[Chris Heiler]

I'm very new to this board and I can't help but notice that color rendering is a very popular topic amongst designers. I just read thru the recent thread originally started by Deegola back in 2006. One of the things that really jumped out at me were the comments about color rendering being too time prohibitive and too costly to the designer. So I just wanted to ask a few questions to see where all of you stand on this issue of color rendering-

1. Do you color render all or most of your presentation plans?

2. How many hours do you typically spend adding color?

3. Are you paid for all of your time spent? If not, why?

4. Do you also include elevation drawings and/or perpective drawings in your presentations? How much time do you spend on these?

5. Have you ever taken a rendering or graphics workshop like the one Mike Lin offers?

Thanks in advance for all your responses.

[papercutter]

1- All of them.
2- depends on the client, but anywhere from 20 to 120 minutes for a 24x36 sheet
3- yep
4- again, depends on the client and the project, but... yes, if I feel it's an important communication tool or I created it in the course of designing the project (EVERY trellis, arbor or pergola is done with 3D modeling programs)
5-Sure have. Best money I ever spent.

[jshilan]

Chris,

I'll follow papercutter's format

1. All of them
2. Usually 1/2 hour to an hour depending on the size of the plan
3. Yes. I have a lump sum price for my plans and there is time alotted to rendering
4. I stay away from elevations and perspectives for two reasons. The most important one is that I stink at them (actually elevations are fine perspectives forget it). I find that a well designed color rendered plan can usually get the ideas across and have enough of a "wow" factor to sell the job.
5. If Mike Lin is still offering the workshop, I agree, beg-borrow- steal to get the money to take his workshop. I actually went to the 2 weeker in Manhattan Kansas (the little apple) where we ate, drank and breathed graphics. I am an adjunct professor at a community college and I teach his rendering techniques.

I'm old school so everything I do is hand drawn.

If you go see Mike, take him out for a beer - he's a blast.

[agla]

1. Do you color render all or most of your presentation plans?
Only if it is to present to a group like a planning board, conservation commission, architectural review board, condo association, ...

2. How many hours do you typically spend adding color?
Two

3. Are you paid for all of your time spent? If not, why?
Yes, but most of the landscape designs I do are contracted as flat fees because they are easier to sell. Managing the hours becomes very important and I typically include one major revision in the contract - that two hours easily becomes four hours. An added four hours of design time to a lot of those contracts would kill the project.

4. Do you also include elevation drawings and/or perpective drawings in your presentations? How much time do you spend on these?
Not as part of a contracted flat fee for the reasons above. It is a listed option at an hourly rate.

5. Have you ever taken a rendering or graphics workshop like the one Mike Lin offers? Not a workshop, but I have a BLA which included a year of landscape graphics classes and additional critique, guidance, and instruction in studio all the way through.

Technique is great. It can take very good and raise it to great, mediocre and raise it to very good. But, it can not take really bad hands and make them anything more than OK. Having said that, learning the techniques is good with whatever skill set you have because you can apply them to get the most out of what you have.

I have to tell you, the subject of colored plans never comes up between me and my clients. I mention that the plan will be black and white in the contract, so there are no expectations from watching HGTV. Because it is a nonissue, I have no compelling reason to put more time, effort, and money into doing it.

[jshilan]

Here is a sample of the types of plans I provide my clients whether they are contractors or homeowners. My job is to not only provide the landscape design, but also sell the installation, so color is very important for me and has helped sell a significant amount of work.

It all depends which aspect of the business you are in and what your goals are.

[papercutter]

Jody, you ARE old school! Looking at your drawing, I can smell the ammonia from the blueliner. Happiness is a fresh, warm plan

[jshilan]

Odd, I just changed the filter on the print machine. The blueprint paper still takes the AD markers better then the "white" copies. My markers bleed too much when I have copies made at Staples. If you or anyone has a suggestion on markers that work on bond paper I'm all ears.

I'd like to get rid of the print machine since it is in my basement and the ammonia smell is quite pungent, as you have pointed out.

Well Dave it's time for my nap.

[papercutter]

Copic markers- you can practically color to the line on copy paper and not bleed. The upfront cost is way more than the others, but they're refillable so the lifetime cost is less. And they don't smell as much, so my wife likes them better than chartpak.

I made friends with my local printshop, and I buy rolls of Oce coated presentation bond for them to print my drawings with. Even chartpaks barely run on the coated stuff.

I said you're old SCHOOL. Not old. But enjoy the nap!

[jshilan]

Thanks for the info Dave . I'll look into it and see what I can find.

[papercutter]

Chris- what are your answers to your questions?

[dan deutekom]

Jody

I love that "Old School" look. Nice, neat, warm and easy to figure out just what is happening. I really love the looks of oldtime blue prints.

[jshilan]

Originally Posted by dan deutekom

Jody

I love that "Old School" look. Nice, neat, warm and easy to figure out just what is happening. I really love the looks of oldtime blue prints.

Thanks Dan I appreciate the compliment, although I must admit that I am feeling like a dinosaur. I may actually have one of the last remaining blueprint machines in the northeast.

[jshilan]

Why don't some of you "New School" kids post some pics of your work so we can all see what is the latest and greatest in landscape design and graphics.

[saslandscape]

1. All of them unless the client specifies not to (to save on cost)

2. 1 1/2- 2 hours

3. of course

4. no- site plan has been good enough so far

5. Have a Bachelors in Landscape Architecture- this offered classes in color rendering and technique.

[Chris Heiler]

Thanks for your answers everybody.

Jody, that is one heck of a nice rendering for only spending 1/2-1 hour on it. I wish I was that quick.

Here are my answers-

I color render all of my Conceptual Plans. After the concept, I don't use any color. In the past I've added a couple of elevations to the Concept rendering as well. Now I like to add perspective renderings. Coloring the plan view usually takes me 2 1/2-3 hours and add another hour or so for the elevation drawings and coloring. I do get paid for all of my time. I'll try to upload a plan tomorrow that I recently did.

I have taken a couple of graphics workshops, not a 1 or 2 week Mike Lin course though. Usually just a day course- but I've always learned a lot from these.