Graphics forHo r t i cu l t u reS tuden ts

Pauline Hurley-Kurtz

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. art, creativity,drawing, sketch, communication

SUMMARY. This paper discusses thebenefits of including the visual andgraphic arts in a horticultural curricu-lum, as a means for fostering creativ-ity and reading the landscape. Itdescribes the curricular sequence inthe graphic communication seminarand studio—a joint studio forhorticulture and landscape architec-ture students at Temple University,Ambler, Pa. This sequence beginswith freehand drawing, andprogresses to mechanical drafting,drawing construction and rendering.

T he Department of Land-scape Architecture andHorticulture at Temple Uni-

versity, Ambler, Pa., offers BS and ASdegrees in Horticulture and a BS inLandscape Architecture. One of thefundamental strengths of our programsis a strong, common, core curriculumthat includes graphics and design stu-dios for horticulture students andclasses in woody and herbaceous plantsfor landscape architecture students. Allclasses and studio projects support anoverarching departmental philosophyof an ecological, sustainable approachto the planning, design and mainte-nance of the land.

Traditionally, graphics and de-sign are unusual components of a sci-ence-based horticultural curriculum.However, these elements historicallyhave been a component of the horti-

Associate professor, Department of Landscape Archi-tecture and Horticulture, Temple University, 580 Meet-inghouse Rd., Ambler, PA 19006-3994.

Since 1996, a number of instructors have contributedto the development of the Graphic communicationstudio and deserve recognition. They are E. Anderson,M. Bowe, and J. Meschter. Also, thanks to G. Whiting,B. Lamba, and L. Blum for reviewing this paper in it’searly stages. Special thanks to R. Lyons and D. Hensleyfor their thorough editing. The cost of publishing thispaper was defrayed in part by the payment of pagecharges. Under postal regulations, this paper thereforemust be hereby marked advertisement solely to indicatethis fact.

culture program at Temple University’sAmbler campus since its inception asthe Pennsylvania Women’s School ofHorticulture in 1910. Also, studios pro-vide a common ground for students inboth disciplines to work together, oftenfostering partnerships that continue intoprofessional careers. Facility with draw-ing and design is a tool for the expres-sion of creative ideas irrespective of dis-cipline, and creative thinking is funda-mental to good science.

Art as a catalyst forc r e a t i v i t y

A horticulture student trained inart and design will use powers of visu-alization, and a right brain creativeprocess (Edwards, 1979) to become amore creative thinker and therefore amore successful horticultural scientist.Janick (1972) states that “Horticul-ture is an ancient art, and many of itspractices have been empirically derived.However, modern horticulture, as ag-riculture, has become intimately asso-ciated with science, which has servednot only to provide the methods andresources to explain the art, but hasbecome the guiding force for it’s im-provement and refinement. Horticul-ture will never become wholly a sci-ence, nor is this particularly desirable.Its curious mixture of science (botanyto physics), technology, and estheticsmakes horticulture a refreshing disci-pline that has continually absorbedman’s interest and challenged his inge-nuity. The science of horticulture nev-ertheless remains the dynamic influ-ence in the proper use and under-standing of the horticultural art.” Thus,science provides a framework for un-derstanding the art of horticulture,and is a means for its improvement.

In a more holistic time whenboundaries between disciplines wereless well defined, the descriptive artsand science were integrated in thepursuit of creativity. Renaissance artistLeonardo da Vinci’s scientific sketchesranged from anatomy and geology toapplied mechanics (Wallace, 1966).American colonial botanist, WilliamBartram, illustrated his travels with

botanical sketches of the species foundduring explorations of Florida and thesouthern United States (Bartram,1791). Watson and Crick acknowl-edge the contribution of inspiration,

Fig. 1. (A) A pure contour line drawing ofprince’s-feather (Amaranthus hybridus L.var. erythrostachys Moq.) drawn withoutreference to the page (by J. Rosencrancein 1999). (B) A modified contour linedrawing of a pepper plant (Capsicum L.)where the emphasis was on drawing theedge of the object (by P.R. Ruch in 1996).

visualization and iteration in the dis-covery of the structure of DNA(Watson, 1968). Certainly, science re-quires creative thinkers to make andunderstand extraordinary discoveries.

including the base plane, overheadplane, spatial edge, enclosed elements,and enframed ones are part of thevisual scene, and therefore part of theplace. If the various stimuli relate toone another and support a commontheme, then the space has a strongmeaningful sense of place. It feels inte-grated; its elements feel like they be-long together. The space can be said tohave a high degree of placeness.”

