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You can do perspectives on your iphone now – how about that for impressing a client..I think the program is called Brush, or blush? See the New Yorker site – every week they publish a new iphone drawing, showing it as it gets built up…And apparently in Japan they have abandoned pc’s for internet connections through their phones? (the cloud..)

…and how often has that happened? lol.

As far as students not using trace…I wish I could have shown you my desk last semester.

My limited experience with ‘group think’ was nearly disasterous. From what I observed, it is nearly impossible for everyone to draw at the same time. There’s always a dominant pen and I think it’s fair to say that those with good ideas, but without ability…[Read more]

I think we can get the best of both mixing it. I always remember my ex-boss said: a person who can draw by hands can improve the ability to use the graphic softwares and apply the hand drawing skills in those software.
I’m hand drawing person that believe in computer never going to relace the human touch, warm, dramatic effect of a hand…[Read more]

one major difference is that other than a broken pencil or a dried out marker you never have to worry about the power going out or a system failure if yo are using trace and red pencil!

Never say never… I use a Wacom Cintiq and Corel Sketchpad, project it on to a flat screen or projection system and I can digitally hand draw (at least two oxymorons in there somewhere) from scratch or over a photo or model. People can still sit around with Heinekens but now they can be in other offices, or other countries for that matter. You…[Read more]

Living Systems: Innovative Materials and Technologies for Landscape Architects – (‘materials and technologies’ are more process based systems…very cool. You’ll most likely see some familiar projects described in detail)

The Landscape Urbanism Reader – Charles Waldhiem

any research article you can find by Stewart Pickett (urban…[Read more]

I just heard from another friend last week this was a great book to read, I’ll try picking it up next…

I just finished reading World Made By Hand and The Long Emergency. My first reaction was definitely cynical and pessimistic, but after stepping back and thinking about it, I have a much better understanding of true sustainability, and a cautious optimism for the future.
I would highly suggest that any professional read The Long Emergency. The…[Read more]

I agree, Brian – I find new graduates don’t even know how to ‘think with trace’, something that I think is fundamental to designing…just laying down piece after piece of trace, as you slowly evolve the design…I think computers have ruined our design thinking – architects that are popular now, such as Frank Gehry, don’t even consider the human…[Read more]

The design process we all pose as our craft is built around our ability to express ideas. We sell ideas. And the only way to sell a design is to illustrate it. That is the essence of our profession and a range of other design professions. My view is that the computer just is not the beginning tool within this craft. It is a great illustration tool…[Read more]

I think there is either a widespread miscommunication between employers and job candidates or hiring managers may be sending mixed messages regarding desirable skills and marketability.

It seems like it’s not so much an issue of drawing with a pen vs. digital rendering as much as attention to craft.

I think there are ways to ‘throw’ people into hand drawings and create dull marker renderings just as easy as it is to do this digitally. Given digital methods probably make doing so easier.

The fundamentals which reach beyond the…[Read more]

Good points Adam..

I think one issue that could be argued from the ‘analog’ camp is that sense of scale may not be as accessible in solely digitlal design processes due mainly to the ability to zoom in or out at nearly an infinite number of levels. This goes back to the argument that in designing space, it is critical to have a grasp on scale,…[Read more]

I think this is a great topic, and I know you use both Nick so don’t think it’s directed at you. In all honesty though I think we as landscape architects are a bit behind the times in our thinking. Why do we think that digital drawing and analog have to be, or are separate things? With modern technology we can literally hand render on a…[Read more]