Drawing for Landscape Architecture: Sketch to Screen to Site

by Edward Hutchison

"The deep value of this text resides in [Hutchison’s] instructive method of transitioning from (largely) color pencil to digital design. This method is applicable to every flavor of architecture and design, and only the most digitally-addicted need refuse Hutchinson’s inviting manual of how to design grandly." ― ArchNewsNow.com Across the design disciplines, drawing by hand has largely become a lost art. With digital tools at their disposal, the majority of designers create while sitting at their computer screens. Attitudes are changing, eager to push the boundaries of their creative processes, and spurred by a sense of being disconnected from their briefs, today’s designers seek a greater and more immediate connection with their projects. There is no better way to stimulate the imagination than by learning to draw what one sees and creating by hand, and in the fluid, living world of landscape architecture, it is particularly important to have an organic relationship with one’s design.

An essential volume for landscape- and garden-design professionals, Drawing for Landscape Architecture argues for the importance of learning to “see by hand,” to visualize large-scale design plans and articulate them through drawing before turning to the digital tools that are so crucial to efficient and cost-effective building solutions. This enriched approach makes for better design, happier clients, and more successful projects. 513 illustrations, 368 in color

Genres: Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Nonfiction, Drawing, Design, Art

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2011

Reviews

[sierra!!]

why was this so fascinating 😭😭

[Steve H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Academic or professional level. Hutchison explains at a high level and gives examples of the uses of different drawing techniques in Landscape Architecture. Scant on text, which is used only to describe the drawings (including how many minutes they took), this is a book for people who already know how to create drawings/paintings/illustrations using pencil, pen, watercolors, and some software. There are many very nice drawings, but for somebody looking to learn the technique of "Drawing for Landscape Architecture" this is an aspirational work, not educational.

[Alexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the great examples of how to do context stuff by hand. I work on digital mainly and was experiencing difficulty in expression myself with hands-on drawing until I met this book! It proved that even the quick sketch could become something with just a little bit more play on it.

[Tom Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quality of the drawings is excellent, the variety is amazing - and their place in the design process is explained.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Examples of different drawing approaches and styles, with explanations of how they communicate different types of information.