BLOG
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
- : pictorial representation in terms of light and shade without regard to color
- a: the arrangement or treatment of light and dark parts in a pictorial work of artb: the interplay or contrast of dissimilar qualities (as of mood or character)
- : a 16th century woodcut technique involving the use of several blocks to print different tones of the same color; also: a print made by this technique
- : the interplay of light and shadow on or as if on a surface
- : the quality of being veiled or partly in shadow
Contrasting effects of light and shade in a work of art. Leonardo da Vinci brought the technique to its full potential, but it is usually associated with such 17th-century artists as Caravaggio and Rembrandt, who used it to outstanding effect. The chiaroscuro woodcut, produced by printing different tones of a colour from separate woodblocks on a single sheet of paper, was first produced in 16th-century Italy.
Did you enjoy this article? I would love to hear your thoughts, so don’t be shy and comment below! Please don’t forget to subscribe to my RSS-feed or follow my feed on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook! If you enjoyed the following article we humbly ask you to comment, and help us spread the word! Or, if you would like, drop me an email.
29 Ways to Boost Creativity
There’s no secret recipe to being creative. Generally when we’re researching new concepts or working on a new task, creativity breeds out of conception. That said, it’s easy to burn yourself out when consistently churning out new and creative ideas. There are however, a few ways to maintain your creative state of mind.
The below INFOGRAPHIC (from Islam Abudaoud) outlines 29 ways to wake and reinvigorate the creative side of your brain. Here’s some of our favourites:
- Carry a notebook everywhere you go, you never know when opportunity might strike!
- Get away from the computer, even if it’s for 5 minutes.
- Quit beating yourself up, stress can stunt creative thinking.
- Sing in the shower. Really, go for it!
- Be open. Don’t shut out ideas just because they’re unfamiliar, you’ll be surprised at what you can learn!
- Surround yourself with creative people.
- Always get feedback. It’s important that you know what you’re doing right/wrong in order to improve.
- DON’T GIVE UP!
- Break the rules. As long as you’re not harming yourself, or someone else – try going against the norm.
- Stop trying to be someone else’s perfect – just be YOU.
- Finish something. Even the most mundane of tasks can breed innovation, give yourself a sense of accomplishment!
- Get lots of rest. A tired brain is a useless one.
Who Needs 3-D Design?
In the world of architectural design things have evolved rather rapidly in the past few years in what regards the visualization of the project before the actual building. This is due to the amazing softwares available that allow the designer to turn their 2-D sketches and plans into illustrated and rendered 3-D images. A 3-D design helps the client see how the building will look like months before the actual building of it, and it also helps them make any changes if they sense something isn’t quite as they’ve imagined.
Although architects and designers have an excellent sense of 3-D visualizing of a building just by looking at a 2-D plan, the ordinary people don’t have this ability; hence 3-D design has come to their rescue. But let’s see who needs 3-D design and mostly why and how it can draw the line between an architectural success and a total failure. Are you ready?
1. Visualizing 2-D Design is Difficult
As we were saying, for the client, who isn't knowledgeable in most cases, visualizing a 2-D plan is rather difficult and in the end not that satisfactory. What does this mean? You’ll deal with a lot of changes and adjustments of the plans (meaning extra work) or even worse, it won’t meet the needs and expectations of your clients, and they’ll either reject it or refuse funding it, depending on the case.
2. Instant Changes
A 3-D design and rendering helps the client see how the building will look like until the very last details. Also, the software programs allow you to make instant changes during the board meeting presentation so that, at the end of the meeting everybody’s 100% happy with how things will work out. Isn't this a giant plus?
3. 3-D Design Presentations to Impress
A 3-D design illustration is clearly the best way to impress a board of investors right from the very start. The project will look astonishing due to the rendering and the 3-D illustration on one hand, and on the other you will look like a professional (that you are). This is the message you will convey to your audience and in the end things will work out your way.
4. Fewer Changes during Construction
Another giant plus, when it comes to 3-D rendering, is the fact that there will be fewer changes during the actual construction of the building that you've projected. This means fewer headaches and moving back and forth with the work. In the end, this will save, time, money and stress on both parts.
5. Reduce Extra Charges
We all know that extra work means extra costs and still no one wants it, especially not the clients who in most cases run on a tight budget. 3-D design and rendering saves you from spending far beyond the budget you’ve allocated this is why it’s so critical. Next time you ask yourself “who needs 3-D design” you’ll know the answer already: everybody!
