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The Technically "Correct" Way to Render Architecture
Even though, the technically "correct" way to render architecture is to have all the verticals vertical, you can often conceive more energetic renderings by ignoring these conventions and rendering from a low or high point of view. The key is to avoid looking up or down at a slight angle, as this will look like a blunder, and instead go for a really climactic perspective.
Rendering from low down and looking up at a building really emphasizes its height, so it’s a great technique for rendering office blocks and other tall buildings. Look for point of view that will permit you to render the building at an extreme angle for an energetic composition (again this needs to be extreme enough to look deliberate), or strive for a symmetrical image.
Creating a Tranquil Mood
While wind, storms, and dramatic scenes rely on diagonals and vertical emphasis, to convey a sense of peace and tranquility, you need the emphasis to be on a more horizontal composition.
A Tranquil Mood
If you have any question please, contact me, and I'll reply as soon as possible.
Light is a Key Requirement
Light is a key requirement for our renderings and with consideration it to be one of the most interesting facet of our work especially when combined with ambience.
The intent is to add something special to our renderings to raise them up above the norm.
So frequently with the dull, lifeless renderings with a light so flat, and boring, that however we executed our work it does not stand out in the crowd.
Color temperature can be an effective tool suggesting the time of the day as well as giving an feeling of hot or cold weather, and this can impact the entire rendering or just a part.
If you have any question please, contact me, and I'll reply as soon as possible.
Break The Rules!
This is not the last resort though, but many a times breaking the rules is all you have to do — not only for interesting captures but also for winning over the creative rut. For instance, one of the compositional guidelines suggest not to place the subject in the dead center. It makes up for a boring composition. But at times placing the subject in the center works wonders. So first learn the rules and then try to break them often. After all rules are meant to be broken.
If you have any question please, contact me, and I'll reply as soon as possible.
Skies, Light, and Atmosphere
Skies, light, and atmosphere are all bound together, and to blend these elements together will enhance your exterior renderings substantially.
Even the most ordinary of subjects can be transformed by the right lighting and mood. Many 3D artists find themselves in a rut from time to time, incapable to bring forth exuberance for the next exterior rendering. By creating or changing the sky, lighting or atmosphere, you can come up with a genuinely fresh look for your work.
Skies set the mood of an exterior rendering and greatly influence the light, yet many 3D artist scarcely give any consideration.
So before starting an exterior rendering, I ask myself a number of questions:
What sort of mood do I wish to create that would work with the composition?
- Do I want a cool, warm, or neutral sky?
- What time of day do I want to suggest?
- Is there a need for the sky to balance the composition?
- Can the clouds or light in the sky be arranges to highlight a prominent feature?
- How should the sky relate to the landscape, especially where the two elements meet?
- Do I want intense light coming from some part of the sky and if so, where?
These questions may seem to be over- complicated, but after a while they become second nature and most are instantly solved.
With just a little forethought and knowledge you can turn your skies into absolute gems
If you have any question please, contact me, and I'll reply as soon as possible.
Cast Shadows
Cast shadows are a outstanding way to evoke a notion of sunshine in your rendering, so make the most out of them. Where you have a house or building, by all means push those trees closer in to give yourself an excuse to lay cast shadows over the walls and roof - it will breathe a little magic into your rendering.
Cast Shadows
Another thing you can do, to utilize cast shadows, is place a Gobo off screen. A Gobo is a partial screen used in front of a spotlight to project a shape. Here is a great resource for some free Gobos:
If you have any question please, contact me, and I'll reply as soon as possible.
Try to Avoid Parallax
Who wants a building to look like it’s falling over?
If everything in the scene is approximately the same distance from the camera, or very far away, the parallax effect will be elminated or at least minimized.
The way you keep your verticals vertical is to try to keep the plane of your camera parallel to the vertical line of the building, which is not always possible, of course.
Wide angle lenses can help reduce parallax effects because a wide angle lens accentuates perspective, making everything seem further away. However wide angle lenses also have a larger field of view so there is a greater chance that things in the foreground (including the ground itself) are captured and then cause problems.
If you use a render engine like V-Ray, you'll have a guess parallax toggle, but if you don't, there are post-processing tricks to do the necessary tweaks!
If you have any question please, contact me, and I'll reply as soon as possible.
Keeping Lighting Direction Consistent
I'm a major devotee of Darrel Tanks. I have invested in nearly all of his DVD, which are top shelf stuff, and I enjoy every single one of them.
Darrel shows you how to focus on creating consistent lighting that will allow you to see where shadows should be placed and where the apexes in the subject's face should be.
What type of learner are you? [Infographic]
People learn in a variety of ways. Identifying and understanding your learning style can help you maximize your educational experiences by finding ways to make learning more efficient. The 4 main categories are visual, auditory, read/write and kinaesthetic. Which one are you? Read this infographic to find out!
