplicate

136

adjust according to direction of sun use distort tool CTRL+T>Distort or Edit>Transform>Distort .

Use the 4 control points to adjust the shadow

02.

fill shadow

Changing colors

motion blur

04.

Shadowing

03.

Adjust the color according to the overall mood of the rendering.

Filter > Blur > Motion Blur or Shape Blur.

137 Lastly, add a blur filter to soften the edges and make the shadow more natural.

05.

using brushes

-look on viz-scape.com for brush presets!

how to make your own brush style: 1. Choose an image.

2.Select the area of the image you want to use as a brush.

Brushes

3. Choose Edit > Define Brush 4. Name the brush, and click OK.

138

Preset

KIKO’s Tip

You can use this to create brushes for trees, people, shrubs that you like and easily add to your future renders with a click!

some of my favorite brush presets Created in photoshop!

Experiment with brush setting, changing brush tip, shape dynamic, scattering, texture, color dynamics, and more!

scattering

angle jitter

depth jitter

contrast

color dynamic

Brushes

Grass tends to be organic and jaggedly around the edges. As you can see in this beginning render, the grass texture looks unnatural and too clean. We can fix this by using the stamp and paint tool and selecting the grass brush.

139 As you can see, the grass edges looks a lot more organic and natural!

adding sky

-look on viz-scape.com for textures used in creating skies!

Adding a background, especially skies, is very important for setting the style and mood of the design!

Busy sky

cloudy

Creates a calm scene and highlights the built and landscape context.

Makes the design dramatic and visually crowded. Good for use to dramatize a scene.

Used in designs that are tall and higher up in view.

sunset

basic

watercolor

Adding Sky

simple

140

Used in settings that want a warm and moody scene.

Personal favorite of mine!

The most common type used, provides a basic sky that can be used for most renders.

Used to make a design more fun and illustrative.

You can create these with Photoshop brushes as well!

KIKO’s Tip When choosing skies, focus on the overall tones, scale, and how it will distract / enhance the final image. If you find a good sky, you can always adjust the color and tone in ps!

Image>Adjustments>Hue Saturation” and move the “Saturation” slider left

To change the color hue: Image>Adjustments>Hue Saturation” and move the “Saturation” slider left

I decided to go for a sunset sky to give the setting a warm and cozy feeling.

dodge

burn

Adding Sky

starting image with no sky

To fix saturation of sky:

141 Lens Flare: Adding a lens flare to the sky creates a visually impactful look to the overall design!

Dodge and Burn: Dodging makes an

area brighter while burning makes an area darker, creating dimension and directing the eye from light to dark.

Final image with sky (lens flare and adjustments included)

texture + material

-look on viz-scape.com for material resources!

Adding material and texture to your renders, whether in plan or perspective, can provide

KIKO’s Tip If you’re looking for entourage on Google Images, type ‘seamless’ on the search menu for better results.

chosen textures

Texture + Material

These textures are seamless, meaning when duplicated vertically or horizontally, you don’t notice any joints.

This grass texture has noticeable joints that makes the texture look unnatural, you can adjust this using the dodge tool to lighten an area and the burn tool to darken an area.

142

Using dodge tool to lighten the edge

After adjustments, the texture can be duplicated seamlessly.

texture with graphic overlay Have a graphic overlay on a texture you like? Use the clone stamp tool or spot healing brush to remove it!

Select the area of the image you want to sample and press OPTION and paint over any marks you want to remove.

Clone!

With just one stroke using the spot healing brush, Photoshop will seamlessly paint over the selected pixels with the texture surrounding the area!

Texture + Material

Copy an area similar to the area you want to erase.

143

final texture with no overlays!

adding texture Determine areas where you want to incorporate the different textures

Texture + Material

building

pavement

grass

Using the Quick Selection Tool, select the areas that will be textured.

Save selection by going to Selection>Save Selection. Do the same with all the other types of texture selections.

144 outline building and make copy layer Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to outline building selection and right click>Layer Via Copy Do the same with any shadows.

grass

Drag in the desired texture and fill the area with it.

building

Do the same with the other textures and create layer masks.

Combined textures without any adjustments.

texture adjustments

Texture + Material

pavement

Go back to your channels and select create layer mask.

145

Adjust the textures with dodge and burn, and edit the colors with color balance and hue/saturation under adjustments.

adding tree groups

Texture + Material

Using the erase tool, choose a brush that blends well with the foliage texture and erase the texture where it’s not needed.

