defending my tribe--shiny streets

[Ernest Burden III]

I recently met someone from the New Yorker Magazine, and got this "challenge" yesterday. I think I did a good job of representing my profession, so I'll post this for fun, fortune and function:

 

"Why in architectural renderings the streets are always shiny and the buildings are reflected on them. Real streets don't look shiny."

 

 

First of all, not all renderings show streets as reflective. Some of mine do not for the reason that real streets do not look like that--all the time. Sometimes they do, but that is not the primary reason for the visual cliché.

 

The job of a renderer is to convincingly place a new architectural work into an existing context. The project should look like it belongs there. The more you highlight it and show it off and make it stand out, the less it looks like it is a regular part of the urban fabric. Yet the architect wants to feature his/her design and the developer or owner wants to show off their 'baby', so their egos must be respected since they sign our checks. (Three months late).

 

Even as the illustrator works to feature the new building, there are ways to bring it into the existing, such as reflections of sky and other environmental cues, shared lighting effects, focus of entourage (people and cars) and use of color, pattern or shape references to the context. Beyond those techniques, there are also ways to use visual extensions of the new to bridge it into the existing, like shadows and spilled light and happy customers frequenting retail shops, complete with logo'ed bags. The use of reflective streets acts to literally merge the new with the familiar. However, if it used in too literal a way, you would need to complete the scene with atmospheric references to a passing rain, and that affects sky, lighting and the people shown. So much to think about, so little time.

 

But renderings should not just be attempts at a photographic representation without soul or bias. They are illustrations and art and need to inspire, not just inform. It's not enough to simply say "there will be a new building here", you want to say "and it will improve your life, make you happy and better-looking". Shininess helps do this. There is no garbage on the street, the police are not making a drug bust and all is right with the world, if only you do not oppose building this new architectural monstrosity.

 

Finally, when drawing architecture, you want to pick up on the bigger picture, find the larger concepts of the design and express them beyond their boundaries. When showing a design that has a very horizontal nature, you want to tie that into the picture with horizontal features. A vertical design can be emphasized by the visual extension of its major form down into the ground-reflected in the street. (You knew I'd get there eventually). The building does not just sit heavily on its site, it is part of its site, with its lines of force expressed visually connecting to the larger context. You feel the weight of the tower, it seems real and substantial.

 

Besides, reflecting your subject in the street is fun.

[Chad Warner]

The same question can be asked and answered of car commercials. I would say easily 90% of car commercials have wet, reflective streets. And the simple answer is, because it looks better than a dry, dirty street.

[Koper]

The same question can be asked and answered of car commercials. I would say easily 90% of car commercials have wet, reflective streets. And the simple answer is, because it looks better than a dry, dirty street.

 

Nope, easely 90% of car commercials consits of transformers with wet reflective streets.

[kippu]

not to forget the chrome !!!

 

glossy is good ,,, nice article ernest

[rdubrow]

I am firmly in the blurry reflection street tribe. Its almost inconceivable to do a rendering without a nice street reflection...isn't it?

 

Thanks for the stout defense Earnest and keep the tribe faith going for us old folks that still like a little dream in our hyper super realistic world.

Edited May 11, 2010 by rdubrow
mis spell

[BVI]

What about indoor water being blue - thats a favourite of mine.

[Nic H]

always make everything shiny unless explicitly asked.

[Ernest Burden III]

always make everything shiny unless explicitly asked.

 

Shiny Happy People.

 

But shiny begets long render times, so is not so fun.

[leoA4D]

The questioner must like motion blur of car head and tail lights.

 

Nice job, Ernest.

[Ernest Burden III]

The questioner must like motion blur of car head and tail lights.

 

Nice job, Ernest.

 

I had an interest in impressing the questioner.