HOW TO MAKE AN ENTOURAGE DRAWING
How to Draw People
Many architects and designers are terrified to draw people. You have probably seen numerous renderings of buildings with minimal entourage and not a person in sight. The reason is that many designers have a perception that if the figures aren’t illustrated perfectly, they shouldn’t be in the drawing at all. Here are three simple tips for drawing people and putting the needed character, humanity and scale into drawings.
Draw Small People. As a rule, size all of the people in your drawings no taller than 1.5 inches. Many background people can be half that height and quickly drawn as simple animated shapes. Detail is minimal, faces are probably not illustrated and clothing is kept simple.
Trace From Other Sources. If you cannot draw a figure from imagination, trace it from a photograph, recycle a figure from a previous drawing or incorporate a computer generated figure. I have a collection of figures from SketchUp that I commonly use to trace from. Take digital photos of people in a shopping mall or a retail street and begin your own collection of people images to trace from.
Populate Your Drawing. Don’t be afraid to add groups of people to your drawing. As a rule, I tend to populate my drawings with no less than ten people. I will double that count for drawings of street scenes with shopping activities. Now take a second look at all of the above drawings and imagine what they would look like if all of the people were removed from them - quite a different scene!
If you would like to learn more about how to draw people, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and pick up my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
07/02/2010
SketchUp Tradigital Drawings: James Leese, AIA
Florida architect, urban planner and good friend James Leese, AIA has been visualizing design for over 40 years. He has a great eye for combining 3D SketchUp models with 2D visual effects and digital painting. James works seamlessly between SketchUp, Piranesi, Photoshop and other programs to create these beautiful scenes - some from actual projects and others from imagination.
Noteworthy is his creative integration of entourage elements into his scenes. He also has a wonderful sense of lighting, color and dramatic environments, influenced from living in a tropical location.
The above image was developed with a combination of SketchUp, Piranesi and Photography. Edges were turned off in the model to give a softer appearance to the architecture.
These night scenes were developed with accent lighting created in Photoshop or by dramatic side lighting from the SketchUp model.
My favorite James Leese image because of his terrific use of color and entourage. His transparent foreground trees add context without blocking our view of the building facade.
I am an advocate of merging numerous traditional and non-traditional visualization methods - or what I call Tradigital Drawings - and have identified many of them in my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition. If you would like to learn more about new forms of visualization, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and pick up my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
NEW Summer Drawing Workshop! Jim and Daniel Tal are offering a 3-day SketchUp + Drawing Workshop July 22-24, 2010 in Denver. Click here for details about this continuing education opportunity!
06/25/2010
5Dthink: Merging 2D+3D Visualization
Designers have been trained to think either in two-dimensions (graphics and drawing) or in three-dimensions (physical and computer models) but not necessarily in terms of combining 2D with 3D into a new language of visual communication. Merging of two and three dimensional representation or what I call “5Dthink” - is a strategy of thinking (and designing) in simultaneous layers - creating design visualization that has never before been so available, rapidly generated, affordable and easy to learn!
I will continue to explore 5Dthink in future blog posts, but wanted to quickly present an example of what I believe is the next generation of visual communication. The test perspective below combines 3-dimensional modeling with 2-dimensional drawing. It seamlessly integrates three separate software programs (Google SketchUp, SU Podium and Adobe Photoshop), digital reprographics and traditional hand drawing. The end product is a hybrid image that represents the merging of high technology and hand drawing.
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Step 1: Base SketchUp Model. For this test, I downloaded a house model from 3D Warehouse and added some basic landscaping. I did not include people in the scene. Basic default lighting and shadow adjustment emphasized the deep porch and roof overhangs.
Step 2: SketchUp Model Preparation. In advance of the rendering process, I adjusted the SketchUp model “shadow settings” to Dark 25 and Light 35. This significantly darkened the model view but was necessary to pop the shadows in the rendering process.
Step 3: SU Podium Rendering. Rendered in just over 6 minutes, this image was created with the SketchUp plugin SU Podium generated a photo-realistic rendering of the house with accurate light modeling (compare the shadows on the four front porch columns) and reflective glass on the windows. This 3D digital rendering was far superior to the exported SketchUp scene, but was only an interim step in my 5Dthink process. Time to add 2D!
Step 4: Image Photoshop Filtering. I filtered the image using the filter>artistic>watercolor tool which popped many of the edges and added contrast to the wall and roof textures. This also masked the photographic dominance of the trees by giving them a more painted appearance.
Step 5: Image Printing. Again in Photoshop, I created a duplicate layer of the background image and adjusted the transparency to 75% of the original intensity. This significantly lightened the image - a necessary step in preparation for adding markers, colored pencils and hand delineation. I printed the image on my Epson Workforce 1100 at 7”x15” on Epson photo quality ink jet paper (matte finish smooth coated paper).