Everything about Photo-Real Architectural Rendering
For those of you who aren’t familiar with photo-real architectural rendering and want to learn more about it you’ve landed on the right side of the web.
Also called architectural illustration, architectural rendering is the art that refers to the creation of 2D and 3D images or animations in order to highlight the most important attributes and facets of the given architectural design.
While architectural rendering has been used in the construction and design industry for decades now, its more modern form uses computer-generated renderings, also known as photo-real renderings.
What is the main use of photo-real architectural renderings?
Well, the combination of 3D drawing art and software technology has led to a variety of uses of these renderings. First and foremost, architectural renderings are used for presentation of new architectural and design purposes, as well as for marketing and advertisement. Another use of architectural rendering is the design analysis purpose.
Still, one of the most powerful uses it has is to help people see how their house or property will look when it will be done constructed and decorated. Nowadays more and more architect bureaus and construction companies use photo-real architectural rendering in order to show their clients the final product and make sure that this is what they want.
Moreover, architectural renderings we see today are to the right proportion, scale and even use real life textures or materials and even color and finishes.
Another important use of these types of renderings are in real estate sales because they facilitate the possibility to make slight changes in design well before the house or property is actually built.
Are there more types of photo-real architectural renderings?
The answer is yes. And this depends on what the client wants and needs. Hence, architectural renderings can refer to still renderings, animations, virtual tours, renovation renderings, as well as 3D and panoramic renderings.
Depending on the purpose of the rendering, a professional architectural illustrator can help you with the exact type of rendering that you need. Basically, the job of the architectural illustrator is to put complex concepts or objects into reality and elaborate photo-real or non-realistic 3D images or animations. The renderings are used to communicate design ideas to clients, customers, to the general public or to owners and committees.
What does it take to be a professional architectural illustrator?
Although there are very many softwares and technologies that architectural illustrators use to create this type of artwork, not everybody can create a photo-real rendering. You need to have the knowhow in order to operate the special softwares and create the final version of this architectural art.
All of the professional architectural illustrators are artists at their core and they know a vast deal about proportions, sections, parameters and the architecture of buildings, besides having a tremendous imagination and creativity. Besides, a professional render knows all about the psychology of color, he understands how light and shadow works in other words, he sees like an artist, and this is visible it the final product.
Last but not least, in order to deliver spectacular art pieces such as design renderings, a pro needs to be passionate of his work. Every great man in the history of mankind has been passionate of his work to the point in which he managed to revolutionize the world.
How does a photo-real rendering come to life?
If you’ve ever wondered how one can “bring to life” such abstract concepts in a sheer visual manner, you’ll find the answer right away. Well, an architectural rendering is the direct result of combining the fundamentals of art with the latest software technology.
A render engine is included with every major 3D software suite nowadays, and it depends on the artist on which software he uses. Due to the evolution of technology, the softwares available today come with easy to use and understand parameters that help a whole lot the illustrator editing his art in order to come out as realistic and complete as possible. The material and lighting packages that come with most rendering softwares help even more with achieving that over the top level of realism.
Some of the most used software in architectural rendering to get that photo-real feel to the final product are 3D MAX Design Studio, ArchiCad, Revit, Maya, AutoCad Architecture, Google Sketch Up as well as Rhinoceros.
The architectural illustrator uses one of these softwares, adds texturing, transparency, shadows as well as radiosity and caustics for the finishing touches. With a bit of magic, a lot of knowhow and an artistic touch, the photo-real architectural rendering comes to life and is ready to use.
Why do we need photo-real architectural renderings?
We live in a world where taking risks, especially when it comes to constructing or renovating a property, is not worth it, in fact, is quite risky. Photo-real renderings come to help those who face difficulty in choosing among the infinite options when building, designing or decorating their place.
We need photo-real architectural rendering because it eases our imaginative work and it shows exactly how things will look after completion. Architectural rendering excludes all the unexpected and unpleasant surprises that could come along and shows to the client the final look and design of their property.
In the world, we live in today we can take no more risks. We work all of our lives to purchase the home of our dreams, and we don’t want that moment to turn into a nightmare. This is why photo-real architectural rendering is the answer to designing and decorating a house before taking action and completing the construction.
