Architectural Illustrators

How to Become an Architectural Illustrator

By John Kordela

As an illustrator I first began my career acquiring skills in fine art. A background studying traditional painting, drawing, design, and color theory is what can give you the edge you need to stand out among talented illustrators in this industry. Many artists today still offer traditional paintings or drawings, but these are quickly becoming replaced with high tech computer renderings and 3D modeling.

By also studying CG Illustration you may find ways to simulate hand drawn or water color paintings in addition to creating more photo realistic visuals. After learning 3D Modeling and Animation, I went on to study undergrad courses for an architectural degree and work for a builder. Here I learned technical drafting skills and building methods. This is very important to understand the building process and terminology in order to be able to read plans and communicate with architects, builders, and real estate agents.

After working for architects and building developers for several years, I opened my own freelance design studio. These entry level jobs brought me hands on experience working with city public officials, real estate agents, talented designers, and building developers on site. To be able to communicate and understand the needs of these key professionals was a priceless skill to learn what was necessary to open my own studio.

I am now able to serve the needs of other industry professionals mostly from my computer, while only visiting certain job sites or clients for very specific detailed or large projects. One of the main skills I had to learn outside of school was the ability to communicate the benefits of what architectural illustration can do for others in order to earn the interest of clients. Students can often focus solely on the detail of their craft through refining their artistic and technological skills, and this can easily distract them from the networking that is incredibly important in order to attract clients.

It can be incredibly challenging to find work if you cannot communicate and market yourself to professionals that need your services. Because this is a very specialized field, anyone interested in pursuing it as a career must learn to convey to others all that they have to offer. Architectural illustrators must let their clients know how these skills can make them more money and increase sales.

In addition, the expansion of sustainable and "green" building methodologies has created another huge market looking for 3D modelers to help explain how the new technology works through renderings and animations. Various industries in related fields are also seeking the skills of 3D modelers and technical illustrators for furniture, medical, and retail product design.

Overall, architectural illustration is a very valuable asset to the industry. It is a specialized niche to belong to, but meets a specific demand from a progressive industry that is striving for a lighter footprint on the environment. Regardless of the economy being good or bad, visualization of a project promotes better communication, more efficiency, and less waste in the building process. It is invaluable to "Green" building, and more importantly, on survival in a tough economy.




Sell Faster and Make More Money With Architectural Renderings

By John Kordela

Architectural illustration can create a three dimensional looking structure for others to see before it is built. It allows those who cannot visualize the outcome to see it before hand. This can prevent very expensive mistakes in both large and small developments.

A lot of money is spent when designing a building, however, very few people understand what it will look like until it is too late to make changes. The price of a rendering is a very small investment when compared to the large percentage of budgets that go into the design aspect of any building. This small portion of the overall budget can bring big returns for the higher perception in value that it creates.

Often architects and builders need to present their projects to investors and clients whom do not understand or read design plans clearly. This is where an architectural illustrator can convey a project so that others can visually understand what it will look like ahead of time. This can greatly alleviate miscommunication between builders, architects, and their clients.

This can also leave room for more improvements or upgrades that can be done with a variety of renderings for clients to choose from. Overall, architectural renderings can increase the value of your project and bring you more money for your designs and your time. With modern technology, there are also a variety of different levels of renderings to choose from. For those with a smaller budget, computer modeled designs can be done with basic landscaping and an elevation view.

For those with high end projects, there are highly refined interior and exterior visual representations that can be made to create a staged look and feel as though the project is already built. These can include high end accents such as lighting, romantic or eco modern landscaping, high end appliances, cars, and a variety of people from working professionals to family scenes with mothers and their children.

Even a basic rendering creates a quicker higher priced sale. This concept is similar to the benefits of home staging. It is a known fact that staged homes sell faster than ones that are not. This is because buyers need a visual representation literally spelled out and created for them. They need to see the use of space to understand its value and what it can do for them.

