thanks!

thanks!

@unknownuser said:

There were two camps those that went to graduate school after undergraduate degrees and those that went to work in architecture firms. So which one are you?

I've been in this industry long enough to have seen it's ups and down and to understand what are some of it's pitfalls.

Going to graduate school will be a benefit to you if you are already a talented designer. Having both the talent and the degree will translate into more opportunities in the real world practice. However if you lack talent a degree will not be of much use to you in the real world, it may open some doors but you will still need to perform once inside.

So the long and short of it is what do you hope to gain from a masters degree? I mean if it is purely to enhance your current design skills and learn some new ones or is it motivated to get a better job etc., etc. If ultimately you want to practice architecture and get your license as an architect then possibly entering the work force and getting your IDP credits and taking the exam would be more wise.

OK so after saying all that do I have any regrets for not going to a masters program, Yes.

Again, I'm presented with two paths, get into the field or go to grad school. I'm not sure which one I am... I don't lack talent (at risk of pridefulness:), but I'm not sure if that alone tells me whether this is the right path. It's less about getting my license and practicing architecture, more about enhancing skills and learning new ones - that's it for sure.

Good questions, Phil. Thanks for helping me to process this, however indecisive I may be.

peace,
Nick

This is invaluable input. Sorry I've been MIA - just moved to MN and got over a week of sickness, still getting on my feet here.

Wow, Lewis, "likely-frauds", "drudge-serf", that is cynical - but real. I appreciate your candor, it's exactly what I was looking for (whether good or bad). You present two paths, professional and academic - neither is appealing from what you describe. Maybe I should just avoid it all and build my modeling business, keep my eyes open for the next business opportunity... patrol the fringe of the architectural world, pursuing and enjoying the parts of it that I love but not getting sucked into it. I've been pondering all along whether what I really want is "to be an architect" or if it just came across my path. I know that I must have significant motivation to make it through the gauntlet, so I want to be more sure than I am that it's what I want before I set out.

Bruce, thanks for the encouragement. To try to answer your question (where is your love? - you're so deep, I like it:) I love the creative process, I love the process of freely translating my ideas through my hands and into being, I love excessive detail and perfection, I love the beauty of profound simplicity in God's creation. What that leads me to do is what I'm trying to discover. I know that 3d modeling/rendering allowed me to channel more of my passions than anything I've done before - it brings together artistic and technical, creation, construction, photography, digital painting... I love it! This is what pointed me toward architecture, I would guess because much of the 3d modeling/rendering market is architectural.

I've learned to use the 'Subscribe Topic' feature now too, so I won't miss out on the convo.

peace!
Nick

another shot... thanks for the input - great suggestions.
-updated glass tex thanks to Rayman on Kerky forum.
-updated other textures here and there
-dialed down concrete and asphalt textures to de-emphasize the bad patterns I was getting before
-added a little dirt to the streets in PS
-changed color of pink trees (I agree, they were ugly - also distracting/cluttering down there)
-slight blur and fade on background buildings (bg buildings from FormFonts)

ha! I'm not sure a cynical perspective would be such a bad thing to get a full spectrum view of the experience.

I've had opportunity to chat with a couple professionals in the field and also have appointments with two profs at different universities.

My understanding is that there are different ways you can go about pursuing a career as an architect - pursuing creativity, design, awards, etc. or pursuing money, clients, work, etc. Gross generalizations recognized, I want to be the former. It fits my personality and philosophy of life in general. I'm not going to live my life chasing money - God will provide for me and I'll see what good I can do in the meantime.

I'm also not clear on what it takes to get into a program. I imagine, like anything else, there are many variables among many different schools. My undergrad grades aren't fantastic, but I don't think they'll make it impossible either. I've heard that at least some schools place high value on creativity, interest in architecture, and artistic ability. Those are some things I can work on - those are the things I'm excited about

Hope you are doing well. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Peace!
Nick

just playin'

working on getting rid of the patterned concrete on the street and sidewalk...

also thinking about playing with some depth map to de-emphasize the surrounding buildings - I don't like the way they crowd the featured building. better yet, maybe I can figure out a perspective that doesn't need the other buildings and yet doesn't feel like the main building is sitting by itself out in a field. hmmmm...

c&c welcome and appreciated.

peace!
Nick

beautiful work, Mateo. The subtle color grabs me too. I like the first one best. love the interplay of the triangle point of the boat, canopy, and umbrellas. I definitely want to take a little walk around.

poppin' the wheelie. feelin' the flow.

apart from the cartoony kid and some very subtle color/tone adjustments (people a bit washed out, leaves upper left a little light, grass repeating pattern), this is a very realistic base to start with. The flowers and sign, etc look great. That's the focal point of the image. The evergreens are maybe a touch dark, but I think they look good in the image overall. That's what I think of when I see a big fancy sign in the "front yard" of a big business or golf course or whatever - maybe it's a regional thing...

peace!
Nick

Lewis, I appreciate it! Looking forward to your reply. No rush, this isn't a tight deadline kind of consideration.

peace,
Nick

I'm guessing this is the place to find the architects.

