Jim Leggitt developed a digital watercolor method that takes the hybrid process of 3D modeling and hand-illustration one step further. The process involves using SketchUp to model a site and compose a view, exporting the lines and image separately, then combining and hand-coloring the print before applying a watercolor filter in Photoshop. This gives the final image the authentic appearance of a hand-painted watercolor while retaining the benefits of 3D modeling for the underlying composition. The method was applied to illustrate a children's hospital healing garden.

1. hand drawn
digital watercolor
with sketchup
by Jim Leggitt
how to:

2. Jim’s new “Digital
Watercolor” method
take the hybrid process
one step further and
adds filtering with
Photoshop to give the
image a soft watercolor-
like appearance.
This studioINSITE project
is for a children’s hospital
healing garden.

3. Step 1- Base SketchUp model
The base SketchUp model was constructed by importing and
autoCAD site plan and populating the model with the different
elements and topography.

4. Step 2- Background site photo
The digital photo was taken at the location - used to create a realistic
background context

5. Step 3- Selected view and exported jpeg
-Eye level view is populated with 3D people in the foreground and several in the
distance. Carefully compose the scene and adjust the sun angle to highlight the shaded
areas.
-Export a 4000 pixel wide jpeg of the view with the edges turned off (an important first
step in the digital watercolor process).

6. Step 4- Exported edges
-Turn off all faces, sky, and shadows in the SketchUp model. Export just the edges of
the model at 4000 pixels wide and save a jpeg
(I added a colored background and frame to the jpeg in this image to improve seeing
the linework against the white background).

7. Step 5 - Composite SketchUp View
-In Photoshop, bring the two jpeg’s together and give the linework layer a 50%
transparency
-Lighten the entire image and print it on 11”x17” coated bond paper.
-Why lighten the jpeg? - you’ll be adding back color with markers and pencils.

8. Step 6 - Hand Illustration and Coloring
-Apply Chartpak AD markers to the print. And trace over much of the
computer linework with a hard graphite pencil.
-The overall image looks entirely different than the computer generated
version once the hand drawn elements were applied to the print!

9. Step7 - Digital Watercolor Filter
-Scan the artwork at 300dpi and open the image in Adobe Photoshop. Apply a watercolor
filter to the image, save and then adjust the levels to increase the dark shadows and
highlights.
- The final jpeg had a strong “appearance” of a hand painted watercolor -
with much more character and authenticity than if it were a straightforward
exported view from SketchUp!

10. to see Jim’s blog post of this presentation click here:
http://jimleggitt.typepad.com/jim-leggitt-drawing-
shortcuts/2013/12/hand-drawn-digital-watercolor-with-
a-sketchup-model.html
studio-insite.com