Most illustrators are available through freelance studios and this can give you more freedom to choose from a variety of styles without having to carry additional employees. Many of these artists use the more traditional style of hand drawn or painted illustrations.

However, a quality computer modeled rendering can offer you a more modern realistic impression of your project. Also an artist specializing in 3d computer generated renderings can usually produce faster turnaround times with an expensive looking illustration at any budget. By painting a picture you can conceptualize your ideas to others, excite buyers, clients, and investors by winning over their approvals with a realistic representation of your vision.




Overview on 3D Illustration

By Henri Doolin

3D illustration is a process of creating animation and images in a three dimensional environment within a computer with the help of 3D software applications. It is also a process of generating 2D representation of a 3D object in the virtual world, wherein the main role is performed by the 3D artist by conveying the design of the structure in a rendered perspective in the best possible way.

3D illustration is one of the most important parts of computer graphics which includes an array of services including 3D modeling, photorealistic artwork, 3D rendering, 3D visualization, video games, cartoons and much more. With constantly changing technologies and its demand, 3D illustration has created an impact in the market which services are been utilized by numerous industries today. It allows the individuals to experience an amazing visual effect which mesmerizes its audiences. Industries always tend to focus on innovative ideas to market themselves; encompassing these requirements, 3D illustrations have played an important role by serving as an innovative tool which gives a spotlight to any given product, material, company or business. Besides this, 3D illustration is incorporated with numerous benefits and advantages.

Some of the major advantages of 3D illustrations are:

• It helps to convey a right message to your targeted market.
• Works as a affordable solution.
• Helps to generate more profit with increased customers and clients.
• Creates an amazing visual effect which mesmerizes your audience.
• Allows your product, material, company and/ or business to get the right spotlight.

A professional computer graphics company could help you to create state-of-the-art 3D illustrations, which targets your audience and is able to convey a right message to your perspective clients. Such companies have years of experience and are equipped with a versatile pool of illustrators, skilled on various 3D software applications. These companies ensure to provide excellent and innovative services in 3D illustrations, which creates incredible visual effects, that is capable of drawing your clients.

Nowadays, 3D illustrations have earned the rite to be the best and effective medium of advertising almost anything. This has led to the continual demand of 3D animation in the market, with more and more business enterprises searching for cutting-edge technology to advertise and market their products and services. 3D illustrations and animations are been used widely in production of sketches and drawings for architectural and industrial purpose, presentations, cartoons and animation movies and video games and much more.




A Guide to 3D Product Illustration

By John S Kenny

3D product illustration is a popular field of visual presentation that finds application in numerous print Medias today. Apart from giving life to abstract images and technically rich visual objects, 3D product illustration is largely used for a number of applications such as for the presentation of architectural drawings, campaigns, models for industrial pieces, presentations for prototype products, and for amusing children by giving life to their favorite comic and cartoon characters in children's movies, cartoons, video games etc.

3D illustration has grown to be an interesting field for the teenagers who wish to try the innovative possibilities of the growing technological advancement. You can also use 3D product illustrations for creating advertising prints and product presentations for your clients in the form of visually enhanced images or videos. Since 3D visualization can easily attract common people by its visual impact, it has become an important part of online and print marketing today. People get the right message of any product or service as visual images are conveyed to them quickly at a glance as compared to the writings on a brochure or flypaper. That is the reason why 3D illustrations are highly increasing in popularity today.

Another major advantage of using 3D illustration is that it helps in providing you with photographs that are more visually enhanced as compared to the real photos. When you require taking more time to clean up the flaws of a photo in a Photoshop by eliminating the unnecessary smudges and other defects in photography, the images that are visually enhanced through 3D visualization does not produce any flaws that you need to edit. 3D illustrations are also used for conveying the right idea to the investors in any business. While providing a sophisticated appearance to your product or service, it helps to deliver everything accurately to your clients so that they can actually hold the product in their hands before purchasing them. 3D illustrations also help you to customize your ideas with added techniques that cannot be done in this physical world. You can enhance the visual impact by including detail shots that offer better image or product description.