[deegola]

Hello all,

Working on making a nice 'hand-colored' landscape plan look. Trying to make it look non-computer, but also keep a high level of detail...you know what I mean!

You opinions (good and bad) are welcomed!



The 'full-size' image cab be downloaded here....warning it's like 9 megs!

http://www.salandscapeservice.com/large.jpg

[Hamons]

Looks very nice -- how many hours approx do you spend on just the artwork side?

[PSUscaper]

Do you want our opinions.....or want us to buy something??????????????????

[deegola]

Hamons - The color up took about 30 minutes. It's really just alot of automatic filters, then layered back together.

pennscapes - Want you to buy something? No. What's your problem?

[PSUscaper]

Sorry.......but with only 7 posts it seems pretty likely that's the reason you're here.

And....if you do sell something......and it looks like you 'might be', and its geared towards landscapers....and you like the site here so much........why don't you ask John if you can become a sponsor and at least market your product here?

It looks like a very nice product that many would be interested in.

[Stonehenge]

I don't know for certain, but I'm pretty sure this is just a guy posting a picture of his design.

And it is a fantastic looking design, IMHO. The full size image looks very water-colory - I would think that would be a big hit with clients. The shadows - were those automated ala a photoshop filter, or done by hand?


-Jeff

[mdvaden]

It looks nice.

So was this done on a computer, but modified to look like it was done by hand?

Or is this hand-drawn, colored and scanned?

The reason I ask, is that a few designers and myself can make plans like that completely by hand.

Only, I think your shading and texture is nicer.

What you posted fits my preference for style, that's for sure.

[Inspired]

Beautiful work as always, DJ. I'm envious. I really like the hand drawn look, and the shadowing. The only thing I would work on is the plant colors. maybe it's my comp, but for instance, purple fountain grass is more burgundy in reality then on my screen here.

Just a suggestion.

[Stonehenge]

MD - I'd be interested to see a pic of your hand-drawn designs if they look like what's pictured in that plan. Post away.

[deegola]

Actually, It's all just computer photoshop.

I have been using photo-textures (like you find when you scan google images) but I have been unhappy with the results. They always look like a collage.

So I took the computer-photo generic render and ran a watercolor filter over it.....which looked, but removed all the detail.

So, I tried some other generic photoshop filters and got a combo that seems to keep enough detail, yet add enough watercoloring.

I don't have alot of experience in doing this, and I am always trying to get nice looks from plans (but like most people, time is money) so that's why I wanted some professional opinions.

I would look for opinions from regular graphic website forums, but they aren't tuned to landscaping, and don't know what landscape pros are looking for....

And I really do appreciate those of you who downloaded the 'big' version, iut's hard to really see what the effect is unless you see the whole thing.

And thanks, I will work on the plant colors, I know what you mean!

[agla]

Do you want a critique of the design aspect of the plan, or the graphic aspect of the plan? I ask this because you mentioned tat you could look for graphic critiques elsewhere.

There is no doubt at all that it is a beautiful rendering. The possibillity that this is quick and easy is a great thing.

This forum does not tend to critique designs very much because it is a very subjective subject and people put a lot of themselves nto designs. It tends to get divisive. This is a forum that avoids divisiveness, so you probably won't get much input in that regard.

I really like your technique. It really takes the techno stiffness out of a cad drawing.

What type of software did you do the plan with?
What form did you save it as before you brought it into Photoshop?
Did you export it back to cad before printing it?
Is everything dimensionable and can the file be used by a surveyor to make a point file to do field work with?

[deegola]

Originally posted by agla

What type of software did you do the plan with?
The Line Drawing was done in AutoCAD 2004.

What form did you save it as before you brought it into Photoshop?
In cad, they have a free plotter you can add called "adobe post script level 1" it creates .EPS files, which can then be read in photoshop. They work nice because you can then import them to whatever resolution you want. In this case I went 300 dpi...but that may be too much for a large drawing.

Did you export it back to cad before printing it?
No. Since the Adobe Post Script is a virtual printer, I just print the full page size, no borders needed. Then I can print out of photoshop to that page size and the scale remains.

Is everything dimensionable and can the file be used by a surveyor to make a point file to do field work with?
Yes, everything remains scale, however I would probably just go back to the black and white cad plan for that.

Thanks for your input. Your scale question is important because when you run thoses photoshop filters over the plan to get the watercolor effect, they 'distort' things....which looks good, but then wrecks the detail of what you've drawn. It's a tough balance.

[mdvaden]

Originally posted by Stonehenge
MD - I'd be interested to see a pic of your hand-drawn designs if they look like what's pictured in that plan. Post away.

Wish I had a few. I tossed out everything when we moved to southern Oregon, because I thought I was going to get out of landscape and tree work

Then after 2 months of aching worse in an easy job from not working hard, I said "heck with it, I prefer the pain of working".

So I just started again last fall. I only have a few black and white line drawings.

Next time I quit, even if it's retirement, I'm going to save a bit of everything.

At least I didn't toss my Portland area customer list. I may use it again if we move back north. That's 600 names that may come in handy, even if just half of them are still there.

deegola.....

That design image would make an awesome feature for a landscape design page, or home page. It's definitely a #9 or #10 on a 1 to 10 scale.

[Busy Bee]

Excellent job. did you go to art school? I like how the shades match the plants and furniture in the sun. Very well done.

[FungusMudGrub]

Drool... I love it.

Was the whole thing done in photoshop, or just the coloring part?