How to Draw a Landscape Plan for Beginners

• What to Include
• Drawing Materials
• Computer Landscape Drawing
• Scaled Drawing
• Measuring and Mapping
• Copies and Prints

Preparing a landscape plan can be an enjoyable and satisfying feel if yous do a little homework and follow a few guidelines. A unproblematic landscape base map can be fatigued without a computer, special software or even expensive drafting supplies, and is the beginning pace in developing a mural plan. The base of operations map is an authentic representation of the existing mural, scaled to fit the paper, showing information such every bit house dimensions, altitude to street, and the location of trees, wood, driveways and sidewalks, if these are already present in the landscape.

What to Include

Effigy 1. Example of base map

A good base map should show all structures, including sidewalks and driveways. The outline or footprint of the house should also include the location of doors, windows, heating and ac units, and spigots. Draw the street in front of the house along with the property lines. The base map should also include the locations of meters, utility boxes and poles, as these are expensive to move and crave occasional access. Some base maps also show details such equally the location of overhead and underground utilities, streams, ditches and any easements or setbacks. Interesting landscape features such every bit rock outcroppings could too be drawn on a landscape base map. The base map is usually drawn after completing a site assay. (See UGA Extension Circular 1032-iv, Drawing a Landscape Program: Site Analysis, for more data on conducting a site analysis.)

Drawing Materials

The base map is essentially a birdâ??due south-eye view of the landscape. Features of the mural are drawn with a sharp pencil or rolling ink pen. Most beginners adopt to draw landscape plans using a regular pencil and a skilful eraser. Special drafting pencils vary based on the hardness of the atomic number 82. The typical rating system for drafting pencils goes from 6H to 6B, where 6H is very difficult and light and 6B is very soft and dark. Different pencil lead weights help depict the landscape features in different ways. Ink pens brand clearer, darker lines, but erasing is almost impossible. Smearing is also a potential trouble with ink pens. Cheap pens with a rolling tip work almost equally well as the more than expensive professional pens with interchangeable heads.

The type of newspaper used to describe a landscape plan depends on the type of re-create that will be made and how the plan will be used. Landscape architects unremarkably depict on a strong tracing paper chosen vellum so re-create onto bond, which is the same paper used in most computer printers. Graph paper helps beginners make authentic measurements and makes information technology easier to calculate the expanse of an enclosed space. Each foursquare on the graph newspaper can be used to represent a specific dimension. For example, if one square equals a square foot, a square that is four squares by 4 squares in size would represent 16 square feet. Bluish-lined graph paper can exist copied and the graph lines will not show if the copier is at a lighter setting. Large sheets of white newspaper and graph paper are usually available wherever art supplies are sold and can as well be found at blueprint supply companies. With a base map consummate, tracing paper can be laid overtop to experiment with different mural ideas. Straight lines and circles are drawn to represent the elements of the landscape. For case, circles are drawn to represent the approximate area covered past the tree canopy. A mutual ruler and circular objects such as coins and jar lids tin can be used, and inexpensive templates are available from office supply stores. Everything can as well exist drawn free-hand, depending on your skill and the accuracy required. Drawing boards and drafting tables are used by professionals to provide a make clean, smooth surface for drawing. Some come up with a sliding direct edge connected. These special boards are expensive for one-time users, only may exist worth the expense if drawing is a frequent activity. Otherwise, the cartoon paper tin be placed on a make clean, smooth table.

Computer Mural Cartoon

Many people are uncomfortable with hand drawing and experience computer drafting is easier and more than accurate. At that place are many software programs available, but in general, those that are easy to use do not provide very authentic drawings and those that create authentic drawings take a long time to learn. Many of the programs that provide iii-D imagery are less authentic and offering a selection of plants not ever adapted to Georgia. If you are skilled with computers, the best programs are those that are used by landscape architects and engineers and describe using "vector graphics" and "real" measurements and dimensions. In that location are cheap versions of vector graphic programs and even some "freeware" programs available that tin create accurate drawings. Other than how the cartoon is drafted, the process of drawing by hand or computer is similar.

