Orbis Naturalis

Transforming A Simple Base Plan With this class exercise, I wanted to colour in the components using Photoshop to try out the various paint effects. I particularly liked the splash ink brush effect which adds a personal hand-painted effect. The combination of formal and organic creates a dynamic composition held together by the hedge border and the positioning of the two pavilions. I still need to add annotations and think about the planting choices, like the pink flower bed and the trees but overall I really like the process of scanning in the traced designs. Final Design Original Base Plan Organic planting with Axial Positioning Axial Lines Formal Lighting At Night

Bucket Fill Tool in Photoshop Scanned black and white pen drawing and coloured in Photoshop with the bucket fill tool in under five minutes!  Response: Such a simple exercise but really adds impact to the drawing especially with the pop of orange and pink to offset the green tones. The drawing itself was a study of tree groups and their graphical representation featuring coniferous and deciduous trees and even a palm! The note that I learned through this technique is to make sure the drawing style has no gaps so when you go to bucket fill, it doesn't bleed over the edges. Overall, I will definitely be using this in future to quickly enhance my drawings and to demonstrate how a design can be coloured. 

 The Beauty of Cells Artist David Goodsell intricately paints cellular structure in watercolour to provide scientists with a better visual understanding of the molecular structure of cells.  I wanted to showcase some of my favourite works of his to share this inspiring art that combines beauty and science.  I discovered him during research for my Sustainable Technology module whilst looking for inspiration for my network of ponds that I'm designing for Barnwood Park, Gloucester. I came across NASA's most detailed 3D model of a cell that was created using AutoCAD from extensive x-rays. Explore the mesmerising galaxy of visual data and hover over the individual structures with your mouse via this link:  https://www.digizyme.com/cst_landscapes.html David Goodsell

 Creating A Basic SketchUp Model One way to draw an accurate perspective of a space is to create a basic model in which you can explore views from eye level. This example is just a simple exercise to demonstrate this process in action. From experience, I've found that the more practice you have with direct observation, from your eye level, the easier it is to imagine and design a new space and envision what it will look like to stand in said space. However, sometimes it can be hard to do this, and so by using Sketchup to quickly create the model, the perspective is calculated for you making the envisioning process pretty straightforward. Even by just using block shapes and simple outlines, spatially organises and defines the proportions accurately.  Axonometric of Sketchup Model Perspective 1 Perspective 2 Perspective 3 Quick sketches: Why are perspective drawings important? Without vision drawings, it is very difficult for someone to imagine what it will be like to stand in t...

 Contextual Colour Pt.2 This exercise explores colour in the landscape using the Pixelate filter tool in Photoshop. With the removal of excessive detail, the blocks of colour that make up the composition are revealed more clearly and you can define the general hue of a scene. In these examples, picked out from my travels around Cheltenham, the photos demonstrate the shift from an urban street context to the greener park settings that can be spotted in and around the town centre. The filter quickly and effectively shows the impact of planting and its ability to enhance a space with colour.  Starting with the front entrance of FCH is a stunning example of complementary planting, with the warm yellow-golden tones of the brick exterior merging with the greens and the pop of fuchsia pink with the flowers contrasts and compliments simultaneously. Note also the corten steel planters that also add warmth and depth. Overall, I think this is a successful design because it livens up the ...