Paraline Drawings

Adapted from Drawing the Landscape by Chip Sullivan

Paraline drawings allow the viewer to quickly visualize a complete landscape scene in one moment,
viewing a site as a place while observing its three-dimensional forms. In this type of drawing, everything
is in true measure; there is no vanishing point or horizon line. The viewpoint is from above, looking
down onto the landscape – almost like a bird’s-eye perspective, but not quite. In paraline drawings the
plan, elevation, and section meld into one drawing. This is probably one of the reasons they are popular
with architects, landscape architects and landscape designers.

In the paraline drawing, all the constructed parallel lines remain parallel, whereas in the perspective
drawing they converge to a vanishing point. Also, the vertical lines remain vertical and all the elements
in the drawing stay true to scale. Perspective drawing shows the landscape as it appears to the eye, but
its lines cannot be measured directly. Paraline drawings combines the pictorial effects of perspective
drawings wit h the ability to measure principal lines directly. The disadvantage is that it can sometimes
appear because we see the world in perspective and not in paraline.

Paraline drawings include both the axonometric and the isometric drawing.

The Axonometric

Axonometric is being or prepared by the projection of objects on the drawing surface so they appear
inclines with 3 sides slowing and with horizontal and vertical distances drawn to scale but diagonal and
curved lines distorted.

Isometric is relating to, or characterized by equality of measure, especially relating to or being a

crystallographic system characterized by three equal axes at right angles.

Learning to draw an axonometric will lead you to a new exploration of visual space. The axonometric is
a drawing that shows a landscape in three dimensions. The landscape plan is set up at a satisfactory
viewpoint and the verticals are projected to scale, thus making all the dimensions on the horizontal and
vertical plans to scale. The axonometric is a descriptive method that shows a broad range of landscape
elements at once, all at true scale. But it is still somewhat of an abstraction. In landscape drawing one
of the advantages of using the axonometric for study is that it helps you see the positive and negative
space of plant massing, as well as the overlapping plants of landscape in conjunction with architecture.
This is an excellent tool for studying the interlocking spaces of the site because you see the site in
altitude.

Constructing and Axonometric

In the axonometric drawing, a plan can be rotated in a number of positions. There are an infinite
number of axonometric positions, only a few of which are ever used as the basis for landscape drawing.
Determine the scale that will best represent the design. Place your plan on your drawing table and
rotate it while visualizing the best viewpoint. You can also decide by making copies of the plan and
pinning them up at different angles on a wall. Look for the view point that will direct the viewer’s
attention to the major design relationships in the plan.
The most commonly used angles are 45, 30 and 60 degrees. The 45 degree axonometric has a higher
viewpoint than an isometric, and the horizontal ground plan will be more visible. The 30 and 60 degree
also have high viewpoints, and their foreground planes receive more emphasis than the other angles.
There will also be some exaggeration in the verticals. The 45 degree view tends to the best because it
presents equal view of both x and y planes.

Think ahead and plan what you want to show in the drawing. Use thumbnail sketches on tracing paper
to construct what you are trying to get across. After you have decided on a view, tape down the plan in
your selected position. Project in true scale the vertical dimensions from their positions on the plan.
Lay out the vertical dimensions at the bottom of the page first, working up to the top of the plan. Work
out all the details using transparent overlays with light guidelines. After you have worked out he correct
forms, trace them onto the final sheet.

When you begin the axonometric, do not use a lot of detail; keep the forms simple. Draw the landscape
with elemental forms. Determine how you want the building mass to read. Working from simple to
complex forms makes it easier to read a design as it develops. After you have worked out all of the
forms in construction lines, you can begin to add detail, tone and shading.

The Isometric

Like the axonometric, the isometric is a geometric drawing that shows a site in three dimensions. The
landscape plan is set up with lines at an equal angle (usually 30 degrees) to the horizontal, while all the
verticals remain vertical. Every line is drawn in true scale. The isometric drawing produces a more
realistic looking landscape than the axonometric, but the diagonals and curves are slightly distorted. In
the isometric landscape, all three visible surfaces have equal emphasis. The major disadvantage of the
isometric is that you have to completely construct the plan in isometric, whereas in the axonometric you
have only to rotate the plan and project up the landscape elements. However, there is less distortion in
the isometric than on the axonometric.

Illustrating the Axonometric and the Isometric

The Ground Plane

To create groundscape surfaces, use the same techniques used when drawing a perspective view. Pay
attention to the use of line weights and what areas of the plan you want to emphasize. If the tree
canopy assumes the greatest importance, then the ground plane should be fainter. If the surface of a
plaza is the area of emphasis, the vertical elements such as trees, lights, walls, and so forth may be
ghosted. When the landscape dominates, use light lines for the architecture. Pavements and other
groundscape elements can be illustrated with stippled lines or cross-hatching techniques.

Trees

Before drawing trees you must determine what you are trying to express. If it is important to show the
ground plane design, make the trees simple transparent shapes, but abstract their form into silhouettes.
A fine brush is a good tool for drawing trees in outline. Be expressive with it; let the line vary. Begin by
drawing the location and sizes of trees and other plan material on a sheet of tracing paper. When you
have them all located, place the tracing paper under your plan and draw them on your final drawing.
The background trees, or framing vegetation, can often be drawn as a solid mass. Sketch them on
tracing paper and transfer this information onto the final drawing. Draw their mass as an outline,
adding texture as necessary. If you want to show vegetation massed and their resulting positive and
negative spaces, use an overlay and draw each individual tree using light construction lines. Outline
them with a heavy line. Transfer this information to the site plan and shift the tracing vertically up to
proper height, delineating the sides of the plant masses. These techniques can also be used for
hedgerows, allees, groundcover, and so forth.

Architecture

You will first have to decide whether to draw the architecture as a floor plan, cutaway, or complete
structure with exterior surfaces. Is it important to see the interior spaces of the plan in relation to the
landscape, or is it better to see the mass of the architecture. What are the layers of information you
wish to illustrate with the structures. You can make the architecture transparent or use dotted lines to
ghost the structures so as not to cover up the details of the landscape. To get a roof plan, trace the floor
plan, put it under the drawing, shift it up to the proper vertical height, and then trace it.

Shadows

Applying shadows to the plan is extremely important to achieving a three dimensional quality; add them
only after the drawing has been completely composed.

Shadows should fall to the right or left side of the drawing, never straight up or down. Don’t draw the
shadows in solid black; let some light shine through and let them fade out along the opposite edge. A
shadow should pick up the texture of the ground plane over which it falls, and should be darkest along
the shadowed edge. Don’t forget to use shadow to accent plant forms; this will help to define the
content of the space you are trying to portray.