How to Color Landscape Plans Like an Architect
When planning your landscape design, it is helpful to draw plans that indicate planted and paved areas in relationship to structures on the property. While you may not be able to afford the professional services of an architect or landscape designer, you can recreate the effect if you learn to color landscape plans like an architect. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- White drawing paper
- Pencil and eraser
- Black ink pen
- Colored pencils, markers or water colors
- Architectural scale
- Tape or laser measuring tool
Instructions
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If you're a power computer user, you can draft a base plan in AutoCad or another drafting program and import it into Adobe Photoshop or a similar image editing program. However, such programs require considerable technical expertise, so hand rendering may be the simplest method, even if you feel you lack artistic skill.
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If you have a printed landscape plan, you may add color. Otherwise, you must create a plan yourself. Measure the borders of the property and the footprint of any standing buildings or consult zoning plans. Use graph paper to plot out the scaled dimensions and trace the outline onto quality white drawing paper.
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Now you are ready to color your landscape design. Use a pencil or pen to trace the outlines of prominent trees and shrubs. Don't worry about making perfect circles; rather, squiggle the outline of the plant and add a small circle or "X" at the center to indicate the location of the trunk. Delineate planted areas as well as paving. Represent the outline of the house or other structures with a heavy line.
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Choose your color palette and media. According to the University of Minnesota's Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series (SULIS), monochromatic palettes, such as grays or sepia tones, are the simplest and often the easiest to work with for those with little experience. If you are more comfortable blending and pairing colors, represent the elements of the landscape realistically: plants are green, pavement is gray or brown, and water elements are blue.
Colored pencils are easy to use, while markers make a bolder statement. Watercolor paints can be difficult to control unless you have experience with them. Choose the media you are most comfortable with and practice on a scrap piece of paper.
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Color in the major landscape elements using a 45 degree stroke. Start at the top of your drawing and work down, beginning with a light layer of color and increasing intensity as necessary. Add shadows to make your drawing more realistic. Choose a location for the sun to maintain consistency. Shade using a darker version of the color of the surface on which the shadow falls, or try blending purples and grays. Give your drawing a professional look by tracing over the outlines of plants and paving with ink.
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Tips & Warnings
Opt for yellowish greens over blueish greens for a more realistic effect
An eraser will pick up color pencil mistakes
Look at examples of professional landscape plans to capture the techniques
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Polka Dot/Polka Dot/Getty Images
