Color Drawing - Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers

Digital Washes



Washes of color, whether uniform or gradient, can also be easily applied and
manipulated using Photoshop. These washes can range from completely
transparent to fully opaque. They can also range in size, covering very small
areas or the entire illustration.

The illustrations shown in this book use Photoshop in a simple and direct way.
Figures 3-7 and 3-8 show the menus, palettes, and selection and editing tools
that were used most frequently to create them.

Any hand drawing you create, be it a simple line drawing or one with color
already applied, may be colored or modified in Photoshop. The drawing must
first be scanned to transform the physical image into a digital image. A drawing
that ranges in size from letter to tabloid (8 ½” x 11” to 11”x 17”)—the size of
most of the drawings in this book—can be scanned at 150 dots per inch, or dpi.
This will create an easy-to-manipulate file size and a print of sufficient
resolution. Drawings that are intended to be wall-mounted and presented in
meetings, at sizes between 24” x 36” to 36” x 42”, should be scanned at between
220 dpi and 300 dpi.

Fig. 3-7 Shown here are the document window, toolbox, menu bar, and
palettes most frequently used for color drawing in Photoshop.

Fig. 3-8 The tools in the Photoshop toolbox most frequently used for color
drawing.

You will find using a pen tablet much easier than using a mouse when
working in Photoshop for prolonged periods (3-9). Not only is it more
comfortable, it allows you to make more precise hand-drawn movements more
facilely as well. It also affords pressure-sensitive control when using the Pencil
Tool and the Brush Tool, which has an airbrush capability.

The Paint Bucket Tool


Figures 3-10 through 3-17 show various ways an even wash of color can be
applied using Photoshop. Figure 3-10 demonstrates how a color can be sampled
from one image for use in another. The Paint Bucket Tool is used to apply the
color. You can control the amount of opacity and transparency of the color by
using the Opacity slider, shown in figure 3-12. If the blending mode of the layer

is set to “Multiply,” the entire layer becomes transparent, allowing the detail of
the line drawing to show through the color layer (3-13). This creates a result
very similar to that created by the use of transparent hand media such as
markers, or by applying color to the back of a line drawing on tracing paper (3-
55 and 3-56).

Fig. 3-9 Wacom’s “Intuos3” 9” x 12” pen tablet (Courtesy:Wacom
Technology Corporation)



Fig. 3-10 These drawings were scanned and opened in Photoshop. The roof
color of the eye-level view of this duplex is shown being sampled to create
the same color for the roof of the bird’s eye view. When the EyedropperTool
is selected from the toolbox and used to click on the roof color, it
immediately shows up in the Foreground color swatch in the Color Picker.
By clicking on the Foreground color swatch, the entire Color Picker opens,
showing where in the color field the selected color is located. You can modify
the color here if you wish—this is just one of many ways the color can be
modified.

Fig. 3-11 Next, a new layer is created, called “roof color.” A destination area
for the color is selected using the Polygonal Lasso Selection Tool, which
limits the area the color can spread to the shape selected. The Paint Bucket
Tool is then used to apply the color—the Foreground color showing in the
Color Picker. Since the layer’s blending mode is set to “Normal” and the
opacity at 100%, the resultant color in the selected area is fully opaque.

Fig. 3-12 You can increase the transparency of the layer (or reduce its
opacity) by clicking on the button to the right of the Opacity Percentage field
to expose and manipulate the Opacity slider.You can also select and change
the percentage number in the window to produce the same effect. When the
opacity is reduced, the color becomes fainter and more background color
shows through the applied color—in this case, white.

Fig. 3-13 Another way to make the color layer transparent is to select
“Multiply” from the drop-down menu after clicking on the blending mode
button. This makes the active layer—in this case, the “roof color” layer—
transparent, without reducing its color density. Of course, you can still
further adjust the amount of color showing by using the Opacity slider.

The Gradient Tool


Large graded washes of color are easily made in Photoshop using the Gradient
Tool. This tool can help you create simple gradients, such as one that transitions
from a single color to transparency, or from one color to another. It also allows
you to create gradients that transition through multiple colors.

Creating gradients over large areas, such as backgrounds and skies, may be
easier to accomplish digitally than by hand, depending on the medium and the
task. However, avoid the trap of trying to create gradients on many small areas
of a drawing. They can be quite time consuming to handle digitally and are
easier and faster to make by hand.

Figures 3-14 through 3-17 show how to use the Gradient Tool to create a
graded wash of color across a sky. The Gradient Editor, accessed through the
options bar, is used to manipulate the character and color of the gradient.

