Work flow

I have received several queries recently about how I draw my landscaping and urban design illustrations, such as the example below. This post describes my typical work flow.

Clients brief me in meetings or emails depending on their location and the time frame for the project. They will usually send me a plan of their design proposal sometimes including examples of planting and street furniture.

Site plan by Outlines Landscape Architects

I research the existing site context using Google Streetview, Maps, satellite images and photographs of the area (especially important if the drawing is to be an imagined aerial view).
 
Generally I use pencil sketches, SketchUp 3D modelling, Photoshop and scanned felt-tip pen line drawings.

The work flow for this project included the following stages.

1. Establish the viewpoint, perspective and scope of the drawing with the client using pencil sketches or simple 3D models drawn from the site plan.

1. Establish viewpoint

1a. Alternative viewpoint

2. Develop the 3d model in SketchUp, export 2D image to Photoshop for rough modelling. Print out and pencil sketch over to show the content. Scan and send for comment.

2. Pencil sketch with questions for client

2a. Client comments and further design information

3. Refine 3D model per client comments. Redraw people and landscaping details in pencil over the 3D model.

3. Refine 3D model

4. Trace the pencil composite with felt tip pens, scan and import to Photoshop

4. Felt tip pen tracing

5. Colour in Photoshop including using photos for reference (e.g. shopfronts)
send draft for comments

5. Draft issued to client

6. Finish the illustration in Photoshop and issue to the client (for any final tweaks)

6. Finished illustration

When the client signs off the final drawings the files are issued as high resolution A3 300 dpi CMYK for printing or A4 72dpi RGB for screen use.
Photoshop files are around 0.4-1.2GB and the final image file is usually 10-20MB 16bit jpeg or TIFF.
I have a good A4 scanner (A3 drawings are scanned in two parts and stitched together) I use a Wacom tablet for all digital drawing and colouring.


I separate elements by layers and will often draw all of the soft landscaping on several layers to allow for revisions to be made to the plant types/sizes/colours.

7. Layers to separate elements