Lets kick off with the definition of a word that for me is at the core of what I do. Visualization - The formation of mental visual images, the act or process of interpreting in visual terms or of putting into visual form. To make visible something incapable of being viewed.
Sounds like magic to be able to visualize an idea, so that everyone can see what it is. But it gets done every day in many wonderful ways.
At concept stage you don’t have to visualize every material and detail perfectly, but you do have to put the idea in a visual form that allows everyone to get what it is and buy in to your direction. You can have the best design on the planet, but if it stays in you head its going nowhere. Equally, second rate amateurish visuals can kill a great design by giving the wrong impression. Effective visualization is effective communication and its vital to the design process.
I wanted to share a blog which features Architect James Wines where he talks about drawing as a process tool and his views about the integration of hand and digital technology on his projects. Interesting stuff.
Here’s a concept sketch drawn by hand which I’ll break down into the main steps for you. Real easy.
Step 1 : Create a simple SketchUp massing model, adjust the camera, eye level etc until you have a strong composition and hit the print button.
Step 2: Tape down the print, lay over a sheet of tracing paper and let loose with the fibre-tip pen.
Step 3: Scan the hand drawn image and open up in Photoshop. Adjust contrast for a strong black line. Save as a PSD file. Add a new layer (Multiply attribute – this will let the black line show through your coloured areas). and add some block colours here and there to pick out main features.
Step 4: The finishing touch, bring in the Add Life Sketch set for activity, scale and life, and place as you want in two minutes. Easy !
Job done. One concept sketch start to finish in about 1 hour
I thought this might be of interest to those of you who do hand drawing or a hand drawn/digital hybrid to produce concept visuals. Looks like it could be a useful tool used simply as a sketch pad….or it could be used to ‘trace over’ a feint outline print from a basic Sketchup model to sketch over for a more precise look. An alternative to the (much) more expensive Wacom Cintiq.
http://www.wacom.eu/index2.asp?lang=en&pid=9226&gm=1
We are very happy to say that we, and Carol and James of HDI Hand Drawn Images, have agreed to collaborate in promoting and developing eachothers work. We make a great team and this partnership will strengthen our offer, with Add Life producing hand drawn people and HDI specialising in hand drawn trees and plants.
HDI have a vast collection to go at and they are all beautifully drawn. They have Spring, Summer, Fall and black and white collections which really have to be seen. They come in PSD, Tiff, PNG and IRF formats as well as SKP. Great for 2D composition in photoshop or for sliding into SketchUp and perfect for NPR and hand drawn visualisations.
Have a look at our recently uploaded watercolour collection 6, the more detailed style.
For commercial interior design, these concept sketches and rendered visuals are exactly what’s it all about. Pre viz sketches that guide the visualizer and the design team whilst no doubt tabled at client meetings for getting the OK on direction.
http://www.garrycohn.com/cliff-house-hotel-sketches-and-renderings-1000241.htm
Composition is a way of organising the space within an image so things look and feel right and the correct use of composition will give you the edge when it comes to selling your design. As nearly all 2D visuals are created within a rectangular frame, the arrangement of space within that rectangle is the essence of composition.
Rectangular Structure: The most obvious component of a rectangle are its edges; two verticals and two horizontals. Along with this the minds eye connects the four corner points to create diagonals. We then further subdivide horizontally and vertically into thirds or fifths. The points where the diagonals cross the subdivisions are strong aesthetic points within the frame.
So here’s a basic framework. Use this and you’ll add structure, cohesion and strength to your work…..You’ll make great visuals. 
How do you use this ? Good point.
I’ll work through that in tut 3.
Here is a detail from our latest addition to the Sketch Set collections, Sketch Set general 2. We’re continuing to work on other ideas… if you
have any suggestions on styles you’d like to see feel free to contact us.
Full details can be found on the main product page.
Having just posted a piece about composition here is a striking example of using the “Left to right flow” principle. This gives great strength to the Architecture, with the eye openly invited in from the left and strongly contained to the right.
There are many aspects to visualization and a lot of personal interpretation involved, which means you should always put your own style on things, but there are fundamentals that apply to all image making. Remembering that we are not only trying to depict the design in form but also trying to sell the idea to others, lets talk about composition.
Getting this right really does make a difference. The same piece of Architecture can look elegant and sympathetically placed or lumpy and awkward dependant on how we compose the image.
Left to right flow: As we read text left to right so we do images. The left hand side tends to be open and the right hand side tends to be closed, containing the movement of the eye. Knowing this allows you to place your building to best effect. Here’s what I mean. 
We choose to read the top line in this image as rising ( left to right) to a strong full stop.
And the top line here as falling (left to right) and leading the eye to other context.
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