Scaled Drawing

The cartoon of the mural should be scaled to accurately to depict the landscape and allow measurements to exist taken from the drawing. A scaled drawing means that measurements taken exterior will be drawn in a much smaller dimension on the paper, depending on the size of calibration used. Well-nigh landscape plans are drawn to a scale of 1:x, which means that 10 feet on the ground equals i inch on paper. For example, a 100-foot driveway would be 10 inches on paper. Using a 1:4 calibration, 100 feet would exist 25 inches on paper. Other popular landscape scales are one:4, 1:v, 1:viii, ane:10, i:16 and 1:20. Scales of 1:4, 1:8 or 1:16 match the mutual increments used on a conventional ruler, just scales of 1:10 and ane:20 are used past engineers and mural architects. Scaled rulers, especially for drafting, are available with multiple scale increments marked on them. They are inexpensive and tin can make cartoon easier. The size of the paper and the size of area to be represented will determine the calibration chosen. The larger the piece of newspaper, the smaller the possible scale, which makes information technology easier to read. If the landscape area cannot fit onto the paper without scaling down to a size that is difficult to read, several sheets of paper volition exist necessary. Ane benefit of computer drafting is the ability to impress the drawing at various scales, depending on admission to larger printers.

Measuring and Mapping

If the house is fairly new, much of the base of operations information volition exist found on a property survey, subdivision plat or human activity. Electric current belongings maps and base of operations information are often available from the local planning part. County revenue enhancement offices may also be a source of data. In many areas, this information is now available online through county websites, or in some cases, through websites that provide aerial imagery. If none of these are available, information technology will exist necessary to take the measurements and create a base map. For this task, a 100-pes measuring tape is helpful.

First, locate the property corner markers. If none are found, approximate their locations. Measure from each corner betoken and tape this on a sketch of the property. Make the sketch approximately the shape of the belongings boundary line. This process may take several attempts to get accurate dimensions that fit together to course the boundary, simply the time spent at this step will make the rest of the drawing easier and more accurate. If the corner markers cannot be institute, avert mural activity close to the estimated purlieus that volition impose on neighbors and perhaps violate local zoning and building codes. If in that location is whatever question about property line location, the cost of a professional person surveyor will pay for itself in the long run. If the belongings is also large to measure, consider mapping merely the expanse called for the landscape project. Measure the street and sidewalk in relation to the belongings lines before locating the house. In most situations, there are setbacks and easements from the street that could affect the landscape plans, and so bank check with the local planning office to become this information and describe in these lines as well.

Next, accept measurements of the house by starting at a corner that faces the street. Sketch in the approximate outline, or footprint, of the firm. Prove all the corners and turns. Then measure out from the first corner of the house to the next point the house changes direction and tape this distance on the sketch. Measure from this second signal on the business firm to the street. Keep the measuring tape every bit straight as possible. Go along along the front of the house, measuring to each turning point, and and then out to the street. Every point does not need a measurement to the street. When finished measuring forth the front of the house, move to the other three sides. Exist sure to measure and point on the drawing items such as porches, air conditioning units, steps and the front end door. These, and other similar elements, tin can be critical to the last design. Once the house is measured on all sides, stop and draw a scaled version of the entire house or the portions that relate to the mural plan. This volition serve as guide for the remaining measurements.

With the firm drawn on the base of operations map, move out into the one thousand and record measurements of existing beds, natural areas, individual trees and any other landscape elements such as gardens or canis familiaris pens. The easiest way to measure the locations of mural features is to mensurate the distance from the business firm or known location and a second fixed location, such as the street or driveway. This will increase the accuracy of the drawing and go far easier to draw on the plan. For example, to locate a tree in the yard, mensurate from two different corners on the business firm to the tree. The two distances can be matched up on the base of operations map to correctly show the location of the tree.

Copies and Prints

Once the measuring and drawing of all the features is complete, the base map tin can be "cleaned upwards" with an eraser or liquid paper to remove smudge marks, crooked lines and any other not-essential lines or notes. This cartoon tin can and then be copied onto standard white bond paper. Make several copies of the base map to use in preparing the final programme. Any mural design plans tin be drawn on these copies or drawn on tracing paper laid over top.

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Status and Revision History
Published on May 15, 2006
Published on Feb 27, 2009
Published with Minor Revisions on Jun 21, 2013
Published with Full Review on May 31, 2017

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Source: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1032-3&title=Drawing%20a%20Landscape%20Plan,%20The%20Base%20Map

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