LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

We often work with blueprints. We also work with renderings, which I prefer. Sometimes we're working with a sketch on a napkin. My least favorite form of drawing.

Blueprints are often sterile and difficult to understand for many clients. Often they have no clue what their agreeing to. In this case we provide shop drawings, which provide a better understanding to the client. We have them sign the drawings, so latter they can't tell us they didn't know what we were building.

Sketches on napkins really don't help the client or us. Again, we must interpret what the designer is trying to accomplish, and relay that to the client.

Renderings are my favorite, as they are more like colored drawing the clients really understand. We still do the shop drawings, but we know exactly what the designer is trying to accomplish. The shop drawing help us in the building process, as we can determine the sizes and construction methods, as well as transfer the parts to a cut list program. This makes keeping track of all the parts really simple.

These photos are the renderings we used for the living room / bar project.

The first photo is a mirror image of the ceiling. The second is a plot or floor plan of the room. The third is the bar drawing. These renderings were done by Tommi at K Gallery Art and Design.

No one is surprised at the outcome, as far as looks go, except they are generally blown away by the real thing, as opposed to the rendering.

Lee

Gallery

Comments

· Registered
Joined
·
9,145 Posts
Great perspective Lee. It make the whole thing so real. Until you see the real thing.

Did you do the renderings or was this the owner?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
9,733 Posts
that's excellent.
I'd be thrilled with the pix-and then the real thing. Wow-blown away!!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
285 Posts
In the smaller cities like where I'm from we don't have or get quality designers such as you get in the larger cities. Renderings such as you get are limited so we have to rely in a blueprints and shop drawings from suppliers. I'll agree I would rather work from a rendering. Thanks!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
863 Posts
Lee -

Very interesting insight to the professional design and construction process. This is something all of us can use at one level or another. The renderings are almost indiviual pieces of art that would be great for the customer to save an appreciate after completion of the project - maybe even frame one or two. Thanks!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
6,840 Posts
Lee, I work in facilities management at a university, and when we are developing a new building or renovating a space, renderings like this are essential to get the faculty perspective and meaningful input. The average person just can't look at blueprints and have any real idea what the space is going to look like.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
3,315 Posts
Karson,

The designer did them.

Debbie,

I know what you mean.

Roger,

This is the second one out I many that were able to draw like this. It is asking for alot, as it's art work.
So happens Tommi is an artist as well! She was also a singing star in her home country.

David,

These are small portions of the larger story board, which has the material swatches, wall paint samples. and even small pieces of the stone materials to be used. I just took small shots, due to the owners information being displayed.

Charlie,

Getting a couple to agree is difficult, how can you get a group of people to do it?

Lee
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,163 Posts
Nice renderings. I think if I was a client at this high end I'd like a little more realism though. The standard designers story board with material samples would help but people are getting so used to seeing realistic computer graphics of everything.

It's probably quicker for her just to hand sketch it though. At least it would be initially. Most designers that make the switch to 3D on the computer would never go back to just hand sketches. Some use the 3D as a base to add to as well.

I think clients understand renderings like this even better.
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
This is not one of mine. I grabbed this from the Sketchup online gallery. It's done buy a gentleman named Greg McHugh. All my own Sketchup work has been municipal facilities…not exactly glamorous, but once clients see it they will have nothing less.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
3,315 Posts
Hi Bob,

Tommi is quite capable with a computer. All of her blueprints are done on auto cad.

She feels more creative freedom, with her drawings. If you consider that many artists are in an almost trance like state when they're creating something, it's easy to understand why she prefers it. A natural gift is easier to use than a learned skill.

All the concentration is on the item, and not the act of drawing the item.

I can understand the use of sketchup in your application, or any commercial application for that matter. And I realise they would probably insist on it. Although having said that, we've done $ 1,000,000.00 commercial renovations for restaurants, with a combination of blue prints and renderings.

A client likes to feel they're dealing with an artist when working with a decorator or designer. At some of our meetings, she is required to do a revision, which she quickly does with a pen or pencil. Many times I've seen the clients make a big deal of how easy it is for her to do. That is often more noticed than the revision itself.

It gives her instant credibility as an artist.

Just another point of view.

Lee
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,163 Posts
Hi Lee,

I certainly understand the idea that clients like to deal with an artist and not simply a technician. The truth of it is though that Sketchup allows great creative freedom. It is simply another tool. I'm a fairly capable artist (enough so that I could very easily do the renderings you've shown) I will usually start my own creative juices flowing with paper and pencil. Once I get beyond a certain point though it just makes sense to go 3D. As for focus, once you get good with Sketchup, the concentration is still on the item. You actually can try multiple designs in the time it would normally take to develop one. Lots of top notch residential architects and designers have already made the switch because it helps creativity.

With the file I showed above properly put together in Sketchup I could move, enlarge, or change the materials for the fireplace, change the cabinet woods, change the window locations, and then show you how the sun would come through the windows during the course of the day, all in less than a few minutes in realtime in front of the client. Thats not possible with a rendering. Lighting and its effects are also something easy do to (although not in realtime) that are almost impossible in a simple pencil rendering.

It does make an artistic impression when she revises a pencil sketch in front of them though and that may be worth more than all the rest. Maybe a combination of the two? I've seen a number of architects/designers that produce a model and then add to the prints by hand with art markers or colored pencil.

I had a similar conversation with an architect freind of mine about 2 years ago. He swore by his hand renderings. He now does most of his work in Sketchup.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
3,315 Posts
Hi Bob,

If I were you, I would have tried to get to that number of posts a couple days ago. although the combination 777/111 works well!

I envy your ability to be able to draw like that.

I'll discuss it with her.

As for me, I'll open up the program and play around with it. In the past I only spent a couple hours with it.

Thanks,

Lee

I just realised, I'm not old yet, but getting there. The say old people are set in their ways. So far I only resist change, guess that's middle age huh?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,163 Posts
I guess my LJ addiction is getting worse….:)

I think you're too creative to get stuck in your ways Lee. It's easy for me to talk but you folks are the ones designing and building very cool stuff. What you are doing obviously seems to be working pretty well.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
3,315 Posts
Bob,

Thank you sir!

Lee
 
Top