Everyone is familiar with Adobe Photoshop image editing capabilities, and also Photoshop’s painting features. I have actually been using it for something different: architectural concept creation. Instead of trying to develop elevations in cadd, where precision can get in the way of creativity, the freeform painting in Photoshop allows a much faster and simpler creative flow.

One great feature is the fixed aspect marquee tool. After setting up the proportions you want, you can scale the marquee box to the relationship that works with adjacent structure. Another advantage is working with solid color. Filled geometric shapes are easier to work with than line based graphics. The transform tool can be used to vary the solid shapes and relationships, visually adjusting the design. After adding some details, a full color graphic is ready to present to the client.