As an architect, you are using newer technologies and staying in front of innovations in CAD.  But how are your plans and renderings translating in black and white? 

Picture this:  through one drawing mechanical, electrical, and architectural are all represented in one concise drawing.  Contractors can tell how the spatial arrangement is supposed to go while having the whole picture in mind, not just their one partial piece.  How much rework would this save?  

Save Money with Clear Communciation 

In a 3D drawing, all spatial relationships can be seen.  How often do contractors misread a drawing, causing multiple "rework" scenarios, delaying projects, and, eventually, casting a ray of doubt from the client on the whole group trying to complete a project?  Much of skillful construction and good project management is actually communication and clarity in that communication.  

It used to be that color drawings were much more expensive to print than black and white prints. However, printing costs have come down to where it becomes an attractive option.  Consider that you would be able to combine 3 or 4 drawings onto a single sheet and still communicate that effectively.  Now consider that the sheets can be printed for about 4 times the price of a typical black and white print.

Printing speed, which used to be an issue when printing in color (considering that most work was done by ink jet), has now come up to the level where it can be used even for large jobs.  Ogden Blue can print construction plans (blueprints), engineering drawings, and other CAD type drawings at a full 4 pages per minute (4 ppm).  Consider that an ink jet printer prints at 1/5 ppm, and you will quickly see how much different this technology is.   

Save Time

By keeping the file in a 3D CAD environment, it helps architects and engineers clearly see what the other is doing.  As each iteration comes through from each professional, each of his or her colleagues can clearly see what the intent and spatial arrangement of the previous creator was.  This saves tremendous time in translation from one to the next.  Continuing in this same arrangement, the contractor is pulled in as a partner in that communication loop.  Through clear communication and by every subcontractor seeing exactly the same drawing, the communication time is greatly decreased.  The subcontractor sees exactly the same drawing the architect shared with the engineer.  

This clear path of communication, without a need to "translate" from 3D to 2D with all the communication errors this can produce, leads directly to reduced job rework and slip in the job schedule.

Summary

As competition for work and dollars has been fierce, so has the need to reduce job cost and decrease the costly rework required in a job.  By increasing the effectiveness of communication, the architect, general contractor, and engineer work together to reduce the amount of error and increase the efficiency of the whole team.  Stay 3D in color... better customer service, better communication, happier teams, and reduced scheduling adjustments.  What could be better?  Contact us today to learn more by calling or clicking on the contact button.  We hope to show you how color helps transform and streamline today's already efficient construction. 

Watercolor painting is versatile and fairly easy to begin learning. The materials can be varied, but for beginners, there are just a few basics that should be sufficient.

Brushes:  Sable brushes are the highest quality, but blends of sable or squirrel hair and synthetic will also be fine for starting. Synthetics are lower quality, so if this is your only option, select the highest quality brush you can. You will need a round brush, usually #8, and a flat wash brush, at least ½”. An oval wash or mop brush, usually size 3, is useful for getting large amounts of water and/or paint onto the paper quickly.

Paint:  A few higher-quality paints will be more useful than a lot of low-cost colors. Paints are available in student and professional grades and come in tubes or pans. Pans are less expensive, but dry out faster, while tube paints are ideal for covering large areas, and are useful if you paint often. Some artists recommend you start with a warm and cool version of each primary color, which allows for mixing the other colors you need. There are many other color suggestions, but this depends on the individual.

Paper:  Watercolor paper comes in rough, hot-press, and cold-press. Rough paper is textured, hot-press is smooth and slick, and cold-press is in-between and slightly textured, and usually best for beginners. Paper comes in sheets or blocks, and sheets must be stretched to minimize rippling and warping.

Other Materials:  Most pan watercolors come with a palette. For tube paints you can use any palette, but a covered one will keep your paints from drying out. You may also benefit from a drawing pencil, kneaded eraser, and a few odds and ends such as a spray bottle, sponge, paper towels, and whatever else makes your painting experience the most rewarding.

As you work, you will quickly discover which paints, papers, brushes, and other materials work best for you. The best thing to do for beginning artists is to dive right in, and enjoy the learning process!