4. PUTTING YOUR DESIGN ON PAPER - inst.org · We know that in this drawing one centimetre on the paper will represent 50cm in the garden. Therefore if we divide 25 metres by 50 (25/50=

PUTTING YOUR DESIGN ON PAPER MODULE 4 PAGE 1

4. PUTTING YOUR DESIGN ON PAPER OVERVIEW

Your drawing is your clients' window into your mind: it’s the main way in which you are going to communicate your ideas. There is also a good chance that the job will be priced from the drawing. So it is very important that it looks professional and can be easily understood. In this module, we cover the following topics: Choosing a scale Drawing to scale General rules for drawing Tools for drawing Using a template Using symbols Using computers for design What type of computer will you need? What other equipment will you need? Advantage and disadvantages of using a computer

Putting pencil to paper (or mouse to mouse pad) for the first time can be a little nerve wracking. But after reading this module you’ll be able to take your first steps. And soon you’ll have the confidence to start drawing your own ideas. Don't be daunted if it takes a while to get the hang of it. It’s bound to feel a little awkward at first. But remember that practice makes perfect. CHOOSING A SCALE Your drawing must fit comfortably on to the sheet of paper you’re drawing on. It must also be on a scale that is readable. Clearly you can’t draw a life-size replica of the garden. So you’re going to have to reduce the whole thing in size, to fit it on a piece of paper. To do this, you have to determine the scale you are going to use and the size of the paper you’re going to draw on. There are a couple of easy ways to determine these factors.


Some scales you will always use because they’re easy to read. For instance, 1:100 is a useful scale where as 1:85 is not quite so easy to take measurements from. The following scales represent those commonly used in the industry because of their readability.

Main plans - 1:50, 1:75, 1:100, 1:200, 1:500 Cross sections and details - 1:50, 1:20, 1:10

As an example, consider the following. Say your paper is 30 cm long and you choose a scale of 1:100 (which literally means that for every 1 cm on the paper there are 100 cm on the ground.). That way, you would be able to represent a garden which was up to 30 metres long (not allowing for any margins). LET’S LOOK AT THIS AGAIN Using a scale of 1:100 means that 1 cm on the paper is equal to 100cm on the ground. Therefore, in the above example 30cm on paper = 30 x 100, which equals 3000cm. To convert centimetres to metres we divide by 100. This makes our 3000 cm equal to 30 m. USING A 1:50 SCALE Alternatively you might decide to draw at a scale of 1:50, because the size of your garden and the amount of detail suits this scale. This is suitable for smaller gardens. You could calculate the size of the drawing sheet needed by dividing the size of the garden by 50.

30cm


For example, let’s say your garden is 25 metres long. We know that in this drawing one centimetre on the paper will represent 50cm in the garden. Therefore if we divide 25 metres by 50 (25/50= 0.5), we can work out that the longest dimension on your page will be 0.5 metres, or in other words 50cm. You can double-check this, because you know that in this drawing 1 cm on the paper will represent 50cm in the garden. Therefore a 50cm line drawn on our page multiplied by a scale of 50 (50 * 50 = 2500) tells us that in the garden the line will represent 2500cm or in other words 25m. By looking at the range of paper sizes below we can see that we will need to use at least A2 size paper to fit in this length.

A0 – 84.1 x 118.9 cm A1 – 59.4 x 84.1 cm A2 - 42.0 x 59.4 cm A3 - 29.7 x 42.0 cm A4 - 21.0 x 29.7 cm

And if you’re using a PC whose printer is A4 sized, this scale will be too big. Choosing a scale may be a little tricky at first but it will soon become second nature. Try the following exercise for a bit of practice.

EXERCISE 4.1 My paper size is going to be A3. I want to draw my garden that measures 28m by 43m, at a scale of 1:100. Will it fit on the paper at this scale? You will find the answer at the end of the module.

25m


Once you’ve chosen a scale, everything you draw within the garden must be drawn to that scale. This keeps everything in proportion and allows for the plan to be read much more easily. DRAWING TO SCALE Drawing things to a scale is very easy once a scale has been decided upon. Say you have measured an existing shed, and found it to be 1.8m x 0.9m. And say you want to represent it at 1:50 on your drawing. All you have to do is divide the measurements by the scale, which in this case would be: 1.8 m/ 50 = 0.036m (multiply by 100 to give you centimetres) = 3.6cm 0.9m / 50 = 0.018m (multiply by 100 to give you centimetres) = 1.8cm

EXERCISE 4.2 Try this, to make sure you’ve got the hang of things. In real life, what size is the diameter of the circle, if it has been drawn at a scale of 1:50? 1. 30 cm? 2. 3 metres? 3. 30 metres? 6 cm You will find an answer at the end of the module.

