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Front Yard
Landscaping Ideas From a Different Perspective
By Evan Visser
These front yard landscaping ideas are not about plant varieties or
climate zones. As an architectural illustrator I'm coming at this
from a little different perspective. Get it? Perspective?
I've created 100's of home illustrations. Each one dressed up with
the correct shingles, siding, colors, stone, etc. predetermined by
the builder, designer or architect.
Then comes the landscaping and that's pretty much left up to me. It
occurred to me that home owners might benefit from the approach that
I take.
I look at the bigger picture. I break up the landscaping into four
groups.
1) Lawns
2) Shrubs/flowers
3) Trees
4) Backgrounds.
Now I know if you're looking for front yard landscaping ideas that
backgrounds don't apply, so I'll just focus on the other three.
1) Lawns - Lawns are the foundation of an attractive landscape and
set the stage for making every thing else look great.
2) Shrubs/flowers - Shrubs soften the environment around the home. I
use short or tall plants depending on the space available while
avoiding a crowded look & feel. I like to concentrate the color of
flowers near the front door to draw the eye to the front entry.
Although I don't use potted plants a lot, they can be quite nice if
there is room and they're scaled to fit the area.
3) Trees - I like to use ornamental trees as an accent and a
transition from the home to the shade trees. They can be quite
colorful in the Spring time, but in general I don't show them with
color. I use them for they're scale or size. In my renderings the
focus is the home.
I use shade trees quite often in the foreground. I like to think of
them as the frame of the picture. The shadows they cast help to
create an inviting atmosphere to the front of the home as well.
So there you have it. The idea is to take a step back and look at
the front of your home from the street or sidewalk. Think about what
would enhance your home and not obscure it over a period of time.
Oh, one more thing. Call the appropriate service in your area before
you start digging. Make sure you know where your underground utility
lines are.
Keeping Renderings a Form of Art
By Michael J. Sanchez
In this age of computerization, it seems as though the art of
creating architectural illustrations completely by hand is becoming
increasingly scarce . Sure, computer technology has enabled us to
"fly" around and through buildings we have designed, through
animation software. It has also made it relatively easy to make
changes to a particular design.
But when it comes to simply needing a picture of what a proposed
building is going to look like, nothing compares to the versatility,
the control, or the character of a hand drawn illustration. There is
something to be said for the value of making your project look like
nothing your audience has ever seen before, as opposed to another
slick computer made image more akin to the special effects of a
fantasy movie.
I must admit that I became an architectural illustrator before
computers started making their way into every aspect of our
industry. In my humble opinion, I think that we automatically assume
that computers will make any job easier, quicker, and better. But
architectural illustration evolved primarily out of the field of
art. I still believe there is a strong artistic component in this
process, and it would be a shame if it was completely lost.
Drawing a building by hand allows me to understand the project much
better than I would if I was having to put a computer in between me
and the final output. I have often become more familiar with the
building than the architects, sometimes requiring that they make
further design decisions or even correct errors on their plans that
they hadn't seen before. And, if a client wants to represent
specific materials and colors on their building, I am more capable
of doing that than the computer illustrators who have to contend
with the unreliable interface of monitors and printer inks.
Finally, there in much to be said for the ability to easily convey a
particular mood or character that can enhance the quality of a good
design. I will always look at each project individually and attempt
to emphasize those characteristics that make it special. It can
sometimes be the spectacular site, the tremendous views, or simply
the one of a kind design. I can then choose a rendering technique
that best conveys that unique quality.
Learning 3D Illustration
By Carlo Berces Castillo
3D Illustration is a 2d representation of a 3d object in the virtual
world. The illustrators role is to convey in the best possible
manner, the design of the structure, through a rendered perspective.
Modeling a building for architectural presentation and analysis is
different from modeling cartoon character, aliens from distant
planet. Nobody know what aliens look like so the modelers have an
advantage in his interpretation. Almost everybody knows what a
structure looks like, and those expectation should be met by the
illustrator.
With the aid of the Architectural Software, the Architects, Interior
Designers, and Industrial Designers - anyone who makes aesthetic
decisions in 3-Dimensions, will find that 3D computer visualization
is a very effective way of conveying design ideas.
Building a 3D illustration on a computer often highlights design
problems, and can aid in the search for a solution, which are often
overlooked during the design process.
3D Modeling Basic
There are a lot of ways to create your 3d modeling and almost
everybody have their own way and technique of creating the same
model. In architectural visualization, there are a few modeling
types every illustrator needs to master in 3DS Max.
These are spline, shapes and meshes, although there are others
namely NURBS, patches, they all cater for other industry, but a
basic understanding of these modeling techniques will be useful in
other parts of your 3d scene.
The basic foundation of every 3D scenes are the line works, which
are provided by the architects or other design professional, in the
form of hand-drawn plans or 2D Autocad drawings.
From there, it is digitized to form a spline or shapes, that can be
used in the creation of primitives, compound objects, and other
object that will complete the scene.
Some also prefer to model the scene in AutoCAD and export to 3DS max
for the texturing, lighting, and rendering.
There are no basic rule to follow, whether using autocad or a 3D
software, as long as you are able to produce the required output.
