Jim Leggitt / Drawing Shortcuts

Google SketchUp Super Modeling: EAA AirVenture!

I was on  a team of architects that had the pleasure to update the master plan for one of the largest aviation shows in the world: the annual EAA AirVenture at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. As our designers developed concepts for the exhibition grounds, I began a series of Google SketchUp “Super Models” that eventually became the primary tool for visualizing various components of the enormous campus.

Building a single SketchUp model for such an expansive area would have been too large of a model to navigate. I first began by importing the site plan into a model and establishing the primary collection of model components (buildings, pathways, restaurants, exhibit pavilions). In order to focus on the more detailed program areas, I made copies of the original model, cut away portions of each model not necessary for that specific view and added more detailed model information (people, airplanes, graphics) for the subject I was modeling. I produced six different SketchUp models to develop the views shown below.

EAA AirVenture Planning Charrette. Our designers worked both "on the boards" with hand drawn plans and with computer models to develop different organizational concepts for the air show campus.

 

Main Entrance Pavilions Model

This complicated SketchUp model was built to communicate the overall radial pattern of pedestrian connections and how the main public entrance ticketing and exhibits functioned. I imported beautiful plane models from 3D Warehouse and established both aerial views and eye-level views for presentation. With large models such as this, it is important to develop a strategy for how to communicate the enormous amount of information. The combination of aerial perspectives and ground level views made for successful communication of ideas to our client.

   

 

Exhibit Vendors Model

I built a new model to specifically show the organization of exhibit pavilions around a central square. The model was populated with hundreds of people to represent a large vendor presentation. I built several additional models of vendor buildings (shown below) to show both traditional and modern architectural options for the permanent buildings planned on the site.

  

 

Exhibits Hangars Model

The campus included several large steel “hangar” buildings to house the many small vendors associated with the aviation industry. I constructed the SketchUp model with enough detail to show the hangar from an aerial perspective and at eye level. As I mentioned earlier, this model began as a duplicate of the larger campus model of which I deleted all information not viewed in this detailed area. I then added more planes, people, graphics and information to complete these views.

  

 

Pedestrian Crossroads Model

This model focused directly on the plan development and tower design for one of the many pedestrian intersections on the fair grounds. I composed both an aerial view and eye level view to communicate the design and scale of the space.

Aviation Restaurant Model

I constructed this SketchUp model to show how an existing restaurant building on campus could be expanded to serve more customers. I recreated the existing building based on site photographs and added a new section of outdoor dining tables surrounded by food service support buildings. The aerial view communicated the basic site organization and the eye level views represented the detailed character of the dining spaces.

 

Warbirds Themed Restaurant Model

One portion of the fair grounds is devoted to the presentation of World War II planes and a full reenactment of a historic military airbase. The new restaurant included an observation tower and outdoor seating surrounded by vintage WWII airplanes. I found the plane models on 3D Warehouse and created both aerial and eye level views to communicate the design concept.

 

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Look for other interesting articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.

 

 

NEW! - The 2010 Blog Collection , a 116-page catalog of my best blog posts from 2010 is now available on Blurb!  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/196374

 

 

 

 

Visualizing Interior Spaces with Freehand Drawings

 

I rarely have the opportunity to illustrate interior spaces and found this series of freehand drawings quite fun to create. A local conference for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) was being planned inside a former airport hanger and I was asked to illustrate different views of the exhibits space showing different industry vendors and presentation spaces.

The building was an old industrial building with steel trusses and high factory windows. From a couple of reference photographs of the interior space, I was able to construct three perspectives showing the main exhibits entrance, an informal lecture space and different vendor pavilions. I first composed the drawings in red pencil using a straight edge, then illustrated the final ink drawings freehand - without any straight lines. The digital colored image was generated in Photoshop using a Wacom Cintiq drawing tablet.

 

Step 1 - Thumbnail Sketches. I quickly visualized what the different views might look like with very rough “napkin sketches” with side notes. I discussed them with my AIA committee which helped finalize the three perspective views and gain valuable feedback from the planning group.

 

Step 2 - Red Pencil Mockup. The Aristotle Arena sketch had to represent both the circular conference space framed with corrugated metal panels and several vendor pavilions. I elected to compose a “roof level” perspective to look down into the interior spaces and capture more of the floor plan and activities.

 

Step 3 - Ink Line Drawing. I taped a sheet of tracing paper over the red pencil mockup and illustrated the final 7”x11” drawing with a Staedtler Lumocolor F pen. All of the linework was done “freehand” without the use of a straight edge. The loose drawing style added a casual character to the image.

 

Step 4 - Digital Coloring. I scanned the line drawing at 300dpi (in color) and imported the image into Adobe Photoshop. Using a Wacom Cintiq interactive pen display, I added digital color. Notice that I had a second window open on the display with series of colored squares that I sampled for coloring the drawing. The entire digital process took 45 minutes!