Why Light Needs Darkness
http://www.ted.com Lighting architect Rogier van der Heide offers a beautiful new way to look at the world -- by paying attention to light (and to darkness). Examples from classic buildings illustrate a deeply thought-out vision of the play of light around us.
The Race Against the Machine
In Race Against the Machine (which is a terrific read, BTW), Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson make the point that the impact of Moore’s Law is just beginning to hit its radical phase. Andy and Erik use the analogy of the fable of the invention of chess as a way to talk about what happens once the power of exponential improvement really takes hold of processes and people and technology. The way the fable goes is as follows. Supposedly the inventor of the game of chess showed his creation to the Emperor. The Emperor was so delighted by the game that he allows the inventor to name his own reward. The inventor was a clever man, and so he asks for a quantity of rice to be determined as follows: one grain of rice is placed on the first square of the chessboard, two grains on the second, four on the third and so on with each square receiving twice as many grains as the previous one. The Emperor agrees, thinking that this reward is far too small for such a fabulous game.
He is reassured in his thinking during the early phases of the rice doubling because it really doesn't seem that impressive initially. Even after 32 squares, the Emperor has given the inventor only about 4 billion grains of rice. Now that’s an awful lot of rice, but it is only about one large field’s worth. However, it is in the second half of the chessboard that volume of rice becomes overwhelming. In the second half of the chessboard the Emperor ultimately realizes that the number of grains of rice is equal to 2 to the 64th power – 1, or about enough rice to make a mountain the size of Mount Everest.
The point that Andy and Erik make with this fable in terms of technology is that we are now starting to move into the second half of Gordon Moore’s chessboard. It is in the second half of the chessboard that technology change accelerates. And if the changes and improvements in hardware technology (as represented by semiconductor capacity) are not impressive enough, our ability to create software and algorithms improves even more quickly than our ability to improve the hardware.
Learning a New Skill
Most learning we do is conceptual learning, which is quite different from developing a skill. Conceptual learning is a process of developing an understanding of a subject and can often be done through listening or reading. This is primarily intellectual. In developing a skill, there is also understanding, but this understanding must be coupled with the practice of what you are learning. Sometimes you must practice without an intellectual understanding because that comes only when you can do it. Learning conceptual subjects can sometimes be done extremely rapidly. But learning a skill, is rarely something that can be acquired immediately. You must master each aspect of the skill before going on to the next. In learning new skills, practice a little bit every day. If you try to learn it all at once, you may wind up understanding how it is done but not be able to do it exceedingly well.
Tradigital Drawing
Here is a short video describing how I accomplished a tradigital watercolor.
Learn the Core Fundamentals Concepts
Learn the core fundamental concepts so you can quickly adopt to new ideas, and changes.
Neuroplasticity refers to the physical changes that take place in your brain as you experience and adapt to the world around you.
My Personal 2012 To-Do List
Consider the doctor, plumber, architect, lawyer, or building inspector ... These are all professionals just like us, the architectural illustrator. They have been educated in their craft. They have spent years working in the field, and in some cases, earning their degrees, but credentialing is a valuable and recognized part of our career.
Below is my list, of desktop publishing applications, that I would like to get certified in, during the year 2012. I spent over 20 years mastering many applications, so I thought it was time to get certified in some of them.
- Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)
- Adobe Photoshop®
- Adobe AfterEffects®
- Adobe InDesign®
- Adobe Premiere®
- 3ds Max Design 2011 Certified Professional
- Revit Architecture 2012 Certified Professional
- CompTIA Healthcare
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) Certificate
I'll post update, and my certificate credentials, as I work through my lists.
Top 25 Learning Sites
Yesterday afternoon, I spoke to a group of local college students, on the topic of computer graphics. One thing I stressed was, get your degree, so you can get a job, and then begin to learn.
Below is my top 25, best of the best, online learning resources. Some of these sites are pay and some are free. Not all of the sites are specific to computer graphics.
One thing I've learned over the years is you have to learn the rules before you can break them. Art is art whether it's on paper, canvas, cave wall, or computer screen. Without the basic knowledge of composition, you're not producing art.
I literally went through hundreds of my bookmarks to compile this list of 25. Please, check back often, because I'm sure the list will grow.
- http://www.chaosgroup.com/forums - Is the developer of the V-Ray rendering engine and provides fast rendering solutions for CGI - 3D animation, architectural and VFX studios, games ...
- http://www.digitaltutors.com - Since 2000, we've been a dedicated team of artists, professionals, representatives and problem-solvers who are truly passionate about teaching the people around the globe who make movies and games.
- http://www.lynda.com - Deliver a learning experience that exceeds our members’ expectations.
- http://www.youtube.com - Founded in February 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. See our company timeline for more information on our company history.
- http://www.pencilkings.com - Learn how to draw cartoons by following along with our video lessons from professional artists and instructors. Unlock your inner artist today!