146

Using the clone stamp tool, select the areas with the tree group texture and draw it onto the areas that have tree groups as well.

Using the dodge tool, darken areas that are closest to the shadows and bring it to life!

KIKO’s Tip Choosing the right brush and opacity when drawing and erasing will make your design more realistic!

turn on shadows

KIKO’s Tip Look at page 154 for post production adjustments that finalizes the style and mood of a design!

Turn on the building layer and adjust tree groups (look at page 132 for how to adjust trees).

Final image with color adjustments to connect the whole scene together!

ORIGINAL IMAGE

Texture + Material

Turn the shadow layer you made back on and make it darker.

147

day + night KIKO’s Tip Incorporating night scenes are great to use in designs that have impactful lighting components! I would add more light than less as it will bring the night scene to life!

Day to Night

day scene

148

01.

Create a new layer and fill it with a dark gray-ish blue color. Set the blending mode to multiply

Look how much it looks like night time already! out blue so 02. Mask that the sky shows through.

03.

Select the sky and adjust the brightness and contrast to make the sky darker!

At night time, the most convincing part are the

04.

Select the areas within your design that will have lights.

lights!

05.

With the areas selected, choose the “Brush” tool, select a soft yellow paint color, select a “Soft Round” brush, opacity around 25%, and paint away!

Create a new layer and choose an off white paint color. Select a “Soft Round” brush, and set the opacity around 20%. Begin painting around the lighting areas.

Day to Night

06.

149 finished night render with color adjustments!

water + reflection 01.

Make a copy layer of the image.

KIKO’s Tip

You can render water bodies within softwares, but taking it into Photoshop and adding more shadows + highlights will make it come to life!

Water Reflection

02.

150

03.

Select everything but the water and make a copy of selection.

Select the copied layer and drag it down, and lower the opacity.

04.

Go to Filter>Render> Motion Blur and set angle to 90 degrees and experiment with the distance to make it look elongated.

this step already makes the water look realistic!

05.

Use the smudge tool, choose a soft brush, and set the strength to 70%-80%. Zig-zig away!

Use the burn tool and paint over edges, shadows to make the areas darker.

use a water texture to further make it more detailed!

07.

Bring in a water texture, desaturate it, and set it to the overlay blending mode.

Water Reflection

06.

151 final image with more shadows an color adjustments!

collage-ing my favorite technique to make a design illustrative and experimental!

You can create very interesting looking imagery with collages. Collages can either be created by breaking up the edges of a render, or combining different textures and images into one image. or a mixture of both!

basic model from sketchup

dig the INTERNET for desired textures and images!

Collage-ing

01.

152

Incorporate skies and overlay duplicate layers while testing out opacity. I also made a layer via copy of the shade structure.

02.

Add in the chosen textures and replace the drawing with it. Here, you can adjust the colors, tones, etc.

KIKO’s Tip The most important technique in collage-ing is cutting the edges out and making it look like pattern, where the illusion looks like the elements are reaching out.

03.

Cut out the edges of the different

textures using the Polygonal lasso tool! You can

Collage-ing

also add or extend more of the texture to further allude a collage look.

153

04.

Make your design even more interesting by adding closer entourages, birds, and diagrammatic elements!

final illustrative collage!

Post Affects brightness/contrast

Lighten and darken the image, as well as the contrast!

Post Adjustments

levels

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ADJUSTMENT LAYERS

color balance

Change the overall mixture of colors .Select either shadows, midtones, or highlights to change the range. Move your pointer to the color you want to increase.

Customize the levels of black, mid-tones and white in the image. Gradient below can add more white or black. Use eyedroppers that represent black, mid-tones and white to sample colors.

Change your image into grayscale and apply a color tint to it. It also allows you to lighten or darken specific color ranges in grayscale.

curves

invert

You can further edit the black, mid, and white tones within the image! Experiment by adjusting the pointers and curve and placing the points within the curve.

exposure Adjusting exposure edits the highlights, the offset edits the mid-tones, and the gamma edits the dark tones only.

vibrance

Boosts the dull colors within the image. Use vibrance to edit already dull colors while adjusting the saturation edits every color.

hue/saturation

Customize the overall hue and saturation of the image. You can choose the colors you want to change the hue of. You can also adjust the lightness and darkness of the image, making it entirely white or black.

black and white

Automatically inverts every color in the image to the exact opposite.

posterize

Flattens the colors of the image and you can choose the number of color levels to change.

gradient map

Automatically replaces the luminance values within the image to chosen colors.

photo filter

Apply color washes to your image and make changes to warmth and temperature.

channel mixer

Allows you to change the colors into another color. Used for black and white image conversions, correcting color casts, and exaggerating color.

levels and curves to edit image

KIKO’s Tip

curves

experiment with adjusting the pointers and make the light tones white and dark tones black. this way, it looks like the photo is scanned!

unedited image

Post Adjustments

Using levels and curves are a great way to turn your unscanned photos into a flat black and white image that looks scanned!

ta-da!