Since designers are used to the precision drawings of autoCAD, it's
no surprise that some illustrator engage in setting up the all the
massing and modeling part in AutoCAD to take advantage of its
accuracy in the 3D creation, and exporting them for rendering in 3DS
Max later
Materials & Textures
Modeling is only the first step of creating Architectural
Visualization. Materials and textures are the steps that attach a
color and surface qualities to the 3D objects.
These textures comes from either scanned, painted, photographed, of
actual materials and then projected on the 3D surface.
The main thing that you need to consider is the resolution of the
bitmap that you will be using.
You must bear in mind that the bigger the bitmap, the bigger the
file size, and your rendering will be slower. Analyze the scene, if
the object is far away from the camera or is a minor element in the
scene, you can use a smaller bitmap size.
Lighting & Rendering
Lighting and Rendering requires a keen eye for color and tone, as
well as understanding of the technicalities and limitation of 3D
Lighting Systems and Rendering Engines.
In order to achieve realistic Architectural Illustration, you'll
want to study basic photography, which is primarily a study of light
and how it interact with surfaces and film, and cinematography,
which deals with lights in motion.
Lighting in 3D requires a mastery of the basic light types -
directional, point, ambient, area, and spot lights - as well as an
understanding of how lights interact with surfaces and the creation
of shadow in 3D.
You'll need to have a firm grasp of how textures will be affected by
their lights. Knowing color and how to get the right look for the
frame is imperative in creating a photo-realistic scene.
The Art of Architectural Illustration
By Carlo Berces Castillo
Architectural Illustration is a "Vocation" in which not everybody
can attain. The Architectural Illustrator, whether traditional or
digital media, is a rare breed of design professional, whose
commitment to excellence has elevated its practice to a secular
level. The Architectural Illustrator is the person who doesn't
distinguish night from day, for he is consumed by the process of
creation, making something out of nothing. At this moment, time
stands still, nothing matters except "evolution".
So, What made this Architectural Illustrator choose to draw rather
than design? Is it the instant gratification of creating, rather
than waiting until the structure materialize. Or is it illustrators
impulse to view the world in his own perspective, on how he sees the
world.
Perspectivist
Perspectivist, in an article I recently read are described the
traditional illustrators as "perspectivisorous",which in due time
will become obsolete as their reptile counterpart. And that an
emerging species of digital media is taking over the playing field.
Having said that, a person who came from the old school of thought,
the traditional illustrator, who upon tasting the digital media,
will be mesmerize by what the extent of what his imagination can
achieve.
If you think computer as a medium, it won't be far away from the
truth, anything will not be possible without the artist behind, just
like an artist and his brush. It is the design professional who is
the heart of all this practice.
Coming from the same discipline earlier in my career, tasting both
world, I see no difference in favoring one or the other.
Perspectivist and the new 3d Illustration complements each other.
One must be proficient in the basic skills of traditional drawings,
in order to excel in 3d Illustration.
3D Illustration
3D Illustration is a 2d representation of a 3d object in the virtual
world. The illustrators role is to convey in the best possible
manner, the design of the structure, through a rendered perspective.
Modeling a building for architectural presentation and analysis is
different from modeling cartoon character, aliens from distant
planet. Nobody know what aliens look like so the modelers have an
advantage in his interpretation. Almost everybody knows what a
structure looks like, and those expectation should be met by the
illustrator.
With the aid of the Architectural Software, the Architects, Interior
Designers, and Industrial Designers - anyone who makes aesthetic
decisions in 3-Dimensions, will find that 3D computer visualization
is a very effective way of conveying design ideas.
Building a 3D illustration on a computer often highlights design
problems, and can aid in the search for a solution, which are often
overlooked during the design process.
Learning 3d Illustration
Learning 3d Illustration requires devotion and discipline, just like
any other profession. Whether you choose to acquire the necessary
skills by attending a formal school or by educating yourself, it's
helpful to be clear on what your goals and aspirations. Remember
"without a vision, the people perish", without a specific target,
you will have no motivation to pursue anything.
For many, formal 3D illustration training is necessary, just like
when we took our college course, whether its architecture or fine
arts. So when ask whether a formal course in illustration is a must,
the answer is "it depends on the individual".
No matter what kind of education you receive, in our field, it's not
what we know, but it's what we can show. The main criteria is our
demo reel or portfolio is what the client/employer sees about you,
your skills, and artistic vision than anything else.
There are some advantages to spending time in a formal school
environment, first of all is that you will be completely immersed in
the subject matter that you are learning. A definite advantage is
the motivation and getting focused.
A school is more than a learning institution, it's also a best
environment for networking in your specialized field, including the
faculties, who are often connected with different illustration
and/or production houses, mainly because they probably do some
freelance work, or they have former students working in some
prestigious design firms.
Another advantage is also that if you attend a formal school, you
have access in all their equipment, and being mentored by a
professional, that is not possible if you will try to learn by
yourself.
Attending school improves the chances of landing an internship,
which maybe the best way to prove yourself in a working studio and
get the needed professional experience or a presentable demo reel
and/or portfolio.
Some school also provide placement for selected excellent student,
due to the school and graduates that are connected to some
professional production houses.
It does not guaranty that attending a formal education enables you
to achieve your goal, it just improves the probability of landing a
good career.
Basically it falls on one thing, "it's not what we know, but it's
what we can show." The only person that is interested about your
grades are your parents.
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