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:
- Does the artwork suggest the passage of time (as opposed to being static, like a still life)?
- Does it seem to have a beginning and an end?
- 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.
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"]
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- 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.