Fig. 3-14 A color gradient is begun by first determining which colors you
want to use. Click on the Foreground color field in the toolbox.The Color
Picker will open. You can select the hue from the vertical slider, then adjust
the color in the color field. Or, you can use the Eyedropper Tool to select a
color from a photograph or other image that is also open in Photoshop.
Click on the Background color field and repeat the process.



Fig. 3-15 In the Layers Palette, a new layer called “sky” was created so the
sky could be independently adjusted later, after other colors were applied to
the illustration. The sky area was then selected. In this example, the
Rectangular Marquee Selection Tool was used to select the entire sky area,
then the forms of building and mountains were subtracted from it using the
Polygonal Lasso Selection Tool and the Rectangular Marquee Selection Tool.

After the Gradient Tool is selected, its Options Bar opens (top). The blue
arrow button beside the Gradient swatch was clicked to access the
Foreground to Background button in the Presets drop-down menu. In
addition, the linear gradient was specified from the black-and-white

Gradient Geometry buttons.
Using the pen tablet (or mouse), the Gradient Tool was placed in the lower

right of the selected area, clicked and dragged to the upper left, and
released. The gradient filled in instantly.

Fig. 3-16 You can adjust the way the gradient transitions from one color to
another. By clicking on the Gradient swatch in the Options Bar, the Gradient
Editor will open. Note that the same Presets menu becomes available at the
top.

At the lower part of the Gradient Editor, there are sliders at the top and
the bottom of the gradient bar. The bottom sliders control the colors of the
gradient, while the top sliders control the transparency of those colors.
Click on either of the bottom sliders, called color stops, and a color midpoint
control will appear. You can control the amount of either color showing in
the gradient by moving the slider. In this example, the color midpoint was
moved to the left, setting the gradient to 25% of the yellow red, leaving the
sky 75% purple blue.

To modify the gradient, the sky was reselected (the selection had been
saved) and the Gradient Tool was once again clicked and dragged from
lower right to upper left. Once released, the revised gradient was applied.

Fig. 3-17 Using the Gradient Editor, you can create a gradient that
transitions between more than two colors.

In the example shown here, a click just below the gradient bar adds a
color stop. Note that there are now two color midpoint controls available.
Then, a click on the now-activated color bar opens the Color Picker. A hue
in the red-purple range is selected on the vertical hue slider. On a color

wheel, this hue is roughly between the yellow-red and purple-blue hues
already in use in this example, ensuring a visually logical and smooth
transition between these analogous hues. In the color field of the Color
Picker, a weaker-chroma red purple is selected, so the sky does not become
too intense.

Once the middle color is selected, the OK buttons on the Color Picker and
Gradient Editor were clicked. The sky was again reselected, and the Gradient
Tool dragged from lower right to upper left. When released, the three-color
gradient was created.



Ways to Modify Colors by Hand


Design ideation is an iterative process. In most cases, you will find that once

an idea initially bursts forth onto paper, you instantly begin a dialog with
yourself: Move this here, shift that to there, add this, delete that. All those
thoughts and feelings happen at lightning speed, without words and almost
beneath notice.

Color is one of the elements in early design illustrations you will most
certainly want to adjust easily. You will want to “massage” it, shift its
dimensions, sometimes only slightly and at other times more significantly as
your design effort progresses.

Any combination of color media, whether similar—such as pencil over pencil
—or differing—such as pastel over marker, is legitimate for the purposes of
color mixing and adjustment as long as the media are compatible. When you
attempt to modify a color, you will achieve the best results when you use another
color to do so. Extensive use of a neutral color (gray, black, or white) applied
over chromatic colors to modify them can make your drawing dull or muddy.

Fig.3-18 A Deco Blue pencil (a Munsell blue, top left) is applied over a Pale
Cherry marker (a Munsell yellow red, bottom left). Because the colors are
complements, the result is the gray shown on the right.

Keep in mind that, in general, when two colors are mixed, the resulting color
will be somewhere between the two. An exception to this precept applies to
markers. Because marker applications are transparent, the darker markers will
predominate and overwhelm lighter markers. But with most media, including
markers of similar value, the rule of thumb holds. If, for example, a light red
pencil is applied over a dark blue marker, the resulting color will be a medium-
value purple. If a color pencil with a blue-green hue, such as Deco Aqua, is
applied as a wash over a pencil color (of similar value) that is green-yellowish in
hue, such as Yellow Chartreuse, the resultant color will be somewhere between
the two, in the green hue range.

The further away the two colors are from each other on the color wheel, the
more grayish the resultant hue. Refer to the color wheel in figure 1-18. If a Deco
Blue pencil (a blue hue) is used to draw over its visual complement, a yellow-red
hue made with a Pale Cherry marker, the result will yield a gray. This gray is a
livelier, more interesting gray than a perfectly neutral gray, however, and much
better suited for the purposes of color design drawing (3-18).