Graphics curriculums t r u c t u r e

The graphics courses (LA 101,LA 103) for horticulture students oc-cur in the fall semester of their secondyear and are taken jointly with land-scape architecture students. Thegraphic communication sequence in-cludes a one credit seminar with athree credit studio. The seminar intro-duces concepts and theory of the cur-rent studio topic. Studios are limitedto 15 students, and currently four sepa-rate sections are taught. A range oftraditional graphics tools and mediaare used in studio. These include softgraphite, charcoal and mechanical pen-cils, inks and watercolor wash. Stu-dents use a variety of paper includingnewsprint, drawing paper, yellow trace,vellum and mylar. Digital toolsQuarkXPress Passport (Quark Inc.,Denver, Colo.) for desktop publishingand Photoshop (Adobe Systems Inc.,San Jose, Calif.) for image manipula-tion are also introduced over the courseof the semester.

The studio is designed as a seriesof cumulative drawing exercises. Thefirst half of the semester focuses onfreehand drawing, two dimensionaldrafting and lettering. Students alsowork on a parallel research exercise forthe seminar class addressing a particu-lar artist’s drawing technique. A fieldtrip to the Philadelphia Art Museumbroadens their understanding of land-scape drawing and painting. An infor-mal midsemester review is a forum fordisplaying the work of different studiosections. Students learn from the workof their peers, and again this providesan opportunity for discussion.

Fig. 2. (A) A negative space drawing of asweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.)seedling, where the focus was on drawingthe spaces between the object and theformat (by C. Scorsone in 1997). (B) Afreehand landscape perspective by Durer’smethod with negative space emphasized(by A.M. Dower in 1998).

Reading the landscape

Students in the horticulture andlandscape architecture programs par-ticipate in the design, maintenance,and restoration of the Ambler campusgardens and landscapes. As one gen-

eration designs, plants and cares for agarden, the next studies these spaces assubjects for drawing. Through draw-ing one can understand a landscape’sintrinsic character or sense of place.Motloch (1991) defines sense of placeas “All things viewed within a space,

The second half of the semesterconcentrates on three dimensionaldrawing, rendering, and verbal pre-sentation techniques. Students alsomaintain a journal of visual and writtennotes which is called The Ambler Note-book. The semester concludes withformal student presentations to a juryof invited guests. Jurors generally arefaculty members, with professional hor-ticulturists and landscape architectsfrom the Philadelphia area.

Graphic communicationsequence—Freehandd r a w i n g

Throughout the graphic commu-nication studio, emphasis is placed onlearning to draw by learning to see asan artist. The first exercises introducethe concept that drawing is a learnableskill (Edwards, 1979), if one allows theactivation of the right brain hemi-sphere—the locus for creativity. This isan important reinforcement for bothhorticulture and landscape architecturestudents, many of whom have limited orno drawing experience. Essentially, theseexercises trick the analytical, logical leftbrain into a secondary role, allowingthe creative intuitive right brain toguide the drawing process.

Contour lineInitial pencil studies develop vi-

sual acuity and the artist’s ability tosee. Exercises focus on drawing thecontour line or edge of the subject.Students begin with the pure contourtechnique, where they observe the sub-ject intently and draw without lookingat the page. This is a useful approachfor beginning students (Fig. 1A). Sub-sequent exercises based on the modi-fied contour drawing technique, allowsome reference to the page as onedraws. However, emphasis is placedon concentrated observation and eye-hand coordination. Subjects for theseexercises are individual plants, shrubs,and trees of the Ambler campus gar-dens (Fig. 1B).

