[Joe Beck, RLA]

Pete,

From one K-State Grad to another…I have 15 years in Florida with our live oaks. Live oaks are hardy trees, which like dry feet. The only concern with live oaks are when the site is raised thus creating water well within the drip zone. If grading create water retention area in the root zone, then the long term result (10-15 years) the roots will rot and during the next hurricane will blow down. It looks like from your photos that grading is not an issue, but if it is, you been warned.

Joe Beck, BLA KSU 1989

[Joe Beck, RLA]

Joe,

I agree with what Bob and Stephen has recommended! Sound advice. I also suggest pursue what you love, and you will never work a day in your life. There are many games, one is being licensed which has a set pathway, but our professions is very broad and many pathways can fulfill your personal passions and goals. Be creative, more about that later.

Master something you love. I love drawings, therefore I have become a master at sketching. Get a sketchbook and draw, draw, DRAW! Look at my sketchbook stuff. My first boss, Laurie Olin, FASLA instilled in me that the essence of a designer is in their ability to inspire others though drawings. Mastering hand drawings and perspective is the foundation. In my sketchbook, I draw where I am at, what right in front of me, I draw in Restaurants, bars, parks, Street scenes, etc. The subject matter not important, what important is drawing in perspective.

Pursuing what you love and you will attract others like minded professionals or professionals who are looking for you, and your skill set.

Since graduations in 1989, the course that has provide the most positives impact in every area of my life has been the Landmark Forum. Before I took the Landmark Forum in 1997, I was a self-righteous, arrogant, SOB, who knew I was RIGHT in all my opinions, therefore everybody else was WRONG! Looking back, this was the major contributing factor in my early termination in firms such as Hanna/Olin and The SWA Group. Being talented got me in the door, but the day to day interaction with others cost me my career and the golden opportunity to learn from the best. In the Landmark Forum I discovered my true passion, my love for people and wanting to make a difference AND the Bad news…the conflict I had with being RIGHT. In the Landmark Forum typically there are 150 people from all walks of life in the course and everybody in their own way are trying to making a difference. I got a simple distinction….I could have love or Be RIGHT! I could have one but not the other…a Simple choice. In the Landmark Forum I gave up the right to judge others and this simple choice has transformed my life….now I have friends from all walks of life, I am not threaten by anybody, but accept everybody for who they are and what they can contribute… this is a two-way street. Since the Landmark Forum (1997) I have been able to pursue all my passions by inventing new ways of being free from the constraints of my past.

I don’t know your situation. The greatest things in my life came form my participation with the Landmark Forum and my Sketchbook. I am free to be me an Artist, making a difference with everybody I come into contact with. Find more about the Landmark Forum in your area at http://www.landmarkeducation.com or call me.

Best of luck!

[Joe Beck, RLA]

Here are my two cents. As a principal, owner, we all work together as a team to secure the bottom line, MONEY. Pretty pictures are a selling point to ultimately get paid. I have clients who come to me just for the pretty picture, those are the easy projects, being I am an artist first and LA second.

With that said, there are underlying liability issue involved with graphics…As a Licensed Professional, we protect the public’s Health Safety and Welfare. Therefore if graphics are presented under a seal, then they better be buildable or some trigger happy attorney will have a nice fat fee at your firm’s expense and ultimately putting the qualifier at risk. Landscape Architects as graphic Czars is appropriate, because we can be responsible for the legal realm of graphics, not just a pretty picture.

[Joe Beck, RLA]

How is your lettering?

IF HAND Rendering is what you want then…..to learn old school you have to start with crawling before you run…. with the Basics (Black and white)…Lettering is where we all started. Lettering is the place to start to learn and train your hand, eye, in hand drawings. Practice your Architectural alphabet in the margins of your books, notes, place mats, etc. If you need example lettering style….well I am K-State Grad and Mike Lin’s book is our style….Next is walking which is mastering perspective, I’m working material for this by Sept 09….then running is working in color= Rendering.

On note on plan graphics which make them pop are shadows. using a black or dark brown marker wide edge and outline vertical elements to produce the shadow….Shadows on plans always go down to Right or Left, regardless of where the actual shadow would cast. This is because when it is hanging on the wall during your presentation, it appears that the shadow are being cast by the lights in the room above you…Shadow done this way are natural to viewer.

[Joe Beck, RLA]

I have a 100 set I got from Charrette and it worked for me….see my stuff. Otherwise, Mike Lin on his website has a suggested 47 markers at http://beloose.com/bookstore/bs_materials.php

[Joe Beck, RLA]

I have to agree on the “Old School” method. Here something to Consider in blending Old with the New…. What I do is I create my rendering “old school” then I scan them to a Jpeg and import them into AutoCAD as an Image in Model space….if you have plans you can scale them…then in Paper Space I have my presentation layout sheets where I add what is needed, lables, leaders, dimensions, etc and then produce them as PDF’s for email and printing.

This has been a nice blending for my practice…

[Joe Beck, RLA]

Improvement comes with practice, lots of practice. I suggest keeping a sketchbook and taking it with you places and draw. When I travel, I do not take a camera, just my sketchbook. Locally I tend to draw interiors, often they are bars, sketching over a beer or glass of wine capturing the since of place.

[Joe Beck, RLA]

I’ll weigh in on Hand Rendering, back ground on me… in school (1984-89) at the advent of the PC, I struggled with drawings…I relied on Plan Graphics and models, my perspective was BAD…I thought the computer would save me. I share this because I got inspired by my first boss, Laurie Olin, FASLA…it was hard not to be inspired being around him….After I was layoff, I took his advice by traveling and drawing for myself. I discovered my own talent for sketching, now 18 years later, I have master perspective, quick sketching and beautiful renderings.

Hand drawing takes time and time to develop your skills, but they are invaluable when in a client meeting to be able to translate their ideas into perspective.

I agree with others first question is what is appropriate for the client, but it is true hand rendered drawings have a soul.

[Joe Beck, RLA]

With 18 years developing my own style, still my two influences are Mike Lin and Laurie Olin. To Graduate from K-state we were required to take Mike Lin’s graphic class (@ the university). Laurie was my first boss at Hanna/Olin, Ltd. (1991) he inspired (inspired means breath life into) me that the true essence of a Designer is in there ability to inspire through drawing and to always be drawing in a sketchbook. After 18 years you can look at my drawing an see both their influences (my photos) and I been drawing in sketchbooks ever since, in ink!

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