155

color adjustments color overlay

This technique can make a dramatic effect on the final product, either changing the mood or making the overall image more cohesive!

kind of boring

create a new layer, use a soft brush (50% opacity) and paint over light areas, and go lighter in darker areas.

Color Overlay

KIKO’s Tip

overlay

color

Go to page 130 to view different blending types, and experiment with it! And always paint and test out different blending modes as you progress.

warm tone color dodge

vivid light cool tone

156 purple paint with overlay blending mode!

changing season

Seasons and colors are easily changeable with color adjustments using Hue/Saturation and Color Balance!

01.

Replace and add warm colored fall trees

original

Use Color Balance and adjust the cyan, magenta, and yellow spectrum until you get a reddish tone that makes the scene look like autumn.

03.

Mask out the structure and mounds to make it lighter and darker, creating additional contrast!

04.

Filter>Camera

Raw Filter

Autumn image with dodge and burn adjustments

and further adjust the contrast, texture, etc to the desired look.

Color Adjustments

02.

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image softening 01.

First duplicate your image into another layer

KIKO’s Tip

Image softening is a great technique to make your designs more mystical and stylistic, perfect for bringing an extra something to your images!

02.

Go to Filter>Blur>

Gaussian Blur and Softening

play around with how much blur you want.

03.

158 little more spice!

Set the layer

Overlay Blending to

mode

fog look + depth of field 01.

KIKO’s Tip Using the fog affect in your designs can create a dreamy look to your designs, forming depth and dimension

Create a mask to the image layer and add a gradient from horizon (black) to the front (white).

Go to Filter>Blur>Lens Blur and adjust the blur’s radius, focal distance, noise, etc.

02.

Duplicate layer of fog and set this layer to

Luminosity blending mode.

depth of field

Fog + Depth

paint fog in light areas fading from the distance

Using a soft brush of at most 15% opacity , paint over the image with white paint, fading away as it gets

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PARKER

7 88

STYLE Landscape architectural visualization is evolving constantly since its beginning phases. The visualizations we see today, whether 2D or 3D, evolved through technological advancements and new generations of artists. Landscape architects, architects, designers, and artists today have transformed and created visionary ideas with photo-perfect visualization styles.

The process of visualization has evolved into a combination of personal styles and meeting the goal of a concept graphic.

Designers create sensational looks to their designs and they translate it into their own unique graphic styles. Through this development, we can see that specific firms have distinguishable styles they often portray in their renders. The style can evolve based on designer’s preferences or the unique story or idea they want to illustrate in their concepts. In this chapter, we will explore some of the most popular visualization styles!

visual styles

-look on viz-scape.com for links to style inspirations and resources!

Here are some of the most common types of styles within landscape and architectural visualizations! modernized + Clean

In this style, you can’t tell the difference between fiction and reality.

Realistic and detailed shadows, lighting, and textures are finely tuned.

Visual Styles

photo-realistic

This style has a clean and contemporary feel to it. It often includes linework, simple shapes, black and white colors, and flatter images.

162

bright + dreamy + colorful

This style has a warm, glowing, and romantic feel to the scenery. It often includes high saturation, over-lighting and the addition of a lot of trees, people, and sunsets.

This style looks like a mix of detailed sketching, watercolor, and digital renders. The image can be developed from a hand drawn sketch, or edited in post production to give it an artistic look.

Dark + Dramatic + cinematic

This style has very low saturation and most commonly uses dark blue, gray, and green tones. Stormy skies, shadowy figures, and strong contrasts create mystery and tension.

abstract + collage + illustrative

This style creates unique combinations/cutouts of renderings, images, and sketches that make the rendering look illustrative and abstract.

Visual Styles

picturesque sketchy

163

style development The process of creating a style will

develop as you

progress. Sometimes, I have an image or visual in my head and

it’s either completely different or in a similar spectrum of style when I finish.

