You need a website. I wouldn't "post" my portfolio anywhere, although Flickr does have ways of integrating their galleries in an external website.

I assume you are talking hand renderings? Feel free to post examples here :-)

Thanks trace!

I already have a website: http://www.stuartml.com/portfolio/architect.html

But I've found if I share it places admins can get quite upset because they tend to see it as spam. I need to find forums or boards that are accepting of my website url specifically for the purpose of making connections and finding new contract opportunities.

Basically my area of expertise is digital plan coloring, plan-view renderings or elevation coloring using the computer from start to finish. But I am skilled in other area's as well.

Thanks again!
-Stuart

Example:

Whoa...

2d rendering is not rocket science. It is basically colouring-in! To be brutally honest your renderings are ...erm ...gaudy and tasteless to say the least. Many architecture offices will have several staff with photoshop and graphic skills who can do a far more sensitive and aesthetically pleasant rendering than the ones you illustrate.

ouch...

Hi lekizz, I value and respect your opinion, its nice to hear the other side of the coin for a change, and if more people would voice their opinion similar to yours, perhaps I should reconsider doing any contract work for architecture. If they do, I would highly appreciate that so I can better understand the field.

Art is highly subjective. What you found to be tasteless and gaudy was received as one of the best works the client had ever seen- those were not my words, it was theirs.

The vibrant colours and stark contrasts are what won over the clients when it came to our style and process.

Our office did have several staff and we followed requests by clients. Full coloured plans were due in one day, and involved a lot more than simple "coloring-in," as anyone who is involved in this process is familiar with. Every colour and texture can be intimately adjusted and tweaked. Such flexibility is hard to achieve in so little time.

When it came to this particular job, the brick texture's line work you see there was actually in CAD, so we had to colour in each brick one by one, since simple texture's wouldn't line up to architectural specifications. Still, it was a lot faster, cleaner, and more flexible, than doing it by hand.

stuart - you are right, lekizz's criticisms are purely subjective. Although it doesn't mean they are totally baseless. Too often people hide behind the old "art is in the eye of the beholder" argument. This kind of argument negates all criticism as any argument to the contrary of the artist's wishes is simply tossed out as "subjective"

Anyhow, tastelessness and gaudiness may be appropriate in this particular situation as it pertains to a building typology that many view as gaudy, excessive, etc. An over-the-top make-up job for an otherwise bland face.

Nevertheless, when i see renderings such as this I am always left wondering "what is the point". To render with such specificity elements that will never exist that way or be visible from that view point seems like alot of time and money better spent on pushing the design a little further.

If a client requires this sort rendering to approve a color scheme then so be it. Slap on the headphones a crank away. Unfortunately for you I think it is the exception more than the rule. And like Lekizz stated, if there is a need for 2d renderings most firms have someone in house that could produce something.

Indeed, thanks cadcoupier, perhaps I am posting this in the wrong place, as these renderings are specifically for Landscape Architecture, where the most important aspects of the work were trees, stone, pool, etc.

Perhaps the rendering above may have been more successful without the distracting stock trees, shrubs, and chairs.

Maybe I was a bit too harsh and gaudy in my comment, haha, but at least the other posters have taken it positively to elaborate the discussion.

My problem with these drawings is I am unable to comprehend why they would be required. If they are to indicate the proposed exact paving layout or effect (as stuart suggests) then it serves no purpose to copy-and-paste vibrant opaque green trees over the drawing and hide the CAD detail. If the image above was created to indicate a vibrant, colourful, joyous holiday park then where are the people, the swimmers, the parasols, the towells on the sun beds etc.

Perhaps this is an excentric, one-off client who wanted drawings of this nature (and is apparently very pleased). But I think it makes sense to show a broader range of renderings if you wants to reach a wider client base. For starters I'd love to see evidence of hand drawing ability, more appropriate for landscape drawings IMO.

I think you guys are missing the point - these are to sell the project. It is all about sales, not architecture, and therefore the lounge chairs, tables, etc., add scale and realism to the drawing.

Suggestions:

1. Tone down the bright colors, go for something more rich
2. Textures - add variation to the colors and textures. This helps to blend things and make it look more inviting.

Work with brushes in PS to come up with quick ways to achieve the above.


Contrary to what people say above, there is a big demand for these on the marketing side (we are creating similar items for our brochures, websites, etc. for clients). I do not know of one architecture firm that can create a really nice and 'real' site plan.

This, like quality renderings (that most arch firms can't produce either), are a piece of the marketing. Without marketing, whether to big wigs/investors/officials or to the public, no project would ever more forward.

Hi trace, very true. Thankfully each graphic can easily be tweaked once everything is set up correctly to feel more "real"... But the brighter colors and contrasts were what set this graphic apart from the rest and made the sale, as it wasn't about realism it was more of a way illustrate the CAD design, tree placement, water features, wood decks, pool-floor design, etc in a very eye-catching way.