OTHER DETAILS TO INCLUDE ON YOUR DRAWINGS In addition to the scale, all your drawings should have a key listing the following details:

Clients' details Drawing information


Reference number Your details Date A key of symbols (optional) Modifications (optional)

The following are suggested ways of laying them out, but have a go at a few ideas if you like and see what you come up with.

Designed by:

Date: D/M/Y

Scale: 1:100

Planting plan

Client:

Somewhere11 Hillside

Mr & Mrs Brown

A. designerThe design company1 Capability waySomewhere

Drawing:

Modifications:Ref: 245/9/00


Client:

Somewhere11 Hillside

Mr & Mrs Brown

Designed by: A. designerThe design company1 Capability waySomewhere

Modifications:Drawing:Date: D/M/Y

Scale: 1:100

Planting plan

Ref: 245/9/00

bbq

Barbeque

Water feature

Bench

Wheely bin

GENERAL RULES FOR DRAWING If a drawing is to be used to price up a job, it must be as unambiguous as possible and easy to read. Generally it is a good idea to try and keep to the following guidelines. Construction lines - Full solid lines. Hidden work - broken lines (Where paving runs under planting or a tree

it cannot be seen in plan view. Break lines - ruled lines with a short zigzag. Dimension lines - Usually thinner than construction lines. Dimensions

should be written parallel with the line or bisecting the line. All figures should be written so that they can be read from the bottom or right of the drawing. Also keep to one unit (i.e. cm, m or inch etc).


3027

23

55

doorWindow

Patio

When drawing large areas of the same type of surface, you don’t need to fill the entire area with the pattern, and sometimes it makes the drawing too cluttered. It is quite acceptable to leave some white space in the central areas, so long as the edges are well defined. The two areas below demonstrate how you can leave white space in the middle:

An area of lawn An area of paving. DRAWING TREES Drawing trees also has to be given some forethought as it might just so happen that there are items under the tree canopy that you wish to represent.

Hidden work Construction line

Dimension

Break lines


The following diagram shows a tree with a rather full canopy which is great on its own but will obscure items beneath it.

If there are important features beneath the canopy but you still need to demonstrate the extent of the canopy. It would be wiser to use the following type of symbol, which is far more open.

TOOLS FOR DRAWING If you find drawing a little daunting, there are some really useful tools around to get you started. The ‘bendy ruler' - This is a great tool for drawing those irregular

curves, and well worth getting hold of.


The compass - This is great for drawing circles and arcs. But if you’re drawing many circles of the same size you might find that a template is quicker.

Templates - These come in many shapes and sizes. The majority will

have different sized geometric shapes like circles, triangles, hexagons etc. but there are some specialist ones which may have plant symbols on them and other useful stuff. However these can be a little hard to find and with a little practice you will soon be creating your own symbols anyway.

USING A TEMPLATE

The following example will show you how to use a simple template effectively.

This will show you one way of representing a group of plants in a bed.

Step 1. Draw some circles lightly in pencil first. Draw one for each plant in the group.

Step 2. Draw a free-hand outline around the shape.


Step 3. Add some shading. Remember that a shadow will be cast only on one side of your group. This is usually the north facing side.

Step 4. Rub out the circles and there you have a very attractive group of shrubs, which can either be coloured or left as they are.

This process can be used to create many different shapes. Below is another one.


Or you can have something more formal, using the same principle but based on squares.

As you can see, most of the shapes that you will want to use in the garden are based upon geometric shapes that you will often find on a template.

Over the next few pages are some symbols that represent some everyday items that you will come across in people’s gardens. As you study them, notice how they are really only built up from simple shapes.

EXERCISE 4.3 Before moving on, have a go at drawing one or two symbols to represent some objects (such as a conifer, bench or pergola). Then compare them with the ones given over the next few pages. This will demonstrate to you just how many variations there are.

USING SYMBOLS TO REPRESENT ITEMS IN THE DESIGN The following symbols are designed to get you started. You might decide to use some you have seen here or start to design your own. As you can see from this selection, one symbol can be used for many different situations just by changing its colour or scale.


A planted container Overleaf are some shapes for plants and some suggested applications. The colours can be varied here to give an infinite variety of symbols.

Evergreen Evergreen and slightly formal

Evergreen and spiny or Deciduous or spiny pointed foliage


Conifer

Evergreen tree Same tree coloured

Climbing plant. Over the top of a pergola for instance.

A simple bench


A tree seat

A simple representation of patio furniture

A more complex pergola with a bench below


Washing line Wheelie bin

Hexagonal summerhouse

An octagonal paving feature. A little more advanced but still based on simple shapes.