Copying Rendering Techniques
Copying rendering techniques is one of the most challenging and revealing ways for, 3D artists to test themselves and further their abilities.
Copying the 3D artwork of the masters are something every 3D artist can relate to. Copying is a form of inquiry that can bring significant understanding to an artist. And the practice is not just for beginners; even master 3D artists have returned to copying for their own edification.
The practice of copying drawings dates as far back as the 14th century and has long been considered one of the best ways to learn.
Skill vs. Creativity
Skill is applied knowledge. It's when you know something and can use it over and over again - a little like programming a computer to perform certain functions. That's skill. Some teachers are apposed to skill because they believe it kills creativity. But, in fact, it's the opposite - skill gives you the capacity to create.
Creativity takes place in the unknown - the discovery of a form or image not yet manifested. It is why artists make art. Consider Van Goch in the last 70 days of his life - he created about one painting a day. Why? It doesn't seem his motivation was money. Just imagine coming each day with a painting, propping it up on the bed, and wondering where the image come from. I believe what motivates him to go out the next day and paint again and again was the excitement of not knowing what was going to happen next.
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:
Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me
Sharp and Diminishing Detail
Because we do not have the eyes of eagles and because we perceive things through the earth's atmosphere, we are not able to see near and distant planes with equal clarity at the same time. A glance out the window confirms that close objects appear sharp, and in detail, whereas those far away look blurred and lack clarity. In your rendering, either using environmental effects in your rendering engine, or in post software like Photoshop, you can slightly blur the background, make it less saturated, and even add a slight blue tint to it.
Distant Fog
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:
Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me
Critique Guidelines
Unfortunately, many beginning artist let their fear of making errors prevent them from creating anything at all. Don't stop before you start. Get your work out there so people can look at it, give you some advice, and you can get some critiques.
How does one begin a critique? Unfortunately, there are no formulas. You may want to identify the three components of the work (subject, form, and content), evaluate them separately, and then examine how they work together as a whole. Analysis may seem awkward in the beginning, but asking some of the following questions may help.
- What area feels most successful and why?
- What areas feel incomplete or troublesome, and what is the cause?
- How is the subject presented?
- Are there visual or symbolic metaphors that could have helped expand the rendering?
- If the rendering is nonobjective, what suggests the meaning?
- How are the elements used to support or destroy the rendering compositionally?
- Have the principles of organization been observed?
- What is the intention behind the rendering?
- What is being communicated - a feeling, and idea, a personal aesthetic?
- Is it too esoteric?
- Is it to obvious?
- Where does the rendering succeed in integrating these components, and where is it less successful?
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:
Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me
What's That?
Step away from your work for at least a day. After coming back, look at what you have created and if you see anything that makes you say, "what's that?", get rid of it. If you say, "what's that?", you can almost guarantee your viewer will say, "what's that?", as well.
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:
Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me
Creative Leaders
John Maeda, President of the Rhode Island School of Design, delivers a funny and charming talk that spans a lifetime of work in art, design and technology, concluding with a picture of creative leadership in the future. Watch for demos of Maeda’s earliest work -- and even a computer made of people.
John Maeda is the president of the Rhode Island School of Design, where he is dedicated to linking design and technology. Through the software tools, web pages and books he creates, he spreads his philosophy of elegant simplicity.
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:
Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me
PSD-Manager and Gamma
If you save a 32-bit per channel (HDR) PSD file:
There is no gamma correction applied to anything by psd-manager itself. Photoshop expects a 32-bit (HDR) file to have a linear color profile (which means Gamma needs to be 1.0). Photoshop will show you the colors corrected for your display if you have enabled View > Proof Colors, so you will see the image adjusted.
In the V-ray Color mapping rollout you should set Gamma to 2.2 and enable Don't Affect Colors (adaptation only). This tells V-ray that you will later want to display the image using a Gamma of 2.2 (like on a typical sRGB monitor) but will not actually bake the color correction into the pixels. So you are setup for whats called a linear workflow this way.
If you save an 8 or 16 -bit per channel PSD file:
psd-manager uses the Gamma options set in the 3ds max Preferences dialog. So if you have setup an 3ds max output gamma of 2.2 then this is what psd-manager will use. However there are important exceptions to that:
Per default there is no gamma correction applied to render elements, only to the main render output (and layers using RenderCutout mode). This is important because otherwise render elements would not match the look of the main render when combined. So in Photoshop you will typically add an Exposure Adjustment layer on top of your render elements layer stack to correct the Gamma (to match the rest of the file).