- http://www.sensationalcolor.com - Color Advice and Insights from the Experts: Color Meaning, Symbolism, Psychology, Color for Your Home, Color Schemes, Color Combinations, Color Trends, Quotes about Color
- http://www.beloose.com - BeLoose is a workshop where the experience will definitely change people's lives and increase their confidence beyond their expectation.
- http://www.deviantart.com - Art - community of artists and those devoted to art. Digital art, skin art, themes, wallpaper art, traditional art, photography, poetry / prose. Art prints.
- http://www.drawing-tutorials-online.com - Do you have a passion for drawing but lack certain skills? Would you like to earn a living as an artist but are unsure of where to start ? This one of a kind membership site will provide you with both technical drawing skills as well as sound career advice.
- http://artistsnetwork.tv - Learn techniques for lighting the subject, proportion, painting features, and more as you paint a stunning portrait, reminiscent of the masters--giving you the knowledge you need to create your own portrait paintings!
- http://psd.tutsplus.com - Fortunately, it isn't required to go to design school in order to be a graphic designer. A good foundation in graphic design history, theory, and practica
- http://cgworkshop.org -CG WORKSHOP is an on line service created to enhance 3d artist knowledge providing video tutorials, 3d models and training in many cgi areas. CGW is a cell of MOTYW studio, company that combines architecture with computer graphic. Explore our site, play with available models and presets, have fun.
- http://cg.tutsplus.com - Cgtuts+ is a source of learning on all aspects of computer graphics. We pump out regular tutorials on Maya, 3Ds Max, Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Blender, Mudbox and more. We cater to beginner, intermediate and advanced CG artists.
- http://www.3dmotive.com - Join 3dmotive.com and get instant access to top notch training content streamed in HD. You’ll learn tips, workflows and techniques directly from game industry pros.
- http://www.khanacademy.org - With a library of over 2,700 videos covering everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history and 253 practice exercises, we're on a mission to help you learn what you want, when you want, at your own pace.
- http://www.vray-studio.com - VRayART LTD is a multimedia development company that stands behind this project, established in 2009. Since then we have created over a thousand different applications, including games, presentations, websites, 3D visualizations, also medical and Hi-Tec simulations. Our clients stand in the front lines of future developments. By joining our forces with them we create high end applications at super quality standards.
- http://curriculum.autodesk.com - Creativity and design play a significant role in every part of our lives, here you will find a new approach to design, sustainability, and creative problem-solving using Autodesk software.
- http://www.digital-photography-school.com - Discover how to use your digital camera with our Digital Photography Tips. We are a community of photographers of all experience levels who come together to learn, share and grow in our understanding of photography.
- http://kelbytv.com/photoshopusertv - The weekly Photoshop TV show featuring "The Photoshop Guys" Scott Kelby, Dave Cross and Matt Kloskowski. Presented by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP).
- http://www.creativecow.net - Support communities for digital video, video editing, and media production professionals in broadcasting, motion graphics, special FX and film. Home to the top-rated Adobe After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid, Discreet Combustion, Media 100 844x and Pinnacle Cinewave user forums support communities, dedicated to digital video production professionals.
- http://www.mentalboutmax.biz - 3ds Max, Mental Ray, Vray, 3D, Rendering, Raytracing, Global Illumination, Photons, Final Gather, Irradiance Map, Image Sampling, Video Training, Vray Tutorials, Mental Ray Tutorials, 3ds Max tutorials, Anti Aliasing, Modelling, Lighting, VFX, MentalBoutMax
- http://www.thecgschool.com - 3DATS, LLC provides high quality training solutions for design visualization professionals. Our products and services include customized training, 3D design consultation, training books and DVDs, as well as some of the best content available in the visualization industry.
- http://www.openculture.com - Get free online courses from the world’s leading universities. This collection includes over 250 free courses in the liberal arts and sciences.
- http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/speakers_vftt - The student-run speaker series brings well-respected leaders of business and social sector communities to campus to share their views of leadership with student audiences. Speakers discuss their leadership style, personal vision, and strategies for success.
- http://www.wetcanvas.com - WetCanvas: Cyber Living for Artists
Introduction to Modeling in 3ds Max 2012
I have just completed the digital-tutors video series call, "Introduction in 3ds Max 2012" 5 hrs. 11 min. | 10/03/2011 | 3ds Max 2012 | Author: Joshua Kinney
In this collection of lessons we will learn about the different modeling techniques available in 3ds Max 2012 to create a future concept bike. In this series of lessons we'll be discussing some the introductory methods for modeling in 3ds Max 2012 and you should begin to develop techniques that will complement your own style of modeling. Through out these lessons, we will learn a variety of different modeling methods, such as spline modeling that will allow you to easily model irregular objects with ease. Then we'll learn how to use primitive geometry to build some of the more complex objects of our concept bike. We'll also be introduced to several of the common tools used for modeling in 3ds Max. Finally, we'll learn how to create some basic materials for our bike to create some really stunning 3d renders. By the end of this course, you should have a solid grasp of the different modeling techniques and begin coming up with a modeling style that works best for you