As I add and test elements within the design, it can either make the finalized style bright and cheerful or dark and dramatic.

However, it’s important to initially know what kind of concept you have

mood you want to portray to the audience. Having the right style can speak about the intentions and concepts of your design.

Development

and what

initial modeling

164

In this step, I am building and forming the design’s foundation.

concept development Here, I develop my concept and narrative. Is it a happy story? A memorial? A new space for artful interactions?

post production

After an initial model is laid out, I take it into Photoshop to edit, add, and adjust.

experimental

In this step, I am testing lighting, shadows, colors, textures, etc in order to match the overall concept.

ta-da!

The finished graphic that speaks about the background and ides of your design.

Here, I find out what the best elements are for the design.

Is it colorful because the design is fun? Is it in a dark setting because the concept works better at night? Is it more simple in the buildings because the emphasis is on the landscape? Is it illustrative because the design is fresh and artful? Where are the details focused on?

I am always amazed how images evolve through the visualization process!

Development

finalizing style

165

visualization trends AS designs evolved, the artistic trends within visualization has also evolved! Here are some up and coming graphic styles in the most recent years. we see this in current school projects and company projects. illustration

Trends

A new type of visual representation, illustrations provide a fun and abstract feel to the rendering. This trend provides a unique style to your design, almost allowing the viewer to step into a cartoon

collage/surrealism

166 By piecing together pieces and components that make up a whole, a dream-like landscape is created.

animation/gif

go to vizscape.com for steps on how to create gifs!

Animations can include walk-throughs, exploded axonometric drawings, fly-throughs, process work, and how an element or space moves. Animations and GIFs can make your drawings come to life with its dynamic forms!

With new technology and softwares, recent visualization styles have been advancing. VR realistically shows our designs using panoramic views. Viewers can interact with the design as they move around the space, allowing them to look in every direction to gain a deeper understanding of the design details.

Modern visual technology continues to evolve, influencing and transforming the trends we see currently and in the future!

Trends

virtual reality (VR/AR)

167

LEVI

1 99

EXTRA When it comes to creating traditional and digital renderings, the preparation and final presentation board layout is just as important! Laying out a successful board can cohesively connect all your process, diagrams, graphics into one. This will further create visually interesting views and components that backs up your design intent. So don’t be afraid to put some character into your board layouts as well! By experimenting and testing out the placements and layouts of the presentation board, you will gain experience in what works and what doesn’t work.

This chapter will provide you with tips and advice on how to layout and orient your graphics, with some additional tips at the end!

board layout

Laying out your presentation is essential to showcasing your project and engaging with the audience in an easy-to-follow hierarchy and direction.

Board Layout

before you start laying out your board, brainstorm:

170

Design Process Key Ideas Concept Sketches Context/Narrative Diagrams Photos Title/Subtitle

- How much info do you want to present?

- What do you want to communicate to the viewer?

- what are the focus and the supporting elements?

- what style do you want to portray? levi’s Tip

You should always look on pinterest or competition board layouts that are similar to your graphics to take some inspiration for your own layouts!

?

contents within A board

Diagrams Concept Sketches Plan View Images/Photos Plan View Elevations Sections Axonometric/Isometric Perspectives

text Title Materials Context/Body Paragraph Legend North Arrow + Graphic Scales Subtitle Captions Commentary

What do you want to focus on? Which graphic shows the design information the best?

How do you want to direct the viewer through your process?

subdivision examples

Board Layout

graphic

171

orientation and paper size

Landscape view?

Every project requires different page sizes because of the scales and the different dimensions of images, but it’s always good to start with a reference, making your job easier and faster. Sometimes, you are given board dimension requirements by teachers or company guidelines.

portrait view?

is your plan or perspective wider, so you want to make the board landscape? or do you have a lot of images you want to layout in several boards that make up a whole?

several boards pieced together?

Size + Orientation

A1

172

most common page/board sizes: 8.5” x 11” 11” x 17” 24” x 36” 36” X 48”

A-series sizes are based on a ratio of 1:1.41. Each successive paper size is determined by halving the previous size along the larger dimension.

This way, the proportions remain constant, making it easier to format!

A2 A3 A4 A5

These proportions work for portrait and landscape boards!.

Experiment with moving images and text around!

A2

A3

A4

A5 A5

visual hierarchy The sizes, shapes, and tones of a drawing establishes the graphic representation in a composition. Contrastrich, larger images will automatically draw attention, and fainter smaller images can be supporting graphics that directs the eye through a board.

what do you want the viewer to see first?

