Jim Leggitt / Drawing Shortcuts

Digital Watercolor with SketchUp Photo Match

I’m always looking for new alternatives for incorporating digital tools with traditional hand drawing and coloring techniques. This visualization method combines a Google SketchUp model that I built using the Photo Match tool with some hand coloring and digital filtering in Photoshop to create a quick rendering. 

Here are the basic steps in which I was able to transform a digital photograph into a digital watercolor. The subject for this visual was an amazing historic gold processing mill in Nevada. I photographed the building during a site visit and used one of the interior photos as the basis for my rendering. 

Step 1. Digital Photography. During a quick visit to the mill site, I took photos of the interior and exterior, trying to capture key elements of the machinery and spaces. Due to low light conditions and small rooms, I wish I had a tripod and a camera with an extra wide angle lens!

Step 2. SketchUp Model. I built a SketchUp “Photo Match” model of the main interior warehouse space that we determined to be an ideal location for interpretive exhibits on mining history and visitor orientation to the gold milling process. Notice how this model is a “stage set” model - constructed only for the single perspective view.

Step 3. Scene Composition. I placed the exhibit displays, people, lighting and graphics into the SketchUp model to create an active scene that resembled a visitor center experience. I’m not that experienced with the SketchUp Photo Match tool and struggled a bit with placing the photo onto the beams and columns.

Step 4. Scene Enhancement. After exporting a high resolution jpeg, I eliminated many of the dark clothing colors in Photoshop, added a floor color and lightened the entire image in preparation for adding back color with markers and colored pencils. Compare this modified view with the original scene (step 3) exported from SketchUp.

Step 5. Hand Coloring. I printed the view 11”x17” on heavy weight matte finish Epson presentation paper using my Epson Workforce 1100 printer. I added light colored markers to the flooring, exhibit displays and people. Using a very hard mechanical pencil, I loosely traced over the objects in the scene in order to reinforce the “hand drawn” character of the rendering. I enhanced the overall image with white colored pencil highlights and yellow pencil to emphasize the interior spot lighting.

Step 6. Scan and Watercolor Filter. I scanned the completed rendering at 300dpi and then applied a Photoshop watercolor filter to the image which softened the linework and produced an overall painted look to the rendering similar to that of an actual watercolor! I finally adjusted the contrast levels by darkening the blacks and lightening the whites of the image.

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

 

 

 

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/1963744

Quick SketchUp Digital Watercolor

It doesn’t take much time to transform a typical Google SketchUp model view into a very exciting digital watercolor. Once your model view has been established, all you need to add is a photorealistic rendering step, some hand coloring and a quick Adobe Photoshop filter to achieve a really cool watercolor effect! Here’s how I created this digital watercolor of a rooftop amenity deck for a proposed multi-family development that my firm studioINSITE had designed.

Step 1. SketchUp Model. I built a SketchUp model of the proposed rooftop pool area using the base building model that the architect had constructed.

Step 2. Scene Composition. I selected a preferred view of the infinity pool and elevated terrace after studying many different view options. The final SketchUp scene was established slightly above eye level in order to capture more of the ground plane and furniture layout. The low angle of the sun cast long shadows across surfaces and added more drama to the scene.

Step 3. Shaderlight Rendering. Using the plugin Shaderlight, I rendered the SketchUp scene and established a realistic reflection pattern in the glass windows and water surface. Compare this rendered view with the above SketchUp view and compare the quality of shadows and reflections - especially with the infinity pool!

Step 4. Print the Scene. I first lightened the image by giving it a 75% transparency in Photoshop. This step was necessary in order to reduce the image color so I could add back color with markers and pencils. I printed the view 11”x17” on heavy weight matte finish Epson presentation paper using my Epson Workforce 1100 printer.

Step 5. Hand Coloring. I added light colored markers to the stone elements, furniture, and ground surfaces and dabbed color on the trees, cars and people. I did not add color markers to the sky. Using a very hard mechanical pencil, I loosely traced over the people, furniture and other objects in the scene in order to reinforce the “hand drawn” character of the rendering.

Step 6. Scan and Watercolor Filter. I scanned the completed rendering at 300dpi and then applied a Photoshop watercolor filter to the image which softened the linework and produced an overall painted look to the rendering similar to that of an actual watercolor! I finally adjusted the contrast levels by darkening the blacks and lightening the whites of the image.

 

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

 

 

 

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/1963744

Multi-Family Digital Watercolor with SketchUp

Many architects and designers are using Google SketchUp model views as presentation renderings. I’m a strong proponent of using SketchUp modeling in the design process and want to encourage everyone to invest the extra time to take their SketchUp presentations to “the next level”. My digital watercolor process involves some hand drawing and coloring with markers to give the scene much more of an artistic character. 

If you are a SketchUp modeler, you know that the program does not render any reflections in glass and has limited shadow characteristics. In order to really capture the quality of light and shadow, I render the model using the SketchUp plugin called Shaderlight. By applying a photorealistic rendering step in combination with the hand drawing, I can visualize the design with an authentic, hand drawn image. Here is a step-by-step explanation of this very exciting digital watercolor process.

Step 1. SketchUp Model. I built a Google SketchUp “stage set” model (there is no back side to the building model) of the proposed multi-family residential development and inserted the building onto a Google Earth image. The surrounding buildings were imported from Google Earth and 3D Warehouse.

