Activity

chipboard (butterboard is easier to cut, but doesn’t photograph as nicely until it ages), picture wire for trees (unravel to get branching, other wires can work too but I like the twirl of picture wire and relative plasticity- it holds its form) and wire mesh to match for shrubs/groundcover.  Peeling/sanding/uniform scoring to add textures as…[Read more]

Ditto what other people have suggested for modeling terrain.  For vegetation, take a walk around campus and see what kind of dried vegetation is around (fuzzy grass seed heads, yarrow, juniper, etc).  Arts & crafts stores are great places to hit up as well for wood, dried vegetation, chip board, foam core, just walk around and think about the s…[Read more]

What about plastilene? I like the look of contour lines done in some kind of hardboard (cardboard, etc.) but it is also nice to cover the whole thing with plastilene, and go for some detail textures in the ‘clay”. colors, also..
 
Once I used rocks and sand for a japanese garden design – collected from a park..the limit is your imagination, for…[Read more]

One of my favorite models I worked on used wire for trees.  Comes in many colors so you can stick with your neutral color scheme.  Damn, I’d take a photo of one if I could find one…but they are somewhat abstract and can be quick to make.
Do you have access to a laser cutter?  Once I used a laser cutter, I vowed to never cut chipboard manually ag…[Read more]

The key to foam core (and most card/mat boards actually) is a sharp blade. I’ve known people to replace the blade after 3 or 4 long foam core cuts. That may be extreme, but it might also be worth it to keep the edges looking nice. Lana is right: it looks like crap if you use a dull blade. I wouldn’t totally give up on it as a material though. The…[Read more]

By the way – I would stay away from foam core – it can be SO hard to make it look clean and precise. Plus, it also tends to look heavy. If you do choose it, go for the thinnest size you can get.

I agree with Wyatt as far as materials. If you’re going to a white monochrome scheme, mat board, white tissue paper, cardstock/printer paper, and baby’s breath is a good combo. If you’re going for a light brown/cardboard look, chip board (don’t get it too thick or you’ll struggle cutting it), inner side of cardboard for texture (you could cut it…[Read more]

For anyone interested there is a new show coming out on CBS called “Rob” with Rob Schneider as a landscape architect beginning January 12th @ 8:30pm.
http://www.cbs.com/shows/rob/video/2173759968/rob-new-show-preview-

Oh how I miss the days of building models. I doubt there is a truly “best” method, as the materials you use will depend largely on the look you want and the time/tools you have access to. Trees and plant massings could be made from wire, pipe cleaners, baby’s breath, styrofoam, cotton balls, painted twigs or foliage, foam core shavings, shredded p…[Read more]

That sounds interesting, and i am wondering if there are any industrial renovation projects like North Duisburg Landscape Park in Chicago?

in the pilot episode of “angel,” one of the talent agents claims to be dating a landscape architect.

Having the capability of hand rendering is not the same as relying on it all of the time. I am not a hand renderer, but if I had the skill set, there would be times when I’d apply it and times when I would not. …. but it would be great to have the option.

Quick, the client needs 2 more rendered full size alternatives of this plan with labels and in an email format within 30 minutes……Oh wait, you hand rendered this…and had to go to Kinko’s to scan it…and there are no labels……Nevermind.
I love hand rendering but in many large, fast-paced offices hand rendering is luxury that just doesn’t…[Read more]

I recommend the marker paper by Borden Riley 100S. That is a very good marker paper that our BeLoose Graphic Workshop has been using for many years.  It does come with either sheets or in roll. 20# bond tends to bleed too much.  Let me know if you have more questions.

Quick question for any marker users out there:
In the description for this project,  20# bond paper is mentioned as being used.  Is this standard for marker renderings?  I know you can buy “marker paper”, but what kind of paper is preferred for your marker renderings to get the best results?
 
Thanks,
Jon

It is so nice to know our effort on Land8 was being appreciated. I do plan on having another new book published, but it won’t be this or next year yet.  I will consider putting more plant symbols per your request.  Thanks and tell your friends to visit Land8 for more tips of graphics under our group “BeLoose Graphic Workshop”.

For your convenience, I have linked the article on the Land8 site under group BeLoose Graphic Workshop.  Thanks for your inquiry.

I just saw a preview of a new sitcom that features Rob Schneider, and his occupation is a Landscape Architect.  Should be interesting…….