Where should you put the title? make your grand visual pop by making it big!

levi’s Tip Recurring the colors, graphic elements and style, dimensions, and typography will make your board unified!

which elements are the most important?

I always like to place my most important graphic within the board first(biggest), and see what the proportions are left over. Based off of that, I then place other elements around it, according to importance.

Visual Hierarchy

readers normally read from top to bottom, and/or left to right.

173 Empty areas within the biggest image can be filled or overlapped with additional text, diagrams, images, renderings, etc!

my process: 1) Place focus graphic (plan, perspective, etc.) within the board.

2) Place smaller graphics and experiment. Do I want a grid, horizontal, or vertical format?

3) Move the next most important element in and play around with its placement. Do this step until all desired images are in.

On top, below, or middle of the focus graphic?

4) Place the supporting elements: sketches, sections, text, in relationship to the images.

5) How can I make the board more cohesive? Lower opacity of some images? Change colors or tones to blend with surroundings? Make some images darker or brighter to contrast with the rest?

6) Place the last elements: titles, captions, north arrow, scales in and around the images.

7) Add your name and year and voila!

My Process

text positioning xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

Text should be in columns and not rows as it allows easier viewing from one line to the next.

174 xx xx xx xx

xx xx xx xx

Align text outside of an image, as well as justify the edges, so the captions aren’t scattered around.

keep your text concise and short!

xxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxx

xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

When combining text and images, make sure they are nicely spaced from each other. You don’t want to crowd a board with too much and too little text, and allow white space.

color

Successful presentation boards often have

pops or

accents of colors that tie their graphics together. levi’s Tip Even before laying out my board, I like to have a color theme throughout my diagrams, plans, perspectives. And once you are laying out your board, use those color themes throughout!

Using colors as a theme across all of your boards will establish a consistent flow.

Sans serif fonts, such as Avenir and Futura, will give your presentation a

Color + Font

font

Sticking with gray scale or white may seem like a safe choice, but sometimes, it may make your design seem bland and lifeless.

Experiment with ways you can use color to bring life to your design. You may choose to incorporate just one color that are within your graphics, or a theme of colors that go well with each other, to provide contrast to an otherwise monochromatic presentation.

You can also choose a more eye-catching color, such as yellow or red, as a feature in your diagrams, directing the viewer’s eye.

clean, minimalist

look.

Recommended fonts: Futura Gotham Poppins Avenir Monteserrat Consolas Century Gothic DIN 1451 Neutra

175 levi’s Tip Use one font in the whole board, and test out the readability by printing it on A3 paper. Keep the color dark for light backgrounds and light for dark backgrounds.

Save As...

save as... psd

AI

indd

Photoshop File With Layers (Working File)

Illustrator File Artwork (Working File)

InDesign File With Layers (Working File)

PDf

dwg

Eps

Files for Print and Web Documents

Vector Image Data for CAD and Illustrator

High Resolution Vector-Based Printing

Jpg

png

gif

Photos, Prints, and Web (Smaller Files)

Drawings, Icons, Symbols, Images (Transparent Background)

Animated Images

176 color

file resolution

color resolution

RGB: For Digital/ Online Files CMYK: For Print/ Publication

Print: 240 dpi (min) Large Print: 300-1200 dpi Digital: 72 dpi

Small File: 8 bit Large File (Gradients): 16 bit

additional tips design process: 1) Lighting, shadows, entourage, texture is everything!

Take time on refining these.

2) Composition is important, think about rule of thirds, center your focus pieces, and don’t be afraid to show closer spaces!

3) Experiment with different mediums and even mixing them up, it can be modeling, sketching, rendering, anything!

4) Be bold and don’t be afraid to showcase your style and personality.

· Pay attention during lectures, there are lots of design information given during them! · There is such thing as tracing perspective drawings from SketchUp. · Look into intro videos regarding usage of drawing and programs · Don’t be afraid of people, ask all the questions you think of, and learn not to compare yourself to your peers! · Don’t be afraid to go crazy with designs; but be intentional with your concepts, you’re only in school once! · Try to work towards what interests you and gear your projects towards those interests, because it will help build a portfolio you’re proud of to present and showcase for interviews. · Spend more time practicing sketching and using it as a concept development/critical thinking tool! · YouTube videos! · Pinterest, Instagram, issuu is your best friend for inspiration!

Additional Tips

from upperclassmen:

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viz-scape

viz-scape.com

doris J chang