Could I get a job in archviz with my actual knowledge?

[raymanbest1]

Hi, I've been something like a year and a half learning and practicing self-taught in my spare time, and I would like to know the opinion of the archviz professionals, from your criteria and experience, about what possibilities I would have to find a job in this area if I started looking for it right now, given the following factors:

 

1. I don't have any artistic or technical background of any kind, like it could be: drawing, design, architecture, photography, interior design, etc.

 

2. The programs I have used (and my level in them) in my projects are:

 

3ds max + vray: These are the ones that I better handle.

Lumion 6: But most probably I will switch to Twinmotion 2018. I like it more.

Photoshop: At a very basic level. I only use it to create ceramic textures of walls and floors, done from a single downloaded or given image (tile), to crop images, to create simple bumps/reflection maps, and for modify the contrast and brightness of the final renders.

Marvelous designer: only in order to create blankets and towels falling on objects.

Inpaint: In order to erase watermarks on textures

Pixplant: In order to create big textures from tiny ones automaticaly.

 

3. I know the basics of the 3d CG objects, as well as the basic commands, but I barely know how to model anything from scratch, beyond architectural structures and very simple furniture (made out of boxes with simple chamfers), booleans, and simple objects made out of splines (objects made with the lathe modifier, for example). All minimally complex objects that my projects include have been downloaded.

 

4. I am able to make basic materials (with diffuse, bump and reflection maps, sometimes displacement), but always with downloaded or given textures. Usually I use material libraries, sometimes modifiying something in them.

 

5. I consider my level of vray ilumination minimally acceptable, although I don't know if it would be acceptable in a professional level.

 

6. My "work experience" consist, on one side, in two projects (interior renders) for a ceramic tile company, in wich the ceramic textures were given to me by them. On the other hand, I made the archviz of a reform of a kitchen, for a particular person.

 

 

Especially I am interested in your opinion about the need of advanced modeling knowledge. Is it really a must nowadays in archviz, having on the internet so many models for free or very cheap?

[Justin Hunt]

I am only going to answer the last point, the rest I think you already know the answers to.

 

Of course you will need to know how to model, the buildings you will be visualizing wont be available on-line, heck most of them only exist in the architects mind. If you are lucky clients will supply you with a model, but chances are you will have to re-model it to suit your needs.

 

Look we all started somewhere and it takes time to get good enough (20+ years and I'm still learning). It is a highly competitive field as such you have to be on top of your game even to get in the front door.

[SkylineArch]

Based on your experience, probably not unless you're willing to work as an unpaid or very low paid intern to shadow someone and learn from them. You need to build up experience and a portfolio. Start by trying to recreate photographs. Start with something simple and model that, then work on the lighting and materials and work your way through more and more complex scenes. In the end, you don't need a degree to work in this field, but being able to understand architectural drawings and what the designers intent and that the clients want is big, knowing the lingo helps. They both really appreciate when you can model a building or space with very little input, or be able to troubleshoot and design solutions on your own. Try to really study a set of drawings and understand what each line represents and how to navigate the drawings to find the details and finishes.

 

You found a forum that is full of people willing to help, but try to ask specific questions to get a faster and more effective response. Posting an image and asking how I can improve this might not get you to specific answers you need. Ask about modeling, or how to improve a specific material, or lighting, of final composition. Start a scene, or use one you have created and start a WIP thread and ask for input.