Design Studies

Major commercial and residential complexes, highway and airport projects, resort areas, transit systems, and municipal improvements developed with aid the of 3D renderings affect the living and working habits of an entire city or state. As an artist, we must use our head as well as our hand in our concept and visualization. We must be able to work closely with others, grasp ideas quickly, and proceed much of the time by our own judgement.  

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

I have picked up, and put on my to-read list, "101 Things I learned in Architecture School", by Matthew Frederick.  

This is a book that students of architecture will want to keep in the studio and in their backpacks. It is also a book they may want to keep out of view of their professors, for it expresses in clear and simple language things that tend to be murky and abstruse in the classroom. These 101 concise lessons in design, drawing, the creative process, and presentation—from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory—provide a much-needed primer in architectural literacy, making concrete what too often is left nebulous or open-ended in the architecture curriculum

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.

Sophistication and Competition

Today success in the field is difficult for any proffessional who does not develop his skills quickly enough to keep abreast of trends. Sharpen Your Pencil

The success of an illustration depends on how well it tells a particular story or suits a purpose, rather than on how it was produced.

Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory

I just picked up the book, "But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory"

How do you know when an artist is telling a story?

To decide whether a painter is visual narrative, you should ask yourself three questions:

1. Does the artwork suggest the passage of time (as opposed to being static, like a still life)?
2. Does it seem to have a beginning and an end?
3. Does it hint at something that happened outside of the picture frame?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," then the artist is probably telling a story.

How do you read these stories? To read a narrative painting, you don't necessarily start to the left and move toward the right the way you read a book. Instead you begin at the focal point {the place where the artist leads your eye). The focal point may be the beginning of the story - but it can also be The climax.

Art History

Specialize

Contemporary requiremnets of the building industry call for many types of drawings.  A final presentation drawing may have been proceded by dozens of quick sketches that are never seen by the public. Many renderings are for communication use only rather than for display or publication. Other are concerned with telling stories directly and simple suggestion, through quick sketches rather than by painstaking detailing.

In an age of specialization, it is unlikely that any single artist could be proficient in all the wide variety of subjects and techniques included in the field of architectural illustration.

[caption id="attachment_249" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Bridge Sketch"][/caption]

bridge sketch

Drawing Ability

All of us are born with a certain degree of drawing ability. In some cases, talent is pronounced early enough to surface and be recognized at an early age. It's possessors, with proper training, progress naturally and easily into architectural illustration or some other form of art. Some illustrators may not realize their potential. They have to be shown how to visualize objects as simplified three-dimensional forms. They must discipline themselves to observe certain rules of composition, perspective, and technique. With practice, persistence, and constructive criticism, they can soon learn how to produce creditable architectural renderings.

Think Different

The opposite of work is?

Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?

Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration.  

Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law.

Child Daycare

Here is an image, on the board, of a daycare.  The architect is proposing to bring a historic building back to life, and convert it into a daycare.

7 Essential Red Flags to Watch Out for in New Clients

Working with clients is one of the most difficult parts of being a architectural illustrator.

It is a challenge which we face each and every day, regardless of whether we work in-house, as freelancers, or as agency owners.

Some clients are great, while others leave us tearing our hair our and wondering why we felt the need to subject ourselves to this line of work.

While some problems with clients can be put down to poor communication by both parties, many times we can identify clients which are going to be difficult before we even start working with them.

You can read the article here

Legal Title

Legal title doesn't refer to the name of a rendering but rather who owns it. Say a client sees your 3D rendering portfolio, falls in love with your work and commissions you for a $1500.00 rendering, and gives you a deposit on the spot (with cash, no less). The second she gives you the money, your client become the owner and title "passes" from you to her-that is, if she pays you the full $1500.00. In the real world, of course, few people pay right away. And if you're partially paid (deposit) she gives you $750.00 now and plans to pay you another $750.00 in a month - you only keep title to the rendering for as long as you actually hold on to it (that is, keep it on your server or wherever). By letting your client take the rendering, you're giving her title to it - even though she hasn't fully paid you! She still owes you $750.00, but you don't own the rendering anymore.

It is easy (and lawful) to get around this default title rule. All you have to do is state on your invoice:

Ttitle will not pass until payment is received in full or Paid in full upon completion.

This makes it clear that you are not letting your client become the owner of the rendering - even if she's already received the file - until she's paid for it in full.

Another straightforward way to prevent title passing before you're fully paid is to keep the rendering, or watermark it, until you're fully paid.

Value your work:

Newer 3D artist often undervalue their prices out of humility or overvalue them in light of the tremendous amount of work and passion that went into them. To minimize these tendencies, you have to separate the value you place on your 3D renderings from its final price. What you think a 3D rendering is worth should factor into its price you want for it, but there are other factors, too.

REAL OR FAKE?

Do your eyes deceive you? Take a look each week at 5 new images and guess whether they’re real or fake. Better yet, submit your own and you could earn some props. Try it out!  

Minnesota Bank Rendering

Here is a 3D architectural rendering of a bank.  The image was requested for a road side contruction sign, and will be printed, and mounted, on a 24" x 36" board.

Frames within Frames

One of the most anticipated successful of all renderings is an internal frames. As with any established rendering formulas, it contains real risks of overuse, and has the making of a cliche', but these dangers are the only evidence of the fact that it does work. It simply needs a little more care and imagination when it is being applied. The appeal of frames within frames is partly to do compositions, but a deeper level it relates to perception. Frames within the render have the effect of puling the viewer through; in other words, they are a kind of window.

On a purely graphics level, frames focus the attention of the viewer because they establish a diminishing direction from the outer render.

Motion Blur

If the subject is oviously in motion, and its direction is plain, then the natural tendency is to have it entering the frame rather than leaving it.