If you don't want psd-manager to apply Gamma correction for some reason then you can turn it off in the psd-manager Advanced Options dialog (Gear Icon button in psd-manager).
Recommended typical setup for V-Ray:
V-ray Color mapping rollout:
- Gamma: 2.2
- Don't Affect Colors: on
- Linear workflow: off (this is an old option in V-ray, you have a true linear workflow without it)
3ds max Preferences > Gamma LUT:
- Enable Gamma correction: on
- Input Gamma & Display Gamma & Output Gamma: all set to 2.2
Your V-ray setup:
If you set Gamma in V-Ray Color Mapping to 1.0 that would be fine for saving 32-bit PSD, and also fine for saving 8/16 bit PSDs if your 3ds max Output Gamma is set to 2.2. But it would help the V-Ray renderer if you set the V-Ray Gamma to 2.2 and turn Don't Affect colors: on. V-ray will then spend more time calculating detail in darker areas instead but not actually do a gamma correction to the color values. So this is better than you having to fix it it by cranking up other V-Ray options for the whole scene to counteract lacking precision in dark areas that becomes visible when displaying the image using a sRGB working space.
If you set Gamma in V-Ray Color Mapping to 2.2 and you have Don't Affect Colors turned off, then you would get a double gamma correction if your 3ds max Output Gamma is set to 2.2, because psd-manager will use this value for its gamma correction and apply it on top (just like it happens if you save using the 3ds max VFB with the same options).
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:
Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me
Magician
Artists aren't magicians. There's no penalty for revealing your secretes.
Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:
Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me
“No great work is ever done in a hurry. …to do anything great requires time, patience, and perseverance.”
W. J. Wilmont Buxton
How to Be Creative – eBook
How to Be Creative – eBook
PsyBlog's new ebook, How to Be Creative, explains six key principles of the psychology of innovation to help you be more creative.
If we can all be creative, why is it so hard to come up with truly original ideas?
It's because creativity is mysterious. Just ask any scientist, artist, writer or other highly creative person to explain how they come up with brilliant ideas and, if they're honest, they don't really know.
But over the decades psychologists have given ordinary participants countless tests, forms and tasks and conducted hundreds of hours of interviews. From these emerge the psychological conditions of creativity.
Not what you should do, but how you should be.
Six scientific principles of creativity
In the scientific literature six principles of creativity recur again and again:
- Knowledge - explores the dangers of expertise.
- Problem construction - how creative problems should be approached.
- Emotion - explains which types of emotions are most creative.
- Combining concepts - why the raw materials are already out there.
- Abstraction - how to see your creative problem more clearly.
- The wandering mind - reveals how to think flexibly.
Each are explained with examples from the research and are directly applicable to everyday creativity.
Friends Don't Let Men Buy Bananas
Are these bananas ripe enough to eat? Eight percent of men have absolutely no idea. That's about how many men have red-green color deficiency, a condition that makes it hard for them to distinguish the greenish-yellow of an unripe banana from the brownish-yellow of a ripe one.
Women are far less likely than men to be color-deficient in this way. That's because red-green color deficiency is a recessive trait linked to the X chromosome. With two X chromosomes, a woman has a much better chance of getting at least one good copy of the genes necessary for normal color vision.
The Next Battle for Internet Freedom Could Be Over 3D Printing
By: RICK KELLY
Remember SOPA?
In case you've forgotten already, earlier this year some Congressional legislators attempted to protect intellectual property through the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The language in the bill was far-reaching and ambiguous; thus prompting concern that application of the law would extend beyond its intent.
TechCrunch’s own John Biggs explained that SOPA “would allow the US government to essentially ‘turn off’ part of the Internet that it doesn’t like.” Many people reacted adversely to the proposed legislation and after a wave of activism encouraged by non-profits, corporate titans, and thought leaders, SOPA never came close to being enacted.
The internet has traditionally represented freedom to many people. It has become a global commons where information is rapidly and freely proliferated, unimpeded by governments or corporations. The fear that this freedom would be lost formed a large part of the backlash against SOPA earlier this year. Soon, we will face another wave of potentially liberty-limiting legislation involving our internet activity.
What will be the source of this legislation? 3D printing.
