rendering

I think that most of us would admire watercoloring done well, and it is seen sometimes for sky or ground tones mixed with other media, but for the main subjects and details, it requires more skill than applying markers over pen or CAD linework. And I think that markers came into architecture and LA for that reason (along with being neater to handle and have around a workplace): that is, we are doing some form of technical illustration anyway, and generating a rendering framework from the technical plans or elevations (especially now with sketch up) is efficient. Sometimes people do just a little preparation of the technical output to prepare it better for adding some “flair” by hand. If you want, you could use the technical lines underneath another layer of paper and create a total watercolor only using the line work as a guide, but lines convey a crisp sense of “accuracy” and pure watercolor is associated with romantic, less technical drawing historically.

Some of the highly talented people who have been hosts of Land8 Webinars, used a different approach: They generated a technical perspective, but kept only the color fills from the work, (eliminated the CAD lines only), and took a pen in hand and added new lines to get a “soft” line result, which blended well with added hand-drawn people and trees. The computer in other words, was a help for correct lighting and perspective, but then both some of the architectural lines and other spot colors were added by hand. 

I think most of us use some kind of hybrid approach to get results that seem both “technical” and yet “artistic.” Even when I make a totally digital rendering based on CAD, some of my imported trees are scans of work that was all hand colored to begin with….but I can import them again and again into various future renderings. And, finally, digital only lets you do revisions much more easily than anything wholly or partly hand created on a single layer of paper.

Try this…back in the early 70’s I learned to use prisma pencils then after you lay down the color with the pencil, take a q-tip and put some lighter fluid on it, then blend the pencil color with the q-tip.

It looks like watercolor when you finish….take a little practice but looks fantastic!!!  give it a try…

works best on board presentations….does anyone do board presentations anymore?

try my technique, you’ll love it!