Although pencils and pastels can and should be blended with themselves to
create more interesting colors, some less common combinations of color
drawing media can also yield rich, though subtle, colors. Such combinations are
discussed and illustrated in the following paragraphs.

Marker over Marker


The best way to begin a color illustration that requires marker is to apply a
marker base color that most closely approaches the color you intend. If you want
to modify it—adjust its hue, value, or chroma—you can do so by applying other
marker colors, pastel, and/or color pencil over the original marker color (3-19
through 3-22). If your marker colors tend to “bleed” past their intended
boundary, see figure 3-20 for ways to control them. Markers tend to bleed more
on less dense papers, such as bond and diazo prints. This happens particularly
when the markers are new, owing to an excess of the alcohol or xylene carrier.
This problem will self-correct as you use your markers.

Fig. 3-19 Markers can be applied over other markers to create new colors.
One of the most common uses of marker blends is to reduce the chroma of
the underlying color. This can be done by using complementary marker
colors. In example (a), a Willow Green marker is applied over a Burnt

Sienna marker. Another way to achieve similar results is simply to apply a
gray marker over the first color. In example (b), a Warm Grey #3 marker is
applied over the Burnt Sienna.



Fig. 3-20 Marker that “bleeds” past an edge can be controlled by gently
blowing on the marker tip as you apply it near the edge (a). This accelerates
the evaporation of the carrier solvent and reduces the spread of the dye.

If bleeding has already occurred, the edges of the marker colors can be
“trimmed” with color pencils that are similar in color to the markers (b).
The semiopaque pencils will cover the bleeding fairly well. In the example
here, Cloud Blue pencil is applied with a straightedge where the Sapphire
Blue marker meets the Flesh marker, and Light Peach pencil is used to
cover areas where the Sapphire Blue has bled into the Flesh.

Pastel over Marker


Pastel can be applied over marker quite effectively. The resultant color is a
visual mixture of the underlying marker color and the coating of pastel. The
more pastel you apply, of course, the more the resultant color will shift toward
that of the pastel (3-21 ).

Fig. 3-21 Pastel smooths the streaked appearance of the marker base as it
also shifts the dimensions of its color. In (a), a near-complementary
Permanent Green Deep 619.9 is applied over Flesh marker, resulting in a
grayish green. As more pastel is wiped from atop the marker, the more the
marker will show through.

Marker colors can be tinted with pastel. In (b), White pastel has been
applied over the Light Ivy marker on the curved fascia to the right.

Pastel can be used to “bring up” color from gray, as in (c), where Raw
Sienna 234.9 pastel is applied over the graded wash of Warm Grey markers
shown in figure 3-6a.

Pencil over Marker and Pastel


Color pencil works well over marker and pastel. It not only can shift the
dimensions of the marker color, it can add texture while doing so (3-22). This is
a benefit particularly in illustrating materials, as you will see in Chapter 4.

Fig. 3-22 Color pencil over marker can simultaneously shift the color of the
marker as it creates texture and pattern. Figure 3-11 (a) shows Celadon

Green pencil applied over Mauve marker. These near complements result in
a lively gray. In (b) a graded wash of color pencil, from Light Peach to Terra
Cotta, is applied over French Grey 30% Prismacolor marker. Although the
grain of the paper causes the pencil to produce a texture, the underlying
gray marker diminishes the impact of this texture. In (c) Light Peach pencil
is used to apply the grain pattern to a beam initially colored with a Kraft
Brown marker. White pencil is used over the pastel and Warm Grey marker
in (d) to draw the grout joints of the tile floor.

Ways to Modify Colors Digitally


Once your drawings are in the form of digital files, whether these originate

with a digital original from an illustration program or a scan of a hand-drawn
original, you can use Photoshop to modify them in many different ways. To
make these modifications, the Adjustment commands are used. These commands
allow you to revise specific colors, change the brightness and contrast of an
image, or confine your changes to the dark, middle, or light values of a drawing.

These commands are found under the Image menu on the menu bar at the top
of the program window. Found in the Adjustments submenu (Image >
Adjustments), the five most frequently used adjustments for color drawing are,
in descending order, Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation, Color Balance,
Levels, and Replace Color (3-23).

Fig. 3-23 These are the Photoshop color adjustments most frequently used
for color drawing. Adjustment layers can be created to modify the color of
your image without changing the image itself.

Perhaps you made modifications to a drawing using the Adjustment
commands, then saved and closed the drawing. Some time later, you open the
drawing, evaluate it, and regret the adjustments you made earlier. You go to the
History Palette in order to go back a few steps to reverse your actions. To your
dismay, the History Palette has no record of your previous steps, since it clears
each time you save and close an image: the modifications are permanent. To
reverse your steps, you must go to the trouble of recreating and revising your
previous modifications.

