Portfolio rendering

[Monne]

Hey guys,
havnt posted for a long long time as i was too busy working on my final project (didnt even have time to make 1 render of it)
Now i graduated as an Architect (hooray!) i need to work on my portfolio.
I'm trying to get a job in Stuttgart, so will do my best.

You can follow my progress on the renderings here.

First project: house I designed in my 2nd year

Some views of the SKP and a first try on the render

C+C very welcome, my future may depend on it

[d.sign]

First of all, welcome to the forum!
Than, I would ask you, if you are architect, do you search for job in the field or you think to practice architectural visualization (cg)?
- If you are looking for job in architecture, than I think your portfolio should look different than portfolio of CG artist.
Architectural portfolio is based on architectural design and projects and goal should be for you to present them in readable and effective way. You do not need to go for photo realistic rendering for that. Most architects settle for stylized approach. For that you can combine raw renderings and sketch up linework, bring all in Photoshop and play with it... What is really important is that you have good design to play with...
- If you, by any chance looking for CG artist job, than we can comment your rendering as such, in which case it would be good to know what is your basic experience with CG and what software (beside the SU) you use.
Judging by the noise in your image, it is probably Maxwell...
Regardless of the engine you use, here are couple of tips for you.
- Your textures/materials are problematic... they are not doing just to your project/design. Brick is dark and repeating... repetition is too obvious... further more, your materials make it difficult to read the lighting of your scene and quality of the architecture
- Try to go step by step. First you try to setup the light so it plays nice game with your design. Try to accent the volumes, the voids, to give it more depth. Leave the materials untextured and in just couple of basic tones, shades of gray or cream... Your grass or land, whatever could be just some sepia color... darker than other colors...
Than, shoot some tests that are working well in terms of light, goal is to bring best in your house design, like you are shooting photo of beautiful landscape, cityscape, house, woman anything, try to bring best of its features and give it some artistic touch of it own, your creativity with light makes another, new layer of quality on top of the design itself...
- After that you can go with gradually introducing materials/textures... search for good seamless tillable textures... you have free samples at Got3d, Ambient Light, Arroway...
- Finally you play with post production and even the rendering that you are half satisfied with, can become great with few touches in Photoshop...

I hope this helps a bit, try with posting more of your work and more tests...

P.S. Your design reminds me of those architects
Döring Dahmen Joeressen Architekten
I like their stuff very much... Your project has same Mid-European modernist spirit... very nice...
Hey, look at the brick they are using, bit earthly toned... warm...

[pradipta]

Thanks Branko for that awesome post, it will prove to be very helpful for newcomers!

[Monne]

like pradipta said: thanks for the advice branko.

yes, it's maxwell, as my knowledge of 3dsmax is very limited and i cant get vray to work.

thanks very much on the tip on lightning. it is true, now i just paste some textures on it without trying to make the best of the lightning. (maybe because multi-light is so slow in MW)

thanks for the link to the architects, their oeuvre looks very nice.
shame they work in dusseldorf and not stuttgart

[Monne]

Some updates, loft at sea, designed in my 2nd year.
Still making the same mistakes, but it's good enough for my portfolio. Having some interviews with architecture firms in Stuttgart, no CG

[d.sign]

Interiors work pretty nice...
Just a couple of notes
- material of interior walls should be smoother and lighter than of exterior... I know that is more work but it makes a better effect if you have smooth white rather than rough stucco...
- material of the ceiling is same like floor... that is rarely so in reality... even if you have wooden ceiling it would be some other type... I suggest you change it to white smooth, even give it slight glossy reflection...
- background from maxwell physical sky is sometimes nice, but in your case it turns to gray at the window and I suggest you put some trees and make background lighter for the first shot... also I think if sun would have different direction and come from the window at the back and you make it a bit like sunset mood it would turn out very nice... so experiment some more with sun direction... try and see how it plays with your interior space...

[Monne]

Thanks for the feedback.

Thought of the ceiling texture as well, but it kept exporting as 1 group from sketchup, so I gave up

Absolutely right about the light in the first scene, i will try to work that out later.
Now, unfortunately, I don't have time to play around some more, as I promised the firms that I would send my portfolio this week.

Greetings
Dennis

[Rod]

Hi Monne,
I like the looks of them, but one thing really stands out to me is the lack of any light fixtures. Ceiling fixtures would certainly work. On a cloudy day bet it'd be hard to see in there.