Creating a

Residential
Landscape Design
with the

Cintiq13HD
Interactive
image courtesy http://www.wacom.asia/sites/default/files/field/image/pr-banner.png
Pen Display
A Guide for
Professional
Landscape Designers

image courtesy Proulx, Benjamin. 2017.

image courtesy Proulx, Benjamin. 2017.

Table of Contents

Introduction.......................................................................................................................1

Equipment and Materials List...........................................................................................1

Product Description .........................................................................................................2

Components.....................................................................................................................2

Warnings and Cautions....................................................................................................2

Step-by-Step Instructions.................................................................................................3

Assembly & Set Up................................................................................................3

Create Document...................................................................................................3

Create Title Block...................................................................................................4

Import Site Plan.....................................................................................................5

Render...................................................................................................................6

Color......................................................................................................................7

Add Labels.............................................................................................................7

Create Plant Palette...............................................................................................8

Export File..............................................................................................................9

Conclusion........................................................................................................................9

Sample............................................................................................................................10

i
Introduction

Even with the increase of technology, hand rendering graphics has remained an
important process for landscape designers and architects. There are many benefits and
costs to this process. A hand rendering process that requires drafting tables, markers,
drafting guides, paper supplies, scanners and printers still often ends up being edited in
computer programs for touch ups and revisions.

In contrast, many designers and architects who try to circumvent the above challenges
by using programs such as AutoCAD or Google SketchUp still often rely on hand
rendered conceptual sketches in the beginning. But ultimately, many computer
renderings lose the personal and artistic qualities of hand rendering that is often crucial
in selling design proposals.

Using the Cintiq13HD Interactive Pen Display combines the advantages of both these
processes. By using a tablet and pen and Adobe Photoshop, designers can speed up
the laborious hand rendering process, keep the artistic style, and quickly design and
revise the plan without the need of a single piece of paper or pen.

This step-by-step overview will help professional landscape designers and architects
familiarize themselves with how the Cintiq13HD Interactive Pen Display can improve
their process and product in creating a professional landscape design plan.

Equipment and Materials List

Laptop/desktop computer (Windows or Mac)

Cintiq13HD Interactive Pen Display
Desk workstation
Access to power outlet
Mini displayport cable adaptor (if using Mac)
Internet access
House survey or plot plan
Adobe Photoshop (software)
Google Earth (software)
Local plants list

1
Product Description

The Cintiq13HD Interactive Pen Display is a digital drawing tablet with a pressure
sensitive pen. It comes with a pen case, pen stand, cords and an attachable stand that
allows for 3 different inclined positions for the tablet. The Cintiq13HD Interactive Pen
Display is compatible with various design software including Adobe Photoshop and
Illustrator.

To view a product demonstration visit http://cintiq13hdlandscapedesign.weebly.com

Components

Figure 1
Image courtesy: http://support.wacom.com.hk/manuals/Cintiq%2013HD.pdf

Warnings and Cautions

Never spill liquids on tablet or pen. Liquid will damage sensitive electronic parts.

Always store pen in its case to avoid damage when not in use.

A soft zippable storage case is recommended for tablet to protect screen.

INFORMATION: For more detailed product information please reference

http://support.wacom.com.hk/manuals/Cintiq%2013HD.pdf

2
Step-by-Step Instructions

Assemble & Set Up

- Arrange personal laptop or computer on desk with enough extra room for the
drawing tablet.
- Place Cintiq13HD Interactive Pen Display face up in front of computer or laptop
monitor.
- Connect the 3-in-1 cable from the tablet to the laptop/computer (a Mini Display
adaptor should be connected to the HDMI cable if using a Mac).
- Connect the 3-in-1 cable to the AC power adapter adapter and cable and
connect to nearest power outlet.
- Press and hold the power button on bottom right hand corner of tablet.
- The tablet is now connected to the laptop/computer and ready to use.
- Remove pen from its case and gently move the pen tip around the tablet surface.
Verify that the cursor follows the pens movements and that all cables are
correctly connected.
- Place pen in pen stand next to tablet.
- You are now ready to begin.

Create Document

- Open Adobe Photoshop.

- Create a new file by choosing File > New or pressing Command + N (Mac) or
- Control + N (Windows).
- Give file a new title.
- Enter the appropriate dimensions for documents height and width in inches.

INFORMATION:
Standard document sizes for architectural plans and renderings are
9x12, 12x18, 18x24, 24x36, and 36x48.
Give your best estimate as to appropriate document size given your lot
size and intended scale.
If lot is longer from front to back, arrange dimensions so that document is
in portrait layout (height > width).
If lot is wider from side to side, arrange dimensions so that document is in
landscape layout (height < width).
Document size and proportions can be changed later if needed.

3
 - Keep resolution between 200 to 300 pixels/inch.
- Select OK to create new document.
- Turn on Grid overlay by pressing Command +
- (Mac) or Control + (Windows).
- Click on ruler above document and drag a
guideline to create a 1 top and bottom margins
of document. Guidelines will snap to Grid when
on.
- Do the same to create 1 left and right margins
by clicking and dragging guidelines from ruler
located to the left of document.
- Under the Layers window create the following
groups in descending order: TITLE BLOCK,
LABELS, PHOTOS, LINEWORK, and
COLOR (Figure 2).
- Create new groups by selecting .
- Create new layers by selecting or pressing
Command + Shift + N (Mac) or
Control + Shift + N (Windows).