A better way to modify your color drawings in Photoshop is to use adjustment
layers. An adjustment layer does not permanently change your drawing. Instead,
it gives instructions to the pixels that comprise the image on the layer beneath it.
Best of all, when you reopen a drawing, you can easily revise or eliminate the
modifications you made previously. You can even have multiple adjustment
layers that modify different characteristics of the same drawing.

You can create adjustment layers for four of the five adjustments most

frequently used in color drawing: brightness/contrast, hue/saturation, color
balance, and levels. An adjustment layer cannot be made for the Replace Color
adjustment. The action cannot be revised; it must be redone.

To create an adjustment layer, select New Adjustment Layer from the Layer
menu on the menu bar (Layer > New Adjustment Layer), then select the kind of
adjustment you want to make. Or, at the bottom of the Layers Palette, click on
the half-white, half-black circle icon (3-7), then select the kind of adjustment
layer you want from the drop-down menu. Once you have created an adjustment
layer, you can revise a modification by double-clicking on the adjustment layer
icon for the appropriate adjustment layer in the Layers Palette (circled in 3-33).
The Adjustment command will appear, and its sliders can be repositioned.

Brightness/Contrast


The simple Brightness/Contrast adjustment (3-24) is one of the most useful and
powerful of all the Photoshop adjustments for color drawing. You can adjust the
value and contrast of all or selected parts of a drawing, arranging and
rearranging them to create an image with more impact and focus than perhaps
you had first created (3-25, 3-26). Note that this adjustment can obliterate detail
in a drawing if the sliders are moved too far in either direction. (See also Chapter
7.)
Fig. 3-24 Use the sliders to adjust the brightness and contrast of an image.
You can click the Preview button to compare the image before and after the
adjustment.




Fig. 3-25 This hand-drawn study for an atrium of an interior botanical
garden focuses less on its subject than it could. It scatters the viewer’s
attention by including a number of elements that distract from the atrium

itself: the figures to the left, the woman with the white bag, and the white
flowers.



Fig. 3-26 Since the purpose of the drawing is to showcase the character of
the atrium idea, the foreground was used to further “set off” the atrium.
First, the openings into the atrium were selected and the inverse of that
selection was saved (Select > Inverse, then Select > Save Selection > name
the selection). Everything was selected and saved except what could be seen
through the openings.

Next, an adjustment layer was created by clicking on the half-black, half-
white circle icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette. In the drop-down menu
that appeared, the Brightness/ Contrast adjustment was selected. The
brightness and contrast adjustments were moved to the left, darkening the
foreground and reducing its contrast, respectively.

The Eraser Tool was then selected, a 65-pixel brush chosen, and the Flow
set at 15%. The Eraser Tool was then used to subtly erase some of the
adjustment layer behind the bench shadow, making the floor lighter to
account for the light from the skylight illuminating the floor.

Because the foreground figures were on independent layers, they could be
further darkened and reduced in contrast. Since they were photographic
images, they were also roughened using the Filter menu (Filter > Dry Brush;
Brush Size = 0, Brush Detail = 0, Texture = 2) to give them a character more

like that of the drawing.
By darkening and reducing the contrast of the foreground, the atrium

becomes the focus of the drawing.



Hue/Saturation


The Hue/Saturation adjustment gives you control over the hues, values (using
the Lightness slider), and chromas (using the Saturation slider) of the colors in
an image or its selected areas (3-27). To simultaneously adjust all the colors in
an image or a selected part of that image, keep the Edit button set on “Master.”

By clicking the Edit button, a drop-down menu also provides you the
opportunity to adjust any of the six color groups in an image independently.
When you click on a particular color group—“Reds” in this example—note that
sliders appear between the color strips at the bottom of the adjustment control
box. By moving the rectangular sliders, you can enlarge or shrink the range of
the color group you are adjusting. You can also control the transition between the
changed and unchanged colors by moving the triangular sliders (3-28 through 3-
30).

The Hue/Saturation adjustment can also be used to add simple color tints, as
shown in figures 3-31 through 3-33.

Fig. 3-27 The Hue/Saturation adjustment command displays the Color
Group drop-down menu when the Edit button is clicked. When a color
group within the menu is clicked, sliders at the bottom appear, allowing you
to control the color group’s range and transition. The Colorize button can be
clicked to add monochromatic color to black-and-white images or selections
within an image that resist being colored when attempting to use only the
sliders.




Fig. 3-28 This is one of a series of color studies for the facade of a midrise,
mixed-use building built in the early 1960s. It shows an analogous hue
scheme as a gradient that transitions horizontally from yellow red to green
yellow.

