Hand & CAD - The Wireframe Years - 7

This post is a continuation of my look at Cooper Robertson’s design for Disney’s Buena Vista Studios in Hollywood, California (1990). The previous post covered 8 mundanely informative views. This post will cover two of the more interesting views.

The first view is a ground level view of the food bar proposed for the base of the water tower. All drawings are an 8” square format.

The first wireframe sketch started with the rough CAD model that I used for the aerial shots (see previous post). The shading provides a vague idea of the space and structure.

In this second round sketch I’ve created a much more understandable image. I copied the CAD model and used the copy to eliminate all parts of the model that couldn’t be seen from this viewpoint. I then used pastel and pencil to evoke a sunlit spot.

In the third pass the viewpoint was adjusted slightly, and the design was developed and detailed.

After some minor adjustments this ink line drawing was produced on mylar…

… and color was added with transparent ink applied with an airbrush.

The second example is a view of the main entry gate; which was essentially a three dimensional logo/sign for the Disney property. The design was fairly set, so I expected a straightforward drawing process, with the viewpoint as the only unknown.

A close view seen on a diagonal was preferred, but the near tower was cut off.  Note the lack of line hiding or shading. These were quick shots to establish viewpoint.

Here we are further back, but still at an angle to the gate.

This view is almost directly in front of the gate.

Finally, this view, which is slightly off center, was chosen.

Minor design changes and detailing was added.

Additional minor details were added, and the confusing hidden lines were eliminated on the print with white out.

Shade and shadow was added on a Xerox print with pastel and pencil. At this point I thought we had an interesting basis for a finished rendering.

Unfortunately, the design was considered insufficiently “Disney”. A new design was worked up, and I revised the CAD model. This time a medium close-up view was tried on a diagonal, so as to include the “Team Disney” building (Michael Graves and the Seven Dwarves).

A bit of pastel and pencil helped separate the gate from the background forms.

It was decided to move the viewpoint back. This would allow a full view of the “Team Disney” building as well as a better understanding of the undulating fence.

In working up this pastel and pencil study, I realized that the major challenge would be separating the gate from the façade of the building behind. Both were rather complex and “busy” forms, so I was going to have to punch up the gate and grey out the building.

I decided to use stippling on the building and solid lines on the gate. It was a rather tricky business on such a small drawing (about 8” square), but I thought (and still think) it worked.

The client never asked for a color rendition of this view, but I later did one for fun. I softened and lightened the stipple on the far building with sprayed opaque white paint. Then I airbrushed transparent ink color. The result is pretty successful, although there is an awful lot of depth and detail in a very small finished painting. The only discordant bit in the drawing is the perspective of the “Team Disney” building, which can’t be helped since it is not perpendicular to the street and the rest of the buildings.