Convention Entrance Drawing. These two (cropped from the original format) images are from a second perspective I drew showing the scaffolding structure at the main entrance to the airport hanger. I chose to compose the drawing with an eye-level perspective to make it more realistic.

 

Interior Stage Drawing. This third perspective focused on the circular stage area with overhead fabric clouds. A cafe with tables and umbrellas is delineated on both the left and right sides of the eye-level view.

Look for other interesting articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.

 

 

NEW! - The 2010 Blog Collection , a 116-page catalog of my best blog posts from 2010 is now available on Blurb!  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/196374

 

 

 

Drawing Architecture from Imagination

 

There are many design challenges that require quick concept visualization without the backup and support of a computer. Not having 3D modeling capabilities, Photoshop or sophisticated rendering software, you must practice the traditional technique of developing believable perspectives using a camera, copier/printer and your imagination!

This drawing project visualized two master planning concepts for a proposed office building campus - one with a single building, and the other with three buildings framing a central park. Plans for both schemes were drawn on trace and given to me to visualize in a short amount of time. I grabbed a digital camera and went to work. Start to finish, I took three days to complete the task. My “step-by-step” drawing process is described below.

Single Building Scheme

 

Step 1 - Digital Photograph. I took a half dozen photos of the site plan at a low angle showing the front of the building. The preferred view was printed and enlarged to 11”x17” paper with a standard copier.

 

Step 2 - Red Pencil Mockup. Using a drafting triangle and parallel rule, I developed the 2-story building design on trace with a red Sanford Col-erase pencil. The red lines were easy to see when drawn over the black and white base image. In addition to illustrating the building, I sketched in trees, flag poles, cars and other site elements.

 

Step 3 - Ink Line Drawing. I taped a new sheet of trace over the red line mockup and drew the final 7”x 12” perspective with a Staedtler Lumocolor F pen. The drawing was reproduced same size on heavy weight bond paper with a digital copier.

 

Step 4 - Final Color. The perspective was colored with Chartpak AD markers using a limited set of colors. I did not introduce any colored pencils due to the tight schedule. Outer edges of the image were left uncolored to emphasize the central architectural subject.

 

Multiple Building Scheme

 

Aerial Perspective. Using the same technique as the earlier drawing, I established my perspective with a digital camera and sketched the scene with a red pencil mockup on a trace overlay. 

 

Casual Line Technique. I developed the ink line drawing without using a straight edge. All lines were drawn freehand and I chose a casual delineation technique with loose hatching for shadows. Although the drawing detail in the foreground was quite developed, elements in the distance were “ghosted in” with minimal detail.

 

Limited Colors. Buildings were colored with two brown markers and a light blue for windows. Trees were colored with two shades of green. Ground was colored with either a light green or buff color for walks. I added gray marker for roofs and shadows. The overall image was colored with no more than ten markers! I scanned the drawings at 300dpi for the client presentation.

 

Look for other interesting articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.

 

NEW! - The 2010 Blog Collection , a 116-page catalog of my best blog posts from 2010 is now available on Blurb!  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/196374

 

Drawing Options from Traditional to Digital Hybrid

I promote many different variations of design visualization, suggesting to students and professionals that they become familiar with all of the graphic tools and drawing techniques including traditional hand drawing methods and new digital approaches using 2D and 3D software. Knowing which drawing technique to use for a given design project depends on factors such as the project complexity, your drawing skills, deadline, budget, client expectations, knowledge of software programs and access to graphic supplies.

The following series of options (all images have been cropped from the original artwork) represent the many options you can select when visualizing your design project. The options begin with simple traditional hand drawing tools and progress into digital variations that include photography, 3D models with Google SketchUp and digital coloring using Adobe Photoshop.

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1. Graphite Pencil Drawing

There are many varieties of drawing pencils - from soft graphite leads to non-smudging plastic leads. Pencil drawings can have differing line qualities, tonal variations and infinite hatching patterns. I use a Prismacolor black pencil for most of my pencil drawings and shy away from soft graphite pencils due to their smudging characteristics.

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2. Pen and Ink Drawing

Ink drawings are easily reproduced and can include hatching patterns or be drawn as simple outlines based on the nature of the project. The above drawings show a high tech theater and an illustrated design guideline. Depending on the drawing project, I typically use either a Staedtler Lumocolor pen, Pentel Sign pen or a Pilot Fineliner pen.

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3. Color Marker on a Print

 

Basic coloring with markers can be either on the original artwork (tracing paper) or on a digital copy (bond print). Color markers can be applied as a solid color or built up to create a hatching effect as shown in the above images. I use Chartpak AD markers for most of my coloring tasks.

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4. Colored Pencil on a Print

 

Prismacolor pencils are great for coloring small drawings and give you the flexibility to generate bright accent colors along with beautiful hatching textures. I recommend not attempting to color drawings larger than 11”x17” as you can consume too many pencils in the coloring process. 