It was decided that the chroma of the green-yellow side of the scheme, on
the left, should be more like that of the yellow red on the opposite side. To
do this, the entire part of the facade with the color panels was first selected
with the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Next, an adjustment layer was created
(Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/ Saturation ... > name the layer >
OK).

Fig. 3-29 The Edit button was clicked after the Hue/Saturation adjustment
control appeared. Since the green yellows are in the yellow family, the
“Yellow” group was selected from the drop-down menu. As soon as the
“Yellow” group was selected, the eyedroppers and sliders at the bottom of
the adjustment box were activated. The eyedropper on the left was used to
sample the existing green-yellow panel color from the drawing. As the color
was sampled, the sliders centered on its hue location.

The Saturation slider was moved to the right, and the entire selected area
increased in chroma. The cursor was then centered between the two
rectangular sliders. By clicking and dragging, all the sliders were moved
together toward the greener side of the yellow-to-green gradient until only
the green was stronger in chroma. By adjusting these sliders, along with the
Saturation slider, the green side of the study was adjusted to about the same
chroma as the existing yellow side.

Fig. 3-30 The facade color study, after the chroma of the green side of the
scheme was strengthened.



Fig. 3-31 The Hue/Saturation adjustment can also be used to add areas of
simple color tints, much like a watercolor wash. This study for a small
church was drawn with Black pencil and .5 mm pencil with a 2H lead. It
was scanned and opened in Photoshop. Shadows were added as a layer, with
the layer’s blending mode set to “Multiply.” This enabled them to be made
transparent. A background and sky was added as another layer, using a

digital photograph taken from the proposed site. Once compiled, the image
was flattened, then desaturated (Image > Adjustments > Desaturate),
making it a uniform grayscale image.

A single selection was made that encompassed the building and
foreground. The treetops were added to the selection by holding down the
Shift key and using the Magic Wand (its tolerance adjustment in the options
bar was set at 32). The selection was then saved.



Fig. 3-32 Once the selection was saved, a new hue/saturation adjustment
layer was created. The sliders were adjusted to give a subtle yellow-red tint
to the foreground. (If you try this and get no color, click on the Colorize
button.) Once the foreground color was added, the selection was again
loaded (Select > Load Selection ... > selection name), then inverted (Select >
Invert). A second hue/saturation adjustment layer was created. This time,
the sliders were manipulated to create a subtle purple-blue tint that was
darkened, enabling it to contrast in both hue and value with the foreground.
This was an easy way to both create the effect of morning light and make
the building slightly more dominant in the composition. Note that care was
taken not to allow the newly added color to become too saturated,
maintaining the delicacy of a watercolor wash.

Fig. 3-33 This Layers Palette for figure 3-32 shows its two hue/saturation
adjustment layers, one for the foreground and one for the background.
These layers can be readjusted in the future by clicking on the half-black,
half-white icon (circled). The Hue/Saturation adjustment control will appear
with its current settings displayed. You can also delete or turn off
adjustment layers (click on the eye icon, left), which will take the adjusted
part of the drawing back to its original state.

Color Balance


The Color Balance adjustment (3-36) can be used to change the general color
cast of the light (“Highlights”), medium (“Midtones”), and dark (“Shadows”)
colors in an image independently (3-34, 3-35). Thus, if an image or some of its
parts seems to have too much of a particular color, the sliders can be moved in
the direction opposite to that color. For example, if an image has too much red,
the Red/Cyan slider is moved toward the cyan end of the spectrum. Additionally,
you may wish to experiment with moving the Magenta/Green slider toward the
green end of the spectrum to see if that also helps the problem.

When checked, the Preserve Luminosity check box ensures that the
relationships between the darkest and lightest values in the image are maintained
as color balance adjustments are made. Experiment with your image to see if it
looks better with this option enabled.

Fig. 3-34 This is a hand-drawn study of a small café (curved in plan) for a
proposed university technical education building. Once scanned, the
drawing’s hue appeared too cool; the intention for the space’s character had
been warm and nontechnical, with wood finishes and incandescent lighting
color temperatures.

Figs. 3-35, 3-36 To fix the problem, a color balance adjustment layer was
created (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance ... > name the
layer > OK).

First, the Highlights button was chosen in the Color Balance adjustment
control.The bottom slider was moved to add more yellow, and the top slider
moved to add more red to the lightest values in the drawing. Next, the
Shadows button was chosen and the sliders were again moved to add more
yellow and red, this time to the darkest values in the drawing (fig. 3-36).
However, when the same was done after the Midtones button was chosen,
the drawing started to have the opposite problem—it became overly warm
in character. Therefore, the sliders for the midtone values were moved to
add more blue and cyan. While the drawing still appeared warmer, this
balanced the color cast of the image.