IMPORTANT: Save file frequently to avoid loss of work. Do this by choosing

File > Save or pressing Command + S (Mac) or Control + S (Windows).

Create Title Block

Figure 3
Image courtesy: Proulx, Benjamin. 2017.

- Create another guideline 2 from bottom of document. This will create a long
rectangle in which your title block will reside (Figure 3).

4
 - Place company or personal logo/information in left hand side of title block.
- Place clients name with title of design name and clients address in middle of title
block.
- Place north arrow and scale in right hand side of title block.
- Keep all layers organized under TITLE BLOCK group.

INFORMATION:
Standard scales for architectural plans and renderings include 1" = 10'-0",
1/8" = 1'-0", 1/4" = 1'-0", etc.
Import ready made scale or create your own. Ensure that either is to scale
and correctly labelled.

Import Site Plan

- Drag and drop previously saved digital file of house survey or plot plan onto
document screen.
- Rotate plan as needed.
- Press Enter.

- Select the Move Tool by clicking or pressing

V.
- Grab the corner of survey and while holding Shift
resize the image larger or smaller as needed until the
dimensions on the survey match the desired scale.
- Turn on Grid overlay by pressing Command +
(Mac) or Control + (Windows) to help scale survey
to appropriate scale.
- Under the Layers window, adjust survey layer from
Normal to Multiply and change Opacity to 50%
(Figure 4).

INFORMATION:
If property is too big (or too small) to fit within the document margins then
resize document to the next largest standard architectural sheet size as
listed above.
Do this by going to Image > Canvas Size.
Enter new height and width dimensions and select OK.
Consider changing scales and resizing survey if the document size is
more important than scale.

5
Render

- Create a new subgroup called PLANT TEMPLATES

under the group LINEWORK by selecting .

- Select the Ellipse Tool by clicking or pressing

U.
- Create the circle outlines of trees and shrubs while
holding Shift to create perfect circles.
- Make sure Ellipse Tool presets are set to
transparent fill , black stroke , with
line weight set to .25 to .5 pt .
- Set PLANT TEMPLATES group to 25% opacity
after creating all plant outlines. These will serve as
guidelines only as the plants are drawn in a new
layer (Figure 5).
- Create a new layer called PLANT LINES under
LINEWORK by selecting or pressing
Command + Shift + N (Mac) or Control + Shift +
N (Windows).
- Select the Brush Tool by clicking or pressing B .
- Select the following brush under Brush Presets
(Figure 6).
- Render plants as if by done by hand
using the pen on cintiq tablet.
- Use the Eraser Tool by clicking
or by pressing E and use with pen
stylus as needed.
- Render all plants and trees in this
manner until complete.

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Color

- Create a new layer called PLANT COLOR under COLOR by selecting or

pressing Command + Shift + N (Mac) or Control + Shift + N (Windows).
- Set PLANT COLOR layers opacity to 50%.
- Select the Brush Tool by clicking or
pressing B and select the following brush under
Brush Presets (Figure 7).
- Select the desired color for coloring plants by

clicking or selecting a color from the

swatches (Figure 8).
- Color plants using the pen stylus on tablet.
- Use the Eraser Tool as needed by clicking
or by pressing E.
- Continue coloring until complete.

Add Labels

- Select the group LABELS in the layers window.

- Use the Horizontal Type Tool by selecting or
by pressing T.
- Click to the side of each plant on the landscape
design and begin typing plant name.
- Press Command + Enter (Mac) or Control +
Enter (Windows) to finish typing.
- Repeat above steps until all plants and items are labelled.
- Create a new layer called LEADER LINES under LABELS by selecting or
pressing Command + Shift + N (Mac) or Control + Shift + N (Windows).
- Use the Line Tool by selecting or by pressing U. You may need to hold the
button to change between Ellipse Tool to Line Tool (Figure 9).
- Click and drag a line while holding Shift to connect each label to the
corresponding plant.
- Continue until all labels have a leader line to each plant.

7
Create Plant Palette

- Add new guides to mark off a space

for the plant palette on one side of
the design.
- Import plant photos by dragging
saved files from your desktop onto
the document.
- Keep all photos under the
PHOTOS group in the layers
window.
- Scale each photo and label beneath.
- Add a photo for each proposed plant
on landscape plan (Figure 14).

8
Export File

- Save your file once again in its original .psd format by pressing Command + S
(Mac) or Control + S (Windows).
- Export by choosing File > Save As or pressing Command + Shift + S (Mac)
or Control + Shift + S (Windows).
- Give the new file a title.
- Select file location.
- Change format from Photoshop to Photoshop PDF (Figure 15).
- Under the Save options select As a Copy (Figure 16).
- Select Save.
- Preview document in new file format via Adobe Acrobat.

INFORMATION: Landscape plans saved as PDF are the best format for printing
and/or sending via email.

Conclusion

With continued practice, any landscape designer can experience increased efficiency in
their design process and improved quality of their final products. After mastering the
basics, experiment with new tools to further build and improve design technique.

9
Sample Work

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