[David C]

So, what do you think? The client loved them...I just hope it gets me the job.

[Fine Edge]

Looks very professional except for 1 minor detail:
If you went through all of that work to make a nice design, why isn't it to scale?
A properly scaled design will let you know that all of your elements are justified in their positions.
Just curious.

[papercutter]

Are you rendering those in photoshop?

[David C]

It started out as just a quick sketch, which evolved into this full colour rendition, I'm just learning this side of the business and the colour was one of thoughts "hmm, I wonder what this would look like in colour" things. So they ended up getting a colour rendition for free. As far as scale, it is close, it's just not exact and I wanted to let them know that. Learning 101...

Dave...yes, it was rendered in Photoshop.

[papercutter]

well, I'm not a huge fan of the pseudo-photoreal style for a number of reasons, but ignoring that I see a couple things. I'd dial back the opacity on the ground plane layers. I think the whole ground plane is reading a little too strong, maybe back it off to 70% and see what it looks like? That might help your plants a little too, since I'm having a hard time- is that big mass of green to the left of the driveway one tree? It's hard to tell.

[David C]

Yeah, it's one very large tree and I agree with you...it is a little dense, I'm a sucker for really rich colours, I just need to experiment a little more with the opacities. I really want to get into hand colouring but I'm not there yet...

DC

[papercutter]

Rich colors aren't a bad thing at all, you just need to contrast them with some muted tones so they pop more. That, and the convention of using appropriately sized circles (on a layer you can hide) as a base upon which to draw your forms could make it more apparent what the actual canopy spread is.

I've been considering a quick and dirty tutorial on hand rendering- if I get it done this week, you want me to post the link?

[David C]

That would be great Dave...thanks.

[papercutter]

Ok... I'm thinking Thursday-ish, I'll post it then. Easy as falling off a log

[Ston Wurks]

I agree with the above thoughts on all the colors reading too strong.

technically speaking your line weights need more differentiation also. Working from the lines for the house-->hardscape---> plant material. That line weight will help the rendering 'read" better.

just my .02

[papercutter]

Ok, better late than never (stuff came up). Here's a link to that tutorial I talked about:
Landscape Design Lab- Online Landscape Design Services for Contractors in All 50 States

One thing I forgot to mention was to lightly pencil in the sun, wherever you want it to be in relation to the drawing. Nothing will make a good drawing look stupid faster than shadows on different sides of your plant materials. I always put the sun due southwest, just to be on the safe side.

I *really* love my chartpak markers, even if they're a little stinky. Prismacolors are nice too, but they don't put out as much pigment as fast. I use them more for interior renders.

[GLAN]

For a first time.......looks great

Utilize the advice given here.......also.....consider what the clients are saying regarding the plans, layout and colors.