After the color balance adjustments were made, the drawing needed some
areas of complementary color to give it more hue balance. The distant

window wall and the illuminated display cases were selected with the
Polygonal Lasso Selection Tool and a second color balance adjustment layer
was created. This time, the sliders were moved to add more cyan, green, and
blue to emphasize the cool “glass” color of the cases and case lighting, as
well as the cooler outdoor light of dusk seen through the window wall.

In addition, the back bar wall and the blue accent lights along the soffit
were selected and a hue/saturation adjustment layer was created. The
saturation and lightness of these elements were increased to help them
appear more luminous and to make the bar area the focal point of the
drawing.



Fig. 3-36 Shown here are the Color Balance slider settings for the dark
values in figure 3-35.

Replace Color


The Replace Color adjustment lets you sample a color in a drawing and change
the hue, value, and chroma of all similar colors in that drawing or its selected
areas (3-37 through 3-40). The extent of the change can range anywhere from a
slight adjustment to replacing the sampled color with a completely new color.
The Fuzziness slider allows you to control the amount of transition between
changed and unchanged areas of color.

While the Replace Color adjustment can save you the time of carefully
selecting each area of similar color that you want to change, its effectiveness on
scanned color drawings can sometimes be spotty. The adjustment may not
change the intended colors completely; the fuzziness controls may include colors
you do not want to change. However, the rough quality of the color changes
afforded by the Replace Color adjustment may not only be sufficient, but a better
fit with the character of a hand-drawn illustration.

Remember that the Replace Color adjustment is the only one of the five
Adjustment commands discussed in this book that is not available as an
adjustment layer. Once Replace Color adjustments are made, you have less
ability to easily reverse the changes after the file is saved and reopened.

Fig. 3-37 This is a partial close-up view of a restaurant interior illustration
created in Form·Z. The image was plotted, then color pencil was used to
adjust the image. After it was rescanned, the chair seats were changed from
blue to red. (Illustration: Grady Huff)

Fig. 3-38 The Elliptical Marquee Tool was used to quickly target the seats
that were changing color. These selections limit the influence the Replace
Color adjustment can have in the image, but are faster than selecting the
complex shapes more precisely with the Polygonal Lasso Tool.



Fig. 3-39 The eyedropper on the left was used to sample the color of a
typical blue seat. Here, the second seat from the right was sampled.When it
was clicked on with the eyedropper, its color immediately appeared in the

Sample box. The Hue, Saturation, and Lightness sliders were then moved to
achieve the desired red. The Fuzziness slider was adjusted until only the seat
color remained—and nothing else changed—inside the selected areas.



Fig. 3-40 The illustration after the Color Replace adjustment was used. Note
that the replacement was not 100% effective, as certain pixel groups resisted
replacement in the second seat from the left. This can happen with the Color
Replace adjustment, especially with the less uniform, more fractured color
of scanned color drawings, in which similar pixel groupings are not
contiguous. However, the Color Replace adjustment is still a valuable tool—
especially given how quickly the adjustment can be made—and using this
“approximate” replacement on scanned drawings with a rougher, more
spontaneous character will not usually detract from the drawing. If the
replacement color does not reach certain critical areas, these areas may be
“touched up” with the Pencil Tool or Brush Tool.

Levels


The Levels adjustment is unique in its ability to correct the tonal range of an
image. You can give an image that appears washed out or too dark a full range of
values, from black blacks to white whites (3-41 through 3-43). The Input Levels
sliders allow you to adjust the light, middle, and dark values of the drawing—or
selected areas of it—independently from one another.

When you open the Levels command, you will see a graph called a histogram.
The histogram is a map of the value range of your drawing divided into 256
levels, ranging from pure black at level 0 on the left to pure white at level 255 on
the right. The vertical range shows how many pixels are at each value. The
histogram on the left in figure 3-43 is for all the colors in the drawing in figure
3-41. The values of most of the pixels in the image are below midrange, with no
pure blacks, since the histogram is flat at the darkest end. There are some spikes
in the histogram at the light end, which represent the two illuminated pyramidal
lights and the car’s headlights. When you click on the Channel button, you can

also access Levels controls for each of the color groups that comprise the image
(3-43, right).

When the sliders for the Input Levels are adjusted, as figure 3-42 shows, the
tonal range of the drawing can be made more complete, resulting in a more
dramatic, vivid drawing.

Fig. 3-41 The line work for this study of a project entry was hand drawn,
using .5 mm (with 2H lead) and Black pencils. The drawing was scanned
and added as a Photoshop layer over a photograph of the proposed site of
the entry.

