Hand and Digital Hybrid Drawing - A Symbiotic Process

 Step Two: Character Sketch Overlay [above]. With a more focused emphasis on open space, the building architecture was down-played to augment the framework that the building massing created. A sheet of trace paper was an overlay over a 11x17 print-out of the Sketch-Up view, drawn in pen and colored quickly with Chartpak markers and colored pencils. Details on the trees and groundcover were also drawn with minor detail to balance out the framework of the buildings. Simple line work people were drawn in to give the open space and buildings scale. (10 min.)

Step Three: Blue-line Block Out and Render [above]. The client then wanted to have still a "conceptual" feel to the building massings, but more defined in terms of mechanically drawn lines, and ideas about color, tonality and vibrancy on the architecture and open space areas. Buildings and landscape components were blocked out in blue pencil and colored pencil in the landscape to give texture and depth to trees, ground cover, and topography. (20 min.)

Step Four: Color Pencil Rendering on Color Xerox [above]. A color xerox was made and colored pencils were used to create the building materials for the base level, mid and upper floors, but not necessarily revealing what the materials are. This rendering style was to only give an idea of the horizontal break up of color and material typology. You can notice that the base of the building is some sort of stacked stone, but not revealing the type of stone. The landscape is a xerox of the previous step and does not need to be re-drawn. This saves time, especially when you are exploring different color swatches for specific materials. (10 min.)

Step Five: Final Illustrative Drawing [above + below]. This final illustrative style was further enhanced and detailed because the client felt they were ready to reveal (or discuss possibilities) of actual building materials and wanted to push the detail of planting materials. Drawing media is trace paper with fine line pen for the outline of buildings, trees, and line work of specific landscape plantings. Base colors of the buildings and landscape areas are marker and then overlaid with layers of light pencil to give more texture and vibrancy. People and entourage are drawn carefully, but still kept at a conceptual level, giving careful consideration to locations along the walkway and building entries as well as activities to show movement through the open space. (25 min.)

I hope you found this blog helpful and informational, and that it reveals some great opportunities to use this hybrid approach in your student and professional work. If you have specific questions about any particular parts of this process, just send me a message.  

-Brian