[Jared Chase]

At first I was a little worried using a laser for measuring but I’ve found them very accurate.  I’ve used the Bosch model in construction and it works very good.  I’ll have to try it on locations now also!  I’d definitely recommend the Bosch as well.

[Jared Chase]

I recently taught myself to use Autocad and here is what helped me. Start here, http://www.cadtutor.net/tutorials/ .  The tutorials are a basic overview of the program and will help you get familiar with the program.  They also have a message board if you have any questions.  There are also many other CAD sites on the internet.  Some that helped me are: http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/AutoCAD_tips.html , http://www.autocadcentral.com/Tutorials/tutorials_index.htm, 

 

In my opinion, the best tutorial you can buy are the videos from Lynda.com.  You can even pay a monthly membership to view tutorials for many different kinds of software.  I used them and they were the most helpful by far.  I have a book called the Autocad Bible and it was good but not nearly as helpful as the videos from Lynda.com.

 

Google is also going to be your best friend.  If you have an issue, just type it in as a questions into Google and you’ll likely find an answer.

 

I know exactly why you feel overwhelmed because I felt the same way when I started  but I think that Autocad is really pretty easy if you use the resources that are out there.

[Jared Chase]

I haven’t read through everything else but I’m sort of in the same situation as you.  I haven’t taken Mike Lin’s workshop but I attended a workshop put on by graphicsteacher.com last month and will be attending another one this weekend.

 

What it comes down to is, what is it worth to you?  I know the classes are expensive but for me, they are totally worth it.  Here is the perspective that I look at it from.  You have to look at it as an investment.  Will this give you the extra skills that you need to be more marketable for a job?  Maybe or Maybe not but I talked with the owner of a firm a few months ago who told me that he recently interviewed about 15 different new graduates and he chose the one who was able to draw because this is a skill that is being lost.  I talked to another firm owner who specializes in hand graphics and he stated that his business has increased in the digital age because many places still appreciate the character of hand graphics.  So to me the cost may seem a lot at first but if it helps you down the road, it’s not as big of a deal.

 

Another thing you have to think about is will this speed up your efficiency?  If it takes you 10 hours to finish a rendering, what if it only took you 5 hours… Another reason it’s helpful is because you know learn how you use a limited range of materials.  You’ll learn what colors of markers to buy and also learn that you don’t need 100’s of markers to make an effective rendering.

 

It also depends on your confidence in your hand drawings.  I don’t want to talk crap but my graphics professor was not very effective at teaching.  He may have been able to do the drawings himself but he was unable to teach all the different techniques.  A good teacher will be able to not only recognize what your doing wrong but will also be able to give you advice on how to fix the problem.  I learned more in a two-day workshop than I learned in an entire semester of graphics.  You learn the tips and techniques that increase your efficiently but more importantly increase your confidence.  You’ll know what your doing instead of having to guess all of the time.  I say do what’s best for you but I personally would highly recommend them.

[Jared Chase]

Thanks everybody for the help. It took me a long time but I was able to solve my problem without too many issues. I think I’m finally starting to understand how to design swales. I’m still having problems finding out how far to set my HPS away from the slab but for the most part, no major issues.

Anyways, as far as books go. I found Grade Easy to be very helpful because it breaks everything down in simple language. I also thought that Landscape Architecture Graphic Standards was helpful visually.

[Jared Chase]

Keith, I’m not really having any problems specifically. I’m more so just looking for reference material to study and refer to when a problem arises.

Thanks Kellie, I will definitely look into some of those books.

[Jared Chase]

I will check those books out. Fortunately I found that our library at school has copies of both of those books.

Steve, I’m not exactly having issues with any particular area but if I get stuck on a problem, I don’t have enough reference material to work out the problem. The book we are using in class has helped me a lot but sometimes it doesn’t have specifically what I’m looking for. At the moment, we are working on swales.