The background image’s contrast was drastically reduced (Image>
Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast...) and color was added to both the
foreground and background as additional layers so the colors of each could
be adjusted independently. The colors that appear transparent were added
in layers whose blending mode was set to “Multiply.” The type for the sign
was created in Adobe Illustrator and imported into the image as a layer.
When finished, a copy of the illustration was flattened and saved.



Fig. 3-42 Sometimes, when you revisit an illustration and view it with a
fresh eye, it may seem somewhat hazy and lack adequate “punch.” The
Levels adjustment may fix the problem.

A new levels adjustment layer was created (Layer > New Adjustment
Layer > Levels ... ) which brought up the histogram with the sliders seen on
the left in figure 3-43. The left slider was moved toward the right,
approaching the base of the histogram. This darkened the image slightly,
increased its contrast, and subtly enriched its color. Likewise, the right
slider was moved toward the left, to keep the image from getting too dark.
In addition, the Channel button was clicked, accessing the histograms of
each of the individual color groups that combine to give the illustration its
particular color. “Magenta” was selected in order to redden the image
slightly. The left slider was moved slightly to the right, giving it a greater
postsunset, reddish-purple cast.



Fig. 3-43 While adjusting the Levels adjustment on the left, all the colors in
figure 3-41 changed, since the channel setting was “CMYK.” The Levels
adjustment on the right adjusted only the magenta hue in the image.

IMPRESSIONS OF MATERIALS



Many newcomers to color design drawing often feel overwhelmed when they
attempt to create an illustration that shows a variety of different materials. This
happens because they assume that each material must be illustrated in time-
consuming detail to adequately communicate its character. But this is to confuse
design illustration with photography.

Most of us have gained much of our impressions of the world through the
photographic image—imagery whose every part is usually in sharp focus. It
should come as no surprise, then, that beginning designers assume they must
replicate a similar level of detail to communicate their ideas. However, this is not
how we see.

Look up from this page and focus on something in your field of vision—near
or far. Without moving your eyes from this object, notice that you perceive
everything surrounding it in much less detail. In fact, as you fix your eyes
forward, the very edges of your field of view are so indistinct that they are
simply colorless blobs of light and dark. The average content of your field of
view is far more impressionistic than a photograph.

One of your jobs in the early stages of the design process is to utilize the
language of illustration to quickly assemble the many decisions about the form,
space, proportion, scale, and character of a project into pictures—usually called
studies or sketches—for feedback to yourself and review by others. Some of

these pictures can be adequately communicated through line drawings. However,
it is the visual communication of the additional information about the character
of the space—color, light, materials, pattern, texture, and furnishings—that
transforms a space into a place.

Because much of the way you see is impressionistic, your illustrations of
previews of your ideas about places can be likewise impressionistic without
seeming inappropriate. These impressions of materials can also be created far
more quickly than detailed illustrations (3-44). Attempt to create impressions of
materials that are easily understood by an untrained viewer.

Chapter 4 offers time-efficient approaches to illustrating a wide variety of
materials commonly used by architects, landscape architects, and interior
designers. Experiment with these approaches until you find those that work best
for you.

Fig. 3-44 Impressions of materials almost always begin with a line drawing
to guide the color application. These line drawings can be quick and loose,
because the color will more clearly define the images.

An impression of the stone in (a) has been drawn in (b) by rapidly mixing
Sand, Kraft Brown, Willow Green, Flesh, and French Grey 30% markers.
Light Peach, Yellow Ochre, Celadon Green, and French Grey 30% pencils

were loosely washed over the marker. The shadow between the stones was
applied last, with Black marker, to complete the illustration.

The fabric in (c) has been approximated in (d) by first drawing the diffuse
shadows with Cool Grey #1, #3, and #5 markers. The entire fabric surface
was then washed with the lighter Sapphire Blue marker and the design
approximated by delineating the negative spaces with a darker Ice Blue
marker. Celadon Green and Jasmine pencils were used to add the colored
stripes, and Cool Grey 70% pencil delineated the thin stripes. The shadows
were softened further with Indigo Blue pencil, and the darker parts were
washed lightly with the side of the Cool Grey 70% pencil.



CREATING THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT

In addition to creating successful impressions of materials, a designer can
further communicate the character of proposed places by cultivating skills in the
illustration of the effects of light. This is also the most convincing means of
revealing the intended forms and spaces to the viewer of an illustration.

This book assumes that you understand the basics of how to illustrate and
“cast” typical exterior and interior shade and shadow. This is a critical (but easily
learned) skill for all designers of places, because a thorough understanding of
how light works on forms and in spaces will, ultimately, influence your design
decisions. As mentioned in Chapter 1, much can be learned about the behavior
of light on forms and in spaces by carefully observing the world around you.
Review figures 1-3 and 1-4 to refresh your memory about the basics of shade
and shadow.