A circular paving feature

Random paving

A raised bed with outline planting


A raised bed with specific planting

A simple bubble fountain type water feature

EXERCISE 4. 4 Mahonia 'Charity' is an evergreen spiny shrub, which grows to around 2.4 metres in diameter. Now that you have thought a little about different types of symbol, think of three symbols to represent this plant. The symbols must be different


from those we have already looked at so far, and also different from each other.

Once you have decided upon your symbols, state why you have chosen those shapes, and then draw each at 1:100, 1:50 and 1:75. Your symbols should represent the plant’s maximum size i.e. 2.4m in diameter. There is no set answer for this exercise.

USING COMPUTERS FOR DESIGN Pencil and paper are not the only method for drawing up garden designs today. And more designers are turning to computers to improve their presentation. Many designers like to get to grips with the design by using a pencil or graphite stick. It’s much more flexible than a computer, and you don’t need any technology to make it work. But for presenting drawings to a client, a computer can look more sophisticated and ‘real’, especially if it gives you a 3D view. Moreover, you can quickly make changes to your drawing. So in this section we’ll look at the ways in which a computer can be used to help with drawing. And we’ll consider the advantages and disadvantages of using one instead of the traditional pencil and paper. If you decide to use a computer to present your drawings, there are two options open to you when deciding what software to use. 1. GARDEN DESIGN PROGRAMS: Firstly, there are 'off the shelf' programs

specifically aimed at the 'garden designer'. And although they offer some very powerful tools, they’re restrictive in the way they allow you to design.

If you want to reproduce soft landscaping (planting), some of the features can be quite good. The plant representations are realistic, and some will offer you a guide as to what the garden will look like in five years or so as the plants grow into maturity. Also, the amount of shadow cast in the garden by larger shrubs can be demonstrated.

But the hard landscape features can be restrictive. For instance, you may


be able to represent an area of paving or walling in a very simple form. But if you are looking to represent curves or more intricate geometric patterns, you will start running into difficulties. Most offer in addition a plant database along with a maintenance schedule. However, some have been made for the American market, and therefore the plant database is somewhat offbeat for those outside the USA. Also as we’ll discover in the soft landscaping module, it’s no good using plants from a list that are not available locally. The best programs allow you to save in a standard file format (.dxf or ‘drawing exchange format’) or .dwg, which you can import and export from other professionals (for example architects). You may want to show a specific detail of the drawing in more detail, perhaps using a 1:50 scale. For this, the better programs allow you to draw a box around a part of the drawing, and create a drawing on a bigger scale. As the drawing is active, if you change the main drawing, the changes are also made on the viewport. VectorWorks Landmark is widely used by garden designers, but it costs around £1,000 . See: www.vectorworks.uk.com/vw/landmark.jsp

Less expensive garden design programs include Sierra's 3D Landscape Professional, and 3D Garden Designer Deluxe.

In conclusion, these packages are great for producing a rough 3D representation of a garden. But when it comes to adding your own details and producing good working drawings then there is still some ground to cover. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. So if you can get hold of a free demo version before you buy the full package, all the better.

2. CAD PROGRAM: CAD stands for ‘computer aided drawing’, so you

could argue that all garden design programs are CAD. But a general CAD system is one that offers the ability to draw anything from aircraft engines to a paving slab.

Their drawback is that they are harder to use. They are less oriented to the gardener, and they start with just a blank sheet. So unless you’re familiar with computer drawing, it’s best to avoid them in the short term.

There are many brands on the market, with AutoCAD being perhaps the best known. Go to www.autodesk.co.uk and navigate to AutoCAD. As with the 'off the shelf' products, good market research is worthwhile before you buy.


Some of the simpler packages just offer 2D drawing, while the more advanced packages will offer 3D as well, along with photo realistic colouring of objects (known as rendering). Some of the more specialised packages also offer a database facility, which keeps a record of materials used and cost incurred as you progress through the design.

Although these programs are general, they come with a standard set of 2D symbols to represent hard and soft landscape features (trees and bushes etc). If you don't like them, you can also draw your own.

The 3D facilities of these programs give you the power to create whatever shapes you want, but this means having to draw in 3D. For simple shapes it may be just a matter of adding another dimension to the object, but others are not always as straightforward.

Photo realistic colouring is worth looking at, as it allows you to use any image, from a scanner or a digital camera for instance, and colour the items in your design with it. This enables you, for example, to photograph a particular type of foliage that you are thinking of using in the garden, and colouring the plants in the design with it.

WHAT TYPE OF COMPUTER WILL YOU NEED?

If you’re doing any kind of drawing or photo manipulation, you will need a reasonably powerful computer.

As computers evolve, it would be silly to be too specific here. So the following are general comments that your computer supplier should be telling you if you want to run a CAD package efficiently.

