VC4 - midterm

• Architectural watercolor rendering


  A unique artistic application that uses color to sketch details of buildings, furniture, fixtures, appliances, and décor to make them look more extraordinary
• Perspective


  The illustration of 3-D objects on 2-D (flat) surfaces to recreate an observer's position relative to the object's depth
• Horizons


  • Use only one horizon because it naturally appears at an observer's eye level. On the picture plane, place the horizon line low.
• Distance


  • Compared to closer objects, distant objects are less defined, have softer edges, and have color saturation.
• Vanishing points


  • If the observer is at street level, the windows, and roof of the building will lead down to the vanishing point.
• Nearby buildings


  • Visualize them as abstract shapes. Indicate that they are there without incorporating main parts, such as doorknobs, gutters, panes, etc.
• One point perspective


  Works best if your design has many scenes in smaller spaces since the observer is often positioned to look through the middle of a room or design.
• Two-point perspective


  Works best for larger interior spaces, such as malls, halls, and theaters because the lines often converge on two vanishing points.
• Watercolor rendering


  Can help you illustrate the overall idea of layout plans or floor plans for any architectural design project.
• Entourage Elements


  • Graphics should sell the emotion of design, not necessarily the reality of design based on simple "hand-eye" coordination mixed with a creative imagination
• Basic drawing options

  • Imagination Drawings - storyboards or cartoons; use your imagination, many of the visual ideas put on paper are in the form of small sketches, quickly generated to capture the big ideas of design direction
  • Observation Drawings - often associated with travel; Stop, Look and Draw, reserve some time to sit down and sketch an interesting scene or a detail from a building
  • Perspective Drawings - There are three (3) types of perspective drawings: one-point, two-point, and three-point
• Parametric Drawings


  Or paraline drawing is a three-dimensional drawing in which no lines converge; There is no perspective or horizon line in this type of drawing; Of the many different variations of these drawings, the "axonometric" and "isometric" drawing types are most used
• Recycled Drawings


  Older, existing drawings are great templates for creating new drawings; Perspective views, scaled figures, and various elements in existing drawings can all be retraced, reassembled, and modified to create new drawings
• Trees, shrubs, and groundcover


  • Should have light side and dark side (highlights and shadows), this defines the form of the tree. Draw lines for the tree in the manner that a tree and plants grow - from the ground up. Each branch should get progressively smaller.
• Vehicles


  • Any type of moving vehicle should be enclosed in an envelope of simple geometric shapes, such as truncated pyramids, rectangular solids, and cylindrical elements. Only major details should be added such as headlights and bumpers. Vehicles should always be in scale with the rest of the drawing and secondary to major building elements. Contour outline cars are usually adequate for most architectural drawings.
• Human Figures


  • Used to show the scale and function of an environment, therefore they should be drawn in such a way as not to obscure and confuse the design intent. Odd number of people in a group works better than an even number.
• Figures in sketches


  Figures are expressed loosely, often highly stylized with little detail. Accuracy is not what matters, proportions, and body language do.
• Proportions


  Average human height in drawing is 8 heads (9 in fashion drawing). This makes it easy to work out reference points and locate the main points of the body.
• Figures in perspective


  Existing elements such as doors, windows and furniture can be used as reference points.
• Trace from other sources


  Trace it from a photograph, recycle a figure from a previous drawing or incorporate a computer-generated figure.
• Populate your drawing


  Do not be afraid to add groups of people to your drawing. As a rule, populate your figures with no less than ten (10) people.
• Flat wash


  Start at one end with a brush loaded with wash. Puddle the wash on and tilt the board in different directions for evenness. Sop up the excess wash with a damp sponge or brush.
• Graded wash (one color)


  Same as above, but you may pre-wet the board with a sponge, and while still wet, add the wash. Start the wash at one end and let it flow to the other.
• Graded wash with a vertical shine in the center


  This is a good wash for cylindrical shapes such as curved walls and tree trunks, etc. The technique is the same as a one-color graded wash, but the gradation should be finished in the center rather than the other side.
• Graded wash with diagonal shine


  Use the same method as above but start from the corners and grade toward the center.
• Graded wash (two colors)


  Mix two washes. Do everything as in the one-color graded wash, but while it is still wet, start the other wash from the opposite side and let it grade and fade away toward the center.
• Graded wash (three colors)


  Mix three washes; wet the board with a sponge; then puddle on the three washes; one on the left, right and center Tilt the board back and forth to control washes. Pick up excess with a damp sponge or brush.
• Glare wash


  Whether flat or graded, this must be done on a dry board and the wash must be laid on and left there with no further tampering.
• Two glare washes - one over the other


  After one wash is dry add another over it using a darker tone. Strive for good patterns and continuity of the washes.
• Patterns

  • Shingle
  • Shake
  • Rock or gravel
  • Spanish tile/clay tile
  • Flagstone
  • Sandstone
  • Brick
  • Slumpstone
  • Board and batten
  • Board on board
  • V-groove or tongue and groove
  • Shiplap
• Architectural figure


  Two tones should be sufficient to do any figure. In a rendering, find the correct height of one person by scaling him to a door. Then scale all the other figures from that individual.
• Foreground objects


  The importance of the dark foreground as far as a rendering is concerned is to "frame" the subject matter and keep it as the center of attraction.
• Architectural auto


  Cars for architectural renderings should be nondescript otherwise they may become more important than the building. Try to keep them modern, however, and avoid too many bright colors.
• Interior perspectives


  Painting interior scenes are usually challenging because the designs are often characterized by strong perspective lines and strange lighting from single or multi-sources. Depending on your viewpoint, interior scenes can be rendered using two forms of linear perspectives.
• Choice of colors in watercolor rendering

  • Use a few "primary colors" - You can mix any color with red, blue, and yellow because all colors can be made from them. Use "transparent" watercolors - If you want a color to show well after layering, apply transparent watercolors first then apply darker coats over them. Use a "color wheel" - Combine color schemes using their positions on a color wheel: Analogous: blues and greens, Complementary: greens and reds, Triad: blue, red, and yellow, Analogous Complementary: yellows and oranges; blues and violets.