To date, 3D printing has primarily been used for rapid commercial prototyping largely because of its associated high costs. Now, companies such as MakerBot are selling 3D printers for under $2,000. Acurrent project on Kickstarter is attempting to raise funds for a 3D printer with a price of $1,199. Given the typical price and product cycle we’ve seen in the past, it would be no shock to see 3D printers selling for under $500 in a few short years.
Eventually, 3D printing will enable individuals to print just about anything from the comfort of their own homes. Already, hobbyists who own 3D printers are creating jewelry and toys. In the commercial space, 3D printing can print homes, prosthetics, and replacement machine parts.
3D printers can also print guns and synthetic chemical compounds (aka drugs). In July, user HaveBlue reported on the AR15 forum that he had used a mid-1990s. 3D printer to create a fully functional .22 caliber gun. He wrote: “It’s had over 200 rounds of .22 [caliber rounds] through it so far and runs great!” The 3D printed portion of the gun was printed in plastic with a reported material cost of about $100.
The potential policy implications are obvious. If high-quality weapons can be printed by anyone with a 3D printer, and 3D printers are widely available, then law enforcement agencies will be forced to monitor what you’re printing in order to maintain current gun control laws. Otherwise, guns could become more widely available and firearms permits won’t matter to someone like James Holmes or Jeffrey Johnson. They can circumvent firearms laws by simply printing their weapons from a 3D printer for under $100.
That is, unless federal agencies monitor every CAD file sent to a printer, whether or not it is harmless. Monitoring of every file sent to a printer means that federal agencies would need access to every home and office network.
It is likely impossible that the government will be able to successfully prevent every illicit item from being printed, chiefly because a 3D printer would not have to be connected to the internet to print from a local computer. However, you can expect that a time will come when perhaps well-meaning politicians will attempt to prevent guns and synthetic drugs from being created using 3D printers. If passed, the resulting laws would be draconian in their invasion of privacy while simultaneously ineffectual in preventing the creation of the products they seek to prohibit.
Either we allow for the ambiguity that freedom and unregulated 3D printing will bring, or we enforce far-reaching laws that may decrease liberty without changing results. For those who appreciate the internet because of its democratizing effects and freedom, I believe the choice is clear. We should decide now that we will oppose any law that attempts to undermine freedom on the internet, no matter the consequences.
Frank Gehry Is Designing Facebook's New Office Building
Frank Gehry, the genius architect who designed the Wall Disney Concert Hall or the curve perverted one-trick pony who litters beautiful cities with Toontown buildings because he can't draw a straight line anymore (depending on your perspective), is going to be designing Facebook's new engineering office building. You don't even need to know architecture to know Gehry, he's an icon. This is a good thing because it proves Facebook has taste. But a horrible thing because its taste is so generically terrible.
10 best iPad art apps for painting and sketching
From established tools like Zen Brush to new upstarts like Sketchbook Ink, these powerful painting and drawing apps can help you start creating iPad art today!
When the iPad first launched it was pegged squarely as a media consumption device. To create professional art and design, you'd still need a fully-fledged laptop or desktop system running a full-fat operating system like Mac OS or Windows. Right?
Wrong. The iPad art apps in this list prove that Apple's tablet has moved beyond just being for media consumption and is fast becoming ripe for content creation. If you're an illustrator, artist or graphic designer, you can now work effectively on the move - sketching, painting, prototyping, and annotating photos. Invest in a good quality stylus and try one of these amazing iPad apps on for size...
http://www.creativebloq.com/digital-art/art-on-the-ipad-1232669
Knowledge....
Knowledge of construction and better than average design ability are frequently required for architectural rendering art. As often as not, the artist finds himself working more with ideas and sketchy reference material than with the detailed plans provided for other forms of architectural illustrations. He must be prepared to invest and improvise when necessary wthout straining the credibility of the subject.
Giving your left brain a vacation
Familiar objects often look unfamiliar when you view them upside down. After all, the visual information that your left brain automatically applies to certain objects is no longer available when you look at them from a new perspective.
When your left brain can't name the various parts of a particular subject, it gets confused and eventually gives up trying to identify that subject - which is when the right brain jumps in and takes over. The right brain sees the lines of your subject differently than the left brain sees them. It focuses on the way the lines curve and how they create shapes ans spaces within the boundaries of your view-port instead of trying to classify the lines and shapes as belonging to a particular object.