SCREEN SIZE - The bigger the better! A 17" really is the smallest you should consider; even if price is an issue, save up some more. If you can, try and have a look at your chosen package in action on different sized screens (a quiet word with your local computer shop may yield some results).

HARD DRIVE - This is where all your drawings will be stored. As drawings are often on the large side when compared with word-processed documents for example, they occupy a large amount of storage space.

MAIN PROCESSOR AND RAM - You should ask your supplier for a fast computer, because it takes a lot of processing power to render drawings (put them on the screen). WHAT OTHER EQUIPMENT WILL YOU REQUIRE? There are a few other thing that you might consider purchasing to enhance


the capabilities of your system.

1. Printers - If you have a computer, the chances are that you will use it for writing letters and sending invoices. These would normally be printed off using an A4 printer. However for a little extra money you could purchase an A3 printer, which in addition to the letters could also be used to produce your garden designs at a reasonable scale. If you prefer a larger drawing, printers are available up to A1 and A0, but the cost is significantly higher.

2. Scanners - These are useful for 'scanning' an image from a photograph,

for instance, and then being able to manipulate a copy of that image on the computer. This is one way of building up a library of textures and colours to render your designs with.

3. Digital Cameras - As with the scanner, this can be used to build a library

of colours. It also has the advantage of allowing you to view pictures you have taken during a site visit as soon as you get home, instead of having to wait for them to be developed.

GENERAL ADVANTAGES OF DRAWING USING COMPUTERS Easy to redraw - If a client is unsure of parts of the design then it is easy

to modify parts of the design without having to redraw the whole design. No hand drawing skill needed. - As long as you are familiar with general

drawing techniques, the computer will ensure that everything is neat and tidy.

Re-using components - Once you have drawn a symbol, a bench or a

plant, you can save it and reuse it again and again, saving you valuable time.

Accurate: this is valuable for giving drawings to contractors. You can choose specific layers, such as ‘electrical’, and hide or show

those layers (for example, when handing drawings to a contractor). Greater communications capability – You can email drawings to your

clients with their designs or modifications. GENERAL DISADVANTAGES OF DRAWING USING COMPUTERS There is a high start up cost. Potential loss of your drawing - Computers sometimes 'crash'.

Sometimes this is more serious than others, but it can result in the loss of


many hours of work. The best way to avoid this problem is to save your work often, and back it up on a disc separate from your computer.

Additional training - As well as your design and basic drawing skills,

you will need to learn how to use the software packages to make them efficient and cost effective. Depending on your abilities you might try teaching yourself, but a course would undoubtedly have you up to speed more quickly. Plus you get to learn from somebody else's mistakes rather than your own!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON COMPUTERS VERSUS HAND DRAWING Designing with computers is not everyone's cup of tea and requires significant training to produce professional results. But then, so does drawing by hand. If you’re already established and set up for drawing by hand the costs involved with changing to computer design can be high. However if you’re starting out afresh, the option is certainly worth considering. We have yet to see anyone produce a drawing by hand that cannot be done on a computer, and vice versa!

NOW WATCH A VIDEO How to draw a garden plan to scale http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sstPyf_jms8

SUMMARY

1. You understand how a computer can be used for your garden design. If you have chosen to use a computer, you know what type of computer you require as well as other equipment you may require. You can also appreciate the pros and cons of using a computer.

2. You understand how to present your drawings and can successfully apply a variety of scales to your plans.

3. You realise there are general rules to drawing, and you can apply them to work of your own.

4. You can also apply a number of tools to your drawings, you understand the benefits of using templates and symbols in your design.


TODAY’S TASK Do a scale drawing of a garden, not your own. You should state the scale at which the drawing is done, and you should include symbols for the items in the garden. If you like, do a second version, showing how you might improve the design of the garden.


ANSWER TO EXERCISES EXERCISE 4.1 1cm on my page represents 100cm in the garden. Therefore if my garden is 28m long, my page needs to be (28m/100=0.28m) 28cm long. If my garden is 43 m wide, my paper needs to be (43m/100=0.43m) 43cm wide. Therefore in total my paper needs to be 28 * 43 cm. Unfortunately A3 sized paper is only 29.7 *42.0 cm, making it a little narrow. I should consider using a smaller scale (1:75 perhaps) or using a larger sheet of paper. EXERCISE 4.2 To find the answer, we multiply 6cm by 50, giving us 300cm, which is the same as 3 meters. So the answer is No.2.

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4. PUTTING YOUR DESIGN ON PAPER - inst.org · We know that in this drawing one centimetre on the paper will represent 50cm in the garden. Therefore if we divide 25 metres by 50 (25/50=