Step 2. View Composition. I selected a viewing height at about the mid-level of the building and saved a view looking directly at the corner of the tower to equally represent two primary facades. The two-point perspective view straightened all of the vertical lines, avoiding the typical distortion found in 3-point perspectives.

Step 3. Exported Edges (lines). I turned off the SketchUp shadows, materials, sky and ground to export only the linework (edges) of the SketchUp model. The highly detailed jpeg (exported at 5000 pixels wide) captured the fine linework of the building facade.

Step 4. Shaderlight Rendering (left image). Using the plugin Shaderlight, I rendered the SketchUp scene and established a realistic reflection pattern in the glass windows. You can see the reflection in the corner windows of a building across the street. Note that the Shaderlight rendering eliminated all linework from the scene.

Step 5. Composite View (right image). In Photoshop, I combined the Shaderlight rendering with the exported linework to establish a complete facade representation. I gave the linework a 50% transparency in Photoshop in order to lighten the lines.

Step 6. Print the Scene. I first lightened the image by giving it a 75% transparency in Photoshop. This step was necessary in order to reduce the image color so I could add back color with markers and pencils. I printed the view 11”x17” on heavy weight matte finish Epson presentation paper using my Epson Workforce 1100 printer.

Step 7. Hand Coloring. I created a color chart on the paper below the scene in order to test my Chartpak AD marker colors on this specific paper. I added light colored markers to the building facade and dabbed color on the trees, cars and people. A light gray marker on the road surface helped highlight the white striped crosswalk. Large portions of the image (sky, distant buildings) were left untouched by the markers.

Step 8. Scan and Watercolor Filter. I scanned the completed rendering at 300dpi and then applied a Photoshop watercolor filter to the image which softened the linework and produced an overall painted look to the rendering similar to that of an actual watercolor! I finally adjusted the contrast levels by darkening the blacks and lightening the whites of the image.

Detail. This enlargement of the digital watercolor highlights how the watercolor filter accentuates the marks from the Chartpak AD markers and gives the image that painted characteristic. Notice how I highlighted the railings and window mullions with a white Prismacolor pencil using a straight edge to keep the linework crisp. 

 

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

 

 

 

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/1963744

 

My Nostalgic Paint-by-Number Collection

I grew up in the 1950’s, right in the middle of a “how-to craze” that swept the nation. The paint-by-numbers phenomenon enabled individuals with little or no art training to paint on a canvas that was printed with a series of outlines and numbers. By filling in each numbered space with the matching numbered oil paint color, the resulting “masterpiece” emerged! 

I collect these somewhat kitsch and definitely nostalgic paintings whenever I can find them at thrift stores and yard sales. I am now the safe-keeper of two special paintings produced in 1952 by my favorite aunt Amelia Skill and was inspired to scan all of them and share this incredible art with you!

Rocky Mountain Scene. I picked this painting up at a thrift store in Oregon. Unknown artist and date.

1950’s Craze. These images are from the book “Paint by Number” by William L. Bird, Jr. His book is a comprehensive look at the history of this art form, with many reproductions of paintings. 

Southwest Canyon Scene. I bought this painting along with Rocky Mountain scene and love the romantic composition, sunset colors and big sky!

The Last Supper No. M-312. This original artwork was illustrated in 1952 for the Palmer Paint Company in Detroit, Michigan by one of the first staff artists Adam Grant. This was painted by my Aunt Amelia and hung in her dining room for more than fifty years.

Aunt Amelia in her home, which doubled as a barber shop.

New England Farm. This second paint-by-number by Aunt Amelia depicts the snow covered farm washed in yellow light by the late afternoon sunset. I especially love the bright red barn contrasted against the snow. 

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

 

 

 

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/1963744

 

New Mexico Watercolor Field Trip

Traditional drawing and painting skills are as important to develop as new digital visualization techniques. Grab a sketch book or watercolor set, make a trip to an interesting place and then commit the time to record what you see on paper!

I painted this series of five watercolors on a visit to New Mexico. I happened to be there in the fall when the aspen and cottonwood trees were in full color. I had a basic set of watercolors and a 10”x14”pad which was a perfect size for “laptop” field painting.

Rio Grande River. I sat on the river bank and painted the brightly colored cottonwood trees and river’s edge vegetation.

Sandia Peak Trail. I hiked into the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains on my way up to Sandia Peak. The spectacular trail begins just east of Albuquerque where I painted this scene midway up the mountain.

Watercolor Set. I have all of my colors painted on a chart so I can easily pick colors from my set.

 

Valley View. This second watercolor from the Sandia Peak Trail framed the western view with steep cliffs on either side. Dark pine trees contrast against the golden aspen trees in the valley floor.

New Mexico Landscape. This watercolor was my favorite as I painted it just south of Santa Fe, looking towards the distant Placer Mountain. I illustrated the foreground pinon pine trees and created a sense of distance with a gradation of lighter colors.

San Francisco de Asis. This small church located in Ranchos de Taos is one of western america’s oldest (1772) and most photographed or painted buildings. I chose to compose the watercolor with commercial buildings in the background to establish the site context. Being new to traditional watercolor technique, I overworked the sky. Practice, practice, practice. I’ll know better next time I approach a new watercolor!

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

 

 

 

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/1963744