WHY ILLUSTRATION?
In a world where photorealistic CGI images are common, people might ask if there is still a place for hand drawing. To me the response is simple… absolutely!
This is not to say that illustrations and CGIs are unable to co-exist, it is more that the two mediums are better suited for different purposes - a combination of the two can often work very nicely! It’s also down to personal preference and what style of image works best with the architect or designer’s brand. Therefore, the purpose of this blog post is not to suggest that illustrations should be used over CGIs, but to communicate the value of architectural illustration.
“We’ve worked with Katherine on a couple