[Jared Chase]

Thanks Brandon, I really appreciate that. I was actually planning on taking his perspective class this upcoming year but I just read on his website that he won’t be offering any classes in 2010. Hopefully he’ll offer something in 2011 though because I’m sure it will help a lot.

[Jared Chase]

That is part of the issue. We receive on average 15-20 inches of rain a year here. To me, that is enough to justify inspection. I think the biggest issue is that their is a lack of inspection in many different areas here.

[Jared Chase]

Yeah, plastic sucks! I have been to many projects where plastic was used by the previous landscaper and it is always a pain in the butt. The plant roots are almost always right on top of the soil and there are never any deep roots. It almost always ends up showing and it doesn’t allow any organic matter to break down into the soil like you said. Hopefully people in this area will begin to learn that this is the wrong thing to be doing.

[Jared Chase]

It’s not in the landscaping section but more so in the painting and home sections. It’s 6-mil black poly plastic that is made for painting, vapor barriers, covering equiptment, etc. Here is it also used by a lot of companies for a weed barrier. I hate the stuff. Here is the best picture I could find of this stuff. http://www.rd.com/how-to-choose-a-landscape-weed-barrier/article19570.html

There was no landscape architect involved with this project but it is being installed by “the best in town”.

[Jared Chase]

Nick, the black stuff is actually landscaping plastic, not typar. I’m not a huge fan of typar either it is a much better option than the plastic that is being used around here. In my opinion, the plastic is the worst thing that can be used. It allows no gas exchange, water percolation, and like you said, doesn’t help with the weeds over the long term.

They are bubblers sticking up rather than spray heads. Your comments are pretty similar to what I said also. Soon I will take some more pictures of more of these installs around town that have failed and the majority of them have only been installed within the last 2 years.

[Jared Chase]

I apologize for taking so long to reply. Thanks to everybody for their opinion. It’s good to see both sides of the discussion though. It sounds like they may be good for some people but others may not find them helpful. I agree with you about the advantages of being able to sketch a perspective in from of a potential client and not having to use a chart. I also think the chart could be a time saver in certain situations though. More than likely, I will order a set just to see if I like them or not. I will be sure to let anybody know my results after using them.

Nick, please feel free to send me any info or links your willing to offer. I always like to keep my options open.

[Jared Chase]

While I’m not a landscape architect(I graduated this December with a degree in Horticulture/Business), I had the same problem finding a job in the industry. There isn’t much out there right now.

So what I did was take a job at a construction company as a laborer. It’s not glorious, the hours are long, the work is hard, but it does pay well and it sure beats being unemployed. On the weekends I mow yards and also work for a wedding venue company. Sure it’s not what I want to do but eventually everything will improve.

Right now the best thing to do is just get some type of income. Any is better than none, even if it doesn’t include the package your looking for. This is just a bump in the road and I really feel that good things happen when you least expect them. Just take what you can get now and in the meantime keep applying and looking for jobs. Don’t give up, eventually something will work out.

[Jared Chase]

Thanks again. I’ve heard a lot of different things but there is a consensus about one thing: Don’t spend too much.

I’ve decided that I’m probably going to but a table that has already been made. I would build my own but I don’t really have the time and all of my power tools are back at my parents home. Craigslist would be a great option but I don’t live in a big city, so there aren’t many listings in my area. Thanks for the suggestions though.

One more question I have though. I’m going to be in Las Vegas next month and thought about going to a Dick Blick store. Are their prices similar to those in the catalog? Another other places I should check out in the Vegas area??

[Jared Chase]

Thanks a lot for all of the replies! Now I’ve got something to think about but at least I’ve heard a lot of different opinions and some that I never would have thought about. Clay was right though that I’m looking for a table for my house and not the studio. Sorry for not pointing that out before.

I think that biggest issue with my “drafting board” was the size and that it’s portable, so it can sometimes be difficult to find a comfortable work area. I’m “one of those people” that tends to use A LOT of space, so I’ll take that into consideration also.

Anyways, thanks a lot for the advice and if anybody else has any recommendations, go ahead and post it.

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