I'm considering the possibility of pursuing a M Arch degree - any thoughts or suggestions?

some background info:
I have a BS in English from UW-Madison. Incidentally, I also studied mechanical engineering for a couple years there. I am the owner (and operator) of a 3D modeling and rendering business, currently located in Madison, WI. I'm 28, married, and will be moving to the St. Cloud, MN area next month.

I know that I enjoy the creative process, and I've learned that I enjoy architecture, but I don't know if an M Arch program is the right place for me to take my next steps. I would like to get a better picture of what it looks like to study architecture, and ultimately what it looks like to be an architect (or something related). I would appreciate any information, references, or other suggestions you may have to help me with this.

peace!
Nick

just came across this site, looks like primarily a collection of images and renderings

gallery:
http://construction.com/community/gallerylist.aspx

renderings:
http://construction.com/community/publicgallery.aspx?plckGalleryID=cbcb58bc-3786-4447-8a99-d9fee9c33ebf

nice! I like the partial-realistic look of the second one. effective painted edge style - not too distracting. one suggestion, if I may, I would do something to lighten up the lower half of the image. everything from the base of the cross down looks a little dim/shadowy in comparison to the upper half.

great presentation.

I would suggest using unique masks for the brush effect around the edges. especially if multiple views will be displayed next to one another. not sure that most people would notice, but...

nice presentation!

thanks very much for the compliments, everyone. I forgot to ask for constructive criticism - I don't learn anything otherwise.

I haven't tried adding people in a photorealistic render yet, though I think it would really add some life to the scene. Any tips on where to start with that (do 2d people work? or do they have to be 3d to get the shadows right?) I've seen post-pro images of people inserted using PS, is that generally considered the "best" method?

The wood floor is my debut in home-made textures. Not fantastic, but better than what I started with, I think. The reflection on the bump map doesn't look exactly right (I was trying to replicate an oldish, well-worn wood floor), and the repeating pattern in the foreground is subpar.

Also, I think the lighting could be better. From an "artistic" perspective (now that step back and look at it), the spotlights aren't very pretty. Kind of dropped them in there to fill in dark areas... it could have come out better with more work. I think I often tend toward "over-lighting" a render. I sometimes try to light up the whole scene by natural light or fill lighting, when some strategic shadows can really create a more dramatic render. I'm a big fan of natural lighting and generally have tended toward always seeking more windows/natural light sources, so it makes sense that I may overcompensate. It's hard for me to look at a render with a dark corner (i.e. imagine the coffee shop lit by only the light coming through the front window) and say "it's good". Maybe I just need to expirement with more scenes and find some dramatically shadowed scenes out there that I like and try to duplicate the lighting. yeah... that's what I'll do...

thanks again, friends.

Peace!
nick

I've been in Madison about 10 years. Went to college here at the UW where I met my wife. She just finished grad school here and we're moving up to the College of Saint Benedict where we will be living in the dorms!! It sounds as crazy to me as it probably does to you My wife will be a Residence Director there, and I'll pack up my business in a box and move it right along with us.

Thanks for asking.

How about you, Dave, how long have you been in Rochester, and the Twin Cities before that?

Phil, pleased to meet you. As I mentioned before, I'll be moving to the St Cloud area in July. I look forward to meeting some of the people in my "neighborhood".

Peace!
Nick

This site didn't work out, but I figured I'd finish up the render just for fun.

Modeled in SU. Rendered in Kerky - MLT. DOF added in PS using modified depth mask from Kerky.

I like the natural lighting of the second one better. first looks like it's lit with a camera flash. though the second makes me feel like I'm in a dark back hallway - maybe some natural light from a skylight... or a window behind the camera...

Nice work!

Not a lot to choose from here, as I've only done a couple of proper renders... Great work everyone! I don't know where I'd learn any of this without this inspiring community (KT forum too:) What a fantastic resource! I look forward to the day when I can create something even close to on par with some of the art that's represented here. Peace!