Step 6: Hand Drawn Character. Using a few light colored Chartpak AD markers, I added back color to the windows, walls, roof, grass, trees and landscaping. I did not color the sky. I overdrew the building edges with multiple overlapping pencil lines which gave the image such a hand drawn appearance. Several colors of Prismacolor pencils were used on different surfaces. Final white pencil highlights and black pencil stipple transformed the computer image into what now appears as a hand drawn rendering!
Hand Drawing Over a SketchUp Model View
Printing a view from a SketchUp model and drawing directly onto the print is a very effective method of visualizing a conceptual design. This proposed mixed-use development needed a quickly generated view for a client presentation. I had previously constructed a SketchUp model of the development when we were establishing the overall project density and architectural massing. The steps for taking a model view and creating what I call a “simple composite drawing” are quite simple.
Step 1 - Compose Your View. I carefully selected a “second floor” view with the broad face of the development dominating the scene. Tree components have varying densities of transparency to not hide the building facade. Shadow were adjusted for ideal representation of the 3D massing.
Step 2 - Export Lines Only. I exported linework from the SketchUp model, lightened them by 50% in Photoshop and eventually combined them with the exported faces image.
Step 3 - Export Faces Only. Exporting the faces allowed me to add a watercolor filter and give the image a softer look.
Step 4 - Line Illustration on a Print. After combining the previous images together in Photoshop, I printed the image approximately 8x17” on coated bond paper and began to “overdraw” the image with a black roller ball ink pen. This illustrative step completely changed the scene from a computer dominant image to a “hand drawn” image.
Step 5 - Final Color. Once the linework was complete, I added Chartpak AD marker color and Prismacolor pencils to the image, leaving the sky untouched. Total time to illustrate and color: 2 hours!
If you would like to see more examples of simple composite drawings, look for other related articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
08/20/2010
Quick Site Drawing from Sketchup: TAXI
I was asked to help quickly visualize a proposed modification to the existing area surrounding Denver’s TAXI development. Chad Herd from Landworks Design sketched a site plan and gave me a photograph of the existing building and parking. With those two pieces of base information, I built a very rough Google SketchUp massing model, established a view similar to the photograph and created a composite drawing in a total of 3 hours. Whenever you have to quickly visualize a design concept - improvise, keep it simple, introduce hand drawing to give it character and add marker/pencil color to emphasize important elements. Here was my process:
Step One: Import Site Plan to SketchUp . Chad sent me a JPEG of his site plan and I imported it to a SketchUp model and resized the model from known dimensions of the building’s length.
Step Two: Reference Photo. I constructed the SketchUp massing model with building facade information and site detail that could be extracted from this single photo.
Step Three: SketchUp Massing Model. Not knowing anything about the site other than what I could see in the photograph, I selected a similar view angle in order use the photo and my new drawing side-by-side for a comparison of the proposed site modifications.
Step Four: Simple Composite Drawing. I exported a high resolution (4000 pixels) JPEG of the SketchUp view, inkjet printed it 9x17” on coated bond paper with my Epson Workforce 1100 and sketched over the building and landscape elements with a Pilot Precise V7 rolling Ball pen. I added Chartpak AD markers and Prismacolor pencils to highlight the ground plane and riverfront.
If you would like to see more examples of how to create SimpleComposite Drawings, look for other related articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
08/17/2010
Composite Drawing from Sketchup: Pocket Park
This visualization project was very exciting to produce as it involved both 3D digital imaging and 2D traditional hand drawing processes together, i.e. construction of a detailed Google SketchUp model and hand drawings created from two model views. Important to note about this process is 1) all work can be accomplished in your studio without any outsourcing, and 2) once the model is complete, the hand drawing portion takes very little time! If you are working out of your studio, I recommend the following equipment and software that will enable you to produce practically all of your visualization projects: Epson Workforce 1100 13”x19” printer, 11”x17” flat bed scanner, set of Chartpak AD markers, Prismacolor pencils, Adobe Photoshop and Google SketchUp.
Working closely with the talented Colorado architect/planner Farooq Ameen, the view highlighted below in several “step-by-step” phases was art directed to feature a pocket park located within a proposed mixed-use development. Farooq and I worked closely together on architectural facade concepts, model view selection and client reviews.
Step One: Original Model View. I selected a 50mm focal length to capture more of the scene without the distortion you might experience with a more wide-angle lens. I made the trees very transparent and strategically placed cars, furniture and people in the composition.