Contour drawing is then appliedto a more complicated landscape vistaincluding masses of vegetation anddistinct layers. This may be a view of aperennial garden, or a successionallandscape incorporating a meadow,

old field, or woodland sequence. Theuse of a variety of line weights is em-phasized, giving the illusion of per-spective.

Negative spaceThe concept of drawing a subject

is introduced in several exercises byfocusing on the rendition of its nega-tive space context. Students see thenegative space by observing the sub-ject through a small cardboard frame.The outline of that negative space isdrawn and rendered in black, thusrevealing the subject’s form (Fig. 2A).

An exercise that combines con-tour, negative space, and perspectiveprinciples follows. A sheet of mylar isplaced on a window and the scene oneobserves is drawn by contour line in

perspective after Durer’s method(Edwards, 1979). The perspective isthen enhanced by choosing appropri-ate layers of the landscape to convertto negative space (Fig. 2B).

Tone and textureIn preliminary exercises, students

learn to create light, shade, and shadowby constructing tone and texture usingline, dots, and other shorthand strokesor marks. This technique is then ap-plied to a gray tone photograph. Amark is chosen, and applied in varyingdensities reflecting the observed grays(Shen and Walker, 1992). Studentsgain confidence through using thistechnique (Fig. 3), and subsequentlyapply this method to freehand draw-ing and perspective rendering.

Fig. 3. A sketch from a grey tone photo-graph using stippled tone to build lightand shadow (by J. Rosencrance in 1999).

Fig. 4. (A) A sketch after Georgia O’Keefe (by L.R. Hart in 1998). (B) Marks or graphicelements identified in Fig. 4A (by L.R. Hart in 1998). (C) Marks or graphic elementsused in drawing a pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) tree on the Ambler campus of TempleUniversity, Ambler, Pa. (by L.R. Hart in 1998). (D) Marks or graphic elements used indrawing a pitch pine tree detail (by L.R. Hart in 1998).

Graphic communication seminarDRAWING INVESTIGATION—MARKS STUDY.

This is a study that reinforces the toneand texture approach to drawingthrough the analysis of the work of arange of artists and designers. Stu-dents study the drawings of their cho-sen artists (Fig. 4A), in particular theformation and character of particularpen or pencil strokes or marks by whichthey draw (Fig. 4B). They then applysimilar marks to the drawing of a treeof their choice on campus (Fig. 4C),and a tree detail (Fig. 4D). This study issubsequently developed to a digitallygenerated poster using Photoshop forimage manipulation and QuarkXPressPassport for layout and desktop pub-lishing,

A field trip to the Philadelphia ArtMuseum illustrates the enormous vari-ety of techniques used for landscapedrawing and painting in different cul-tures and over time. The work of artistswho had particular influence on land-scape design is emphasized. Studentsobserve and draw from the sculpturesand paintings in the galleries (Fig. 5).

Students maintain a journal of vi-sual and written notes from seminar,

MEASURED DRAWING: TWO DIMENSIONS. Prin-ciples learned in freehand drawing arecombined along with graphic conven-tions, symbols, and appropriate scale inmeasured drawing techniques. Stu-dents measure and sketch campus gar-

den spaces before drawing them in twodimensions as a plan, diagram andsection. A diagram exercise introducesthe language and symbols of landscapesite analysis (Fig. 7A). Campus gar-dens are studied in terms of circula-tion, space, edge, node and focal point.This drawing is either hardline or free-hand in ink. A legend and title blockare required.

Fig. 6. A sketch of the Bright Memorialfountain, Ambler campus, TempleUniversity, Ambler, Pa. (by P.R. Ruch in1996).

Fig. 5. Enjoying the moon in a riverside cottage after Ike no Taiga. (by P.R. Ruch in1996). Philadelphia Art Museum.

Fig. 7. (A) A diagram describing space,circulation, nodes, views and focal pointsin the Ambler campus perennial garden,Temple University, Ambler, Pa. (by J.Rosencrance in 1999). (B) A plan ofDixon Hall terrace, Ambler campus,Temple University, Ambler, Pa. (by T.T.Claghorn in 1999). (C) A section andelevation of the Ambler campus entrance,Temple University, Ambler, Pa. (by J.Rosencrance in 1999).

studio, guest lecturers and homeworkassignments throughout the semester.This practice of making visual notes isthe habit of good designers and artists(Fig. 6).

GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION SEQUENCE—

is drawn as a measured one-point per-spective, using the plan projection orgrid method. Appropriate use and me-chanics of this type of perspective isdiscussed for the illustration of longnarrow spaces (Fig. 8A).

Axonometric is a three dimensionaldrawing drawn to scale. It is constructeddirectly from a plan, along the x, y, andz axes. Emphasis is placed on using anumber of line weights as in prior draw-ings. The rendering of plants and land-scape elements in axonometric are in-corporated using shade and shadow stud-ies. Axonometrics are efficient to con-struct, and give a prospective client aconvincing three dimensional view of aproposed landscape design (Fig. 8B).

A structural element in a campusgarden (a fountain, pergola or trellis) isused as a two-point perspective exercise

Fig. 8. (A)A one-point perspectivedrawing of Cottage Hall fountain onTemple University’s Ambler campus,Ambler, Pa. (by P.R. Ruch in 1996). (B)A three-dimensional axonometric drawingof Cottage Hall courtyard on TempleUniversity’s Ambler campus, Ambler, Pa.(by P.R. Ruch in 1996). (C) A two-pointperspective of Cottage Hall fountain onTemple University’s Ambler campus,Ambler, Pa. (by T.T. Claghorn in 1999).

The next project is the develop-ment of a clear readable plan in pencil.Emphasis is given to line weights anddrawing conventions of building andlandscape elements. Alternative render-ing styles for plant material and hardscapeelements are encouraged. Shade, shadowand varying textures add a three dimen-sional quality to the drawing. Blocklettering principles are also introduced(Fig. 7B).

The final two dimensional drawingexercise introduces the mechanics ofdeveloping a section drawing from aplan view. Emphasis is on buildings,plant character, material texture, scalefigure, measuring line, and lettering.

The final ink or pencil rendering focuseson line weights, and drawing plantswith appropriate marks to convey theirhabit and leaf pattern (Fig.7C).

GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION SE-QUENCE—MEASURED DRAWING: THREE DI-MENSIONS. The second half of the semes-ter concentrates on the developmentand rendering of three dimensionaldrawings, the principles and applicationof color, verbal presentation techniques,and design of illustrated digital docu-ments. The appropriate use of threedimensional drawings, such as one andtwo point perspectives and axonometricare discussed as a means to illustrate alandscape design. A campus garden space

using the plan projection or grid method.Again, particular attention is paid topencil line weights, textures, light, shadeand shadow. The development of strongforeground, mid-ground and back-ground zones in the drawing is empha-sized (Fig. 8C).

Discuss ionStudent reaction to the course is

very positive, evidenced by consistentlyhigh course evaluations with an aver-age rating of 4.5 out of 5 spanning a 6-year period. Student comments re-cently included some recommenda-tions to allow more time for the morechallenging three dimensional draw-ings at the end of the semester, and wewill endeavor to accommodate thatrequest. Through the course of thesemester, students develop an ease andfacility with drawing. They acquireuseful skills, of special interest to thoseinterested in working as landscape de-signers. Finally, through interaction instudio with fellow students in land-scape architecture, one creates an op-portunity for discussion that also pro-vides a foundation for future profes-sional collaboration.

Literature CitedBartram, W. 1791. Travels with WilliamBartram. James and Johnson, Philadel-phia.

Edwards, B. 1979. Drawing on the rightside of the brain. J.P. Tarcher Inc., LosAngeles.

Janick, J. 1972. Horticultural science. W.H.Freeman, San Francisco.

Motloch, J. 1991. Introduction to land-scape design. John Wiley, New York.

Shen, J. and T.D. Walker. 1992. Sketchingand rendering for design presentations.Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

Wallace, R. 1966. The world of Leonardo1452–1519. Time Inc., New York.

Watson, J.D. 1968. The double helix. Ath-eneum, New York.