The 3D Architectural Rendering industry may be new but it’s not without competition. As more industries gain to benefit from the output of 3d design and technology, more people are also looking to explore their skill sets.
That’s not something detrimental, however. In fact, competition in the market not only accommodates the demand that the current industry receives but also assists in furthering its sophistication and application.
Therefore, if you are an architect in the 3d rendering business, you very well know that there’s no other way forward than this. And as a testament to that fact, you are always faced with the challenge of one-upping your competition. That is, fulfilling your clients’ vision and more.
But as an artist, and at its core, an engineer of a virtual world, how exactly do you make sure that your output has the edge that needs to have?
Here are some tips.
Simplicity is Key
As you already know so well, it’s not the presence or absence of elements that matters too often but how well they are placed in your render. Colors are tricky; sometimes, it’s easier to stick to one, then use lighting to catch the viewer’s focus.
When doing your design, it’s best to keep your elements to the minimum, if you are to achieve a lifelike render that follows nature’s sophisticated variation. And more often than not, you will find that lighting is all that makes the difference.
Make it Look Natural
And by natural, we mean, making it look like how you’d see it with your own naked eye. Using techniques like beveling, vignetting, or chromatic aberration via Photoshop will help you create a photorealistic render that mimics how the eye views its subject in different ways.
That includes focus, highlighting details where focus is centered, and judiciously making use of lighting techniques.
Focus on One Scene at a Time
Cluttering your design with too many elements can distract the viewer from the focal point of your render. To make your design stand out, pick a central point and see to it that any addition you bring into the image will only be secondary to your main point.
If possible, focus only on a certain area or scene instead of trying to capture everything all at once in a single image. This guarantees that the scene gets its own spotlight and the design is given its own personality.
If you’re going for a wholistic image such as when you need to juxtapose the image of a building against a background, preferably use as little background elements as possible.
Get Good at Composition
The placement of elements in your image helps create an output that properly conveys what you intend to communicate to your viewer.
Unlike taking photographs, however, where you are primarily dependent on the chance to capture a good photo, 3d architectural rendering allows you to direct the image itself and give it its own life.
Too often, the absence of certain elements can give away that an image is computer-generated. But if you add objects, shapes, and shadows into the render, you can make it look like a snippet of real life.
As an example, adding people into your 3d architectural render helps introduce movement into your image and transform a stagnant render into a more lively, lifelike output.
Make It Imperfect
A good 3d architect is not obsessed with making everything “perfect.” Instead, he or she devotes much of his or her time trying to do the opposite. Nature’s perfection lies in its variation and it’s often that very fact that makes 3d rendering a long and painstaking process. It’s also what separates the mediocre 3d artist from the good ones.
If you are detail-oriented, your ideal vision would be to create a render that’s as realistic as possible. That entails a lot of research, skill, and software knowledge to nail an imperfectly perfect render.