Step Two: Exported Linework. I exported a high resolution JPEG (4000 pixels) view of scene with only the edges. Once in Photoshop, I lighted the linework to about half of their original density - I'm sure you can barely see the lines. Why? Lighter lines = less computer dominant image.
Step Three: Export Without Lines. I exported a second high resolution JPEG of the same scene with the lines turned off.
Step Four: Image Composite. I merged the two images together in Photoshop and then lightened the composite image once more in order to drop back the color intensity. It is important to lighten the image so that you can add back color with markers and colored pencils! I then sized and printed the image 81/2x17” on coated bond paper.
Step Five: Ink Linework. Using a Pilot Precise V7 Rolling Ball pen I illustrated the trees, outlined the building edges and gave the overall print a complete hand drawn appearance. The character of hand drawn lines completely disguises the fact that the image began as a 3D computer generated view!
Step Six: Final Color. The last and most exciting step was adding a wash of different Chartpak AD markers and Prismacolor pencils to create texture and character. Outer portions of the image were left untouched while the central park and dining patios received more color and delineation. I scanned the completed image as a TIFF at 300dpi and sent to Farooq for inclusion in a planning document.
If you would like to see more examples of composite drawings, look for other related articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and purchase my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
08/06/2010
Drawing From SketchUp: Composite Scan Method
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I discovered a great method of visualization that integrates a Google SketchUp model view with a hand drawing by simply scanning the two together. The hand drawing adds all of the character and entourage while the SketchUp model provides the image “bones”, shadowing, perspective and primary tones. Neither alone would be adequate to tell the full story but together they reveal an entirely new type of hybrid drawing. The project shown below was created for a proposed waterfront tower in the Middle East. I constructed the SketchUp model, composed the view, illustrated the overlay drawing, colored the image and finally scanned the pieces together to create the composite image. My “step-by-step” process is explained below:
Step One: SketchUp Massing Model View. This early model established the primary waterfront view. With the scene saved, I was able to further develop model detail for only those buildings in the scene view. The main tower architecture was replaced with a different design during this initial phase of modeling.
Step Two: SketchUp Model Development. I continued to build detail into the SketchUp model, adding facade elements, boats, people, landscaping, furniture and secondary structures. The level of detail diminishes in the distance. Caution - do your best to avoid putting too much unnecessary detail into your model!
Step Three: Ink Line Overlay. I exported a high resolution model view and printed it in color approximately 10"x20" on matte finish paper. I placed a sheet of heavy weight vellum over the print and began tracing the building edges, delineating all of the entourage elements. Note that all linework is simply outline and without any tone or hatching.
Step Four: Composite Image. This is how the ink line on vellum appears when placed directly over the print of the SketchUp model view. Sky, glass and water colors are contrasted against the white facades of the distant buildings.
Step Five: Final Color with Pencils and Markers. I added Chartpak AD marker colors and Prismacolor Pencil highlights to the vellum in a step that brought out feature colors, shadows, reflections and additional detail. The composite image was scanned at 300dpi in color and emailed to my client. Quick Tip - yellow pencil added a hint of bright sunlight on building facades and white pencil created highlights on the glass, water and building outlines.
If you would like to learn more about the composite scanning method with SketchUp models, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and pick up my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
08/03/2010
Drawing From Model Photography
I have always integrated photography with my visualization process and created a series of quick drawings for a proposed development in Singapore. My architect friend David Klages built an incredible massing model out of foam core, cardboard and miscellaneous plastic components. He then placed the model onto a reflective piece of dark plastic and photographed it with a black background. David emailed me the digital photos and I then turned the images into some of my first “Tradigital Drawings” - merging traditional drawing technique with digital imaging. Here my the step-by-step process:
Step One: Digital Photograph. David adjusted the overhead lighting, positioned a black background and photographed the study model on a glossy piece of dark colored plastic to simulate the reflections of this waterfront development.
Step Two: Digital Painting. Using the smudge tool in Photoshop, I completely altered foreground model trees to give them a leafy appearance. I also manipulated the water reflection to match the trees. This step began to disguise the model photography and add illustrative character to the view.
Step Three: Digital Filter. I added a Photoshop watercolor filter to continue breaking down the photographic dominance of the image and give it a more "painted" look.
Step Four: Sepia Tone. Changing the black and white image to a softer sepia tone was a strategic step prior to printing and adding final color.
Step Five: Printing, Draw and Color. I plotted the sepia toned image 16"x24" on matte finish coated bond paper. I then added Chartpak AD marker color to the building and landscaping, finally adding people, landscape elements and facade detail with a graphite pencil. This was one of four quick visual studies for the proposed development.
If you would like to learn more about creating drawings from photographs, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and pick up my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
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