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5. Color Marker and Colored Pencil Blend

 

Combining marker and colored pencils together on a drawing gives you the ability to cover large areas with color markers and add tonal variations with colored pencils. The images shown above were both digital prints on bond paper (copied from the original artwork), colored first with Chartpak AD markers and then enhanced with different shades of Prismacolor pencils.

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6. Line Drawing Overlay Composite

 

This drawing option takes advantage of incorporating a SketchUp model with your hand drawing. The illustration (both of these are pen and ink drawings) is colored with markers and colored pencils, then scanned directly over the 3D model view - creating a composited image that reveals the model tones, shadows and basic detail beneath the line drawing. The result is a “hybrid” image and combines traditional drawing methods with digital imaging!

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7. Composite Line Drawing Print

With these two examples, I began with a Google SketchUp model of the site and buildings. Once the scene was saved, I printed the view in color of heavy weight coated bond paper, drew directly onto the print with pen and ink (I used a standard black roller ball pen) and colored the print with Chartpak AD markers and Prismacolor pencils. The hybrid nature of the image equally presents the shaded model with hand drawn detail and entourage.

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8. Line Drawing with Digital Color

Both of these drawings by architect Seth Harry, AIA were sketched in pen and ink, scanned and opened in Adobe Photoshop. Seth then applied all of the color on layers in Photoshop, applying either solid colors or tonal variations. With practice, the digital coloring process can save a lot of time compared with traditional coloring methods. Filters can also be applied to colors producing a textured or “modeled” effect to the image.

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9. Line Drawing, Photography with Digital Color

 

Taking digital hybrid techniques to a higher level, Philadelphia artist Kirk Fromm combined 3D computer models, photography, hand drawing and digital coloring in these beautiful illustrations. He began with a SketchUp model, traced over a print to give the image a hand-drawn character, scanned the drawing and then added photos of people that he altered with Photoshop filters. Kirk introduced other 2D components to scene such as trees and then completed the hybrid drawing with digital painting techniques using a Wacom tablet.

  

Look for other interesting articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.

 

NEW! - The 2010 Blog Collection , a 116-page catalog of my best blog posts from 2010 is now available on Blurb!  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/196374

 

 

Conservation Challenge in a New Orleans Cemetery

 

I recently attended a lecture about the conservation efforts being undertaken in one of America’s oldest cemeteries - the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The program was offered during the 2011 American Institute of Architects annual convention. As I listened with an unblinking curiosity, the speaker unraveled layers of history, archeology, and fascinating material conservation and technology. This urban burial place above and below ground is located within a finite footprint and on an unstable water table. 

I found the lecture so compelling that I visited the cemetery the next morning and experienced the sublime beauty of an architecture of permanence pitted against the dramatic and destructive elements of nature.

 

Opened in 1789 after most of the French Quarter burned the year before, the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is now surrounded by modern infrastructure and development. 

Exploring the “City of the Dead”. I visited the cemetery to observe the detail of the decorative metals, surfaces of the monuments and observe first hand the variety of conditions in which 220 years of time reveals.

 

A Study of Time. With high humidity and heat, the once pristine white wall surfaces are in constant state of upkeep. Rust eats away cast iron railings and air borne chemicals “melt” the surfaces of marble sculptures and carvings.

      

Decorative Metals. The cemetery fences are fabricated with a combination of iron bars assembled in different patterns, cast iron elements and cast zinc fixtures. I learned during the lecture that zinc was a popular casting material in the 1920’s and 1930’s but fell out of favor due to the toxic and sometimes deadly fumes generated in the casting process.

 

Ornamental Fences. A small percentage of family monuments were surrounded with decorative fences that are now being restored with rust inhibiting coatings and conservative efforts.

 

Improper Cleaning Technique. Some cleaning solutions can do more harm than good when restoring marble surfaces. This monument was scarred from the failed effort of using a power drill with a circular wire brush attachment. These invasive cleaning techniques are discouraged by conservation experts.

 

Monument Restoration “Before and After”. Deterioration of the monument in the foreground reveals the stepped brick construction. Families are responsible for the upkeep of their monuments and in this case, the owners have abandoned the structure. The fully restored monument in the background shows how the original structure would have looked when first constructed and finished with a lime plaster and lime wash.

 

Materials. The abundance of crushed sea shells provided the lime for both mortar and coatings. The porous material enabled structures to “breath” moisture and survive the annual flooding that occurred in the New Orleans location. Modern cementitious coatings have actually harmed the surfaces during improper restoration efforts. Marble deterioration is caused by pollutants in the air affecting the stone surface and “melting” away detail.

 

Fully Restored Monuments. This section of the cemetery had a number of monuments that had undergone conservation efforts to restore their beautiful original condition. I encourage you to visit this and other historic cemeteries next time you are in New Orleans. You won’t be disappointed!

  

Look for other interesting articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.

 

NEW! - The 2010 Blog Collection , a 116-page catalog of my best blog posts from 2010 is now available on Blurb!  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/196374