There are two important qualities you should understand about shade and
shadow before you attempt to illustrate them in color. First, the shade and
shadow should appear transparent (as opposed to “applied”), and, second, the
distinctness of the edges of the shadows should be appropriate to the lighting
conditions.

In drawings of exterior views, shadows usually have distinct edges, inasmuch
as a sunlit condition is typically illustrated. In fact, the contrast at these edges
can be intensified through the use of gradations of value. This is known as
“forcing the shadow.” Shadows in interior settings are often caused by diffused
or indirect sources of light and have indistinct edges. Indistinct shadows can also
be caused by reflected light from “secondary” light sources, such as sunlight
reflected from a wall. Interior shadows are generally more subtle and have less
contrast with their neighboring illuminated surfaces than exterior shadows.
Interior objects often have multiple shadows, as interiors usually have multiple
sources of light. Notice, too, that interior shadows appear to gradate in value
more than exterior shadows, appearing darker at the base of the casting object
and becoming lighter as they progress away from the object. Make studies of
interior shadows, using the color media described in this book, to build your
skills in illustrating interior shadows. Do not be discouraged at their apparent
complexity. In your interior design illustrations, placing interior shadows, not too
dark, in approximately the right locations, will in most cases be sufficient to
“anchor” the shadowed objects to the page and help communicate your design
ideas (3-45).

Surfaces in shade and shadow will appear transparent if they are of a value
appropriate to the sunlit portion of the same surface. That is, shades and shadows

on light-value surfaces will be lighter than those on dark surfaces (see also figure
1-7). In addition, the textures and patterns that appear on the sunlit parts of a
surface should be continued into the shaded and shadowed portions of the
surface. If the patterns and textures are not continued, these portions of the
surface appear obscure and muddy, as if painted with black or gray paint (3-46).

Fig. 3-45 A typical interior shadow.

Fig. 3-46 The basics of exterior illumination and color are explained in
terms of typical errors (a) and corresponding recommendations (b). WHAT
NOT TO DO:



Lighting Situations



There are a variety of lighting situations that can be created easily with the
media and papers shown in this book, including exterior daylight (3-47), interior
light (3-48), dusk—or dawn—light (3-49), and nighttime light (3-50). The
approaches to illustrating these kinds of lighting situation are explained in detail
in Chapters 4 and 7.

Fig. 3-47 This illustration was used to show a new highway alignment and
its planting program, as well as a water-retention study (foreground), in
their context within the host district of a city.

The distinct shadow edges, the agreement of the shadows’ directions, and
the length of the shadows all provide clues to the direction of light and time
of day. To focus the viewer’s eye on the foreground—where the proposed
design changes occur—that is where the contrast of the shadows is strongest
and the light color the warmest. The shadows of the tops of the buildings on
the ground are less apparent, as they are broken up by ground clutter and
are more diffuse because they are farther away from the casting edges and
washed out by ambient sky light.

The illustration was made by making a line drawing on tracing paper
placed over a printout of an aerial photograph, using a Black pencil and a .5
mm pencil with 2H lead. The proposed design changes were drawn in the
foreground; the farther into the distance the drawing receded, the less
linework was added. The drawing was scanned and added as a Photoshop
layer over a desaturated image of the aerial photograph (image >
Adjustments > Desaturate). The blending mode of the line drawing layer
was set to “Multiply.” Another layer was created, also set to “Multiply,” and
transparent shadows were added at the major buildings. A transparent
warm-cool color gradient was added to the entire image on a final layer.

The image was plotted at about 16” x 16”, and more detailed color
(individual buildings, water, trees) was added with color pencil. The image
was then rescanned and the highlights-lights, water spray and rings, and car
colors-were added using an accent layer.

Fig. 3-48 Both the diffuse shadows and the illuminated surfaces in this
interior study grade in value. In fact, nearly every surface in an interior
grades in value, usually in response to multiple sources of illumination. Note
how the figures and storefront mullions have been made slightly darker, so
the store interiors appear more luminous by contrast.

This drawing was created using a Pigma Micron 005 felt-tipped pen on
tracing paper. Color was added on the reverse side of the tracing paper with
some marker, but mostly with color pencil (see “The Retrocolor Technique,”
page 91). White accents were added to the front of the drawing with touches
of white gouache applied with a small, fine brush. Kraft paper was placed
behind the drawing before it was scanned to give it its warm tone.

Fig. 3-49 The advantage of the view of a building exterior at dusk is that
while it is dark enough to see the building’s luminous interior and