Looking back in a time - the way rendering has changed
Looking back in a time of rapid change
Part 2 - Coloured Pencil Sketches
Another image that caught my eye while looking through my old Architecture New Zealand magazines were these coloured pencil elevations. There is a real simplicity to these drawings and this in many ways adds to their ability to describe the proposed building to a client.
I remember producing this sort of drawing at the Auckland School of Architecture as part of our studio work. I was very lucky to have Pat Hanley take me for drawing in the first two years at the School of Architecture. In year one we used lead pencil and in year two we used crayon. Sharp pencils allowed a drawing to have more fine detail and were easier to control than a blunt crayon which took some time to master.
In my first job at Skews Hey Ussher I used coloured pencil on both floor plans and elevation drawings which were presented to clients at the early stages of design. We later used coloured felt pens which were more vibrant but still had a sketch quality to them.
I still have short lengths of crayon from my year two drawing class an indication that I have never used them again as I could not see clients being accepting of a drawing in such a loose medium. My coloured pencils have all been used and replaced many times as I enjoyed using them.
When I went out on my own and got staff they were literate in 3D software and Photoshop so presentation drawings became almost photorealistic. While these drawings look great in a portfolio or on a web site they were a lot of work and could only really be justified once a project was well resolved. These images also seemed to final when compared to a simple coloured sketch which gave clients a sense that they could still have input into the design.
We now have access to software that allows a 3D render to be produced very quickly and therefore can be shown to a client earlier in the design process. Client more and more are expecting to see 3D renders. However, when presented with a well drawn free hand sketch their reaction is one of admiration that you can produce an image they understand by hand.
In part 3 I will discuss the way working drawings have changed.