Photoshop render improvement

[yr83]

hey, i'm a real beginner at both model rendering and photoshop, below is my second year architecture project, rendered in sketchup and then worked into in photoshop, any tips and suggestions on how to make it better would be greatly appreciated as i've hit a wall due to my lack of experience, cheers.

alex

 

ps. the large white box to the right is a classmates work so can remain blank

[Peter M. Gruhn]

It's hardest to look at your own work. Look at other people's work. Grab a photo off the web and try to duplicate it. Keep hunting for the differences. Geometry, materials, lighting.

 

The concrete on the tower in the back slants unbelievably.

 

A typical beginner issue is texture size. The wood looks huge and the sidewalk looks small.

 

Though I'm guessing maybe the sidewalk was a photo taken one afternoon on campus so it maybe it's right. But if that guy keeps walking towards me that curb is going to look about 2"

 

The top of the columns (nearest one where it's bright, in particular) seem to live in a different world that the underside of the roof. Way up top there I'd expect it to be darker. If the wood has any shine it would reflect a bit of the roof white. Similarly at the bottom.

 

In back where that wood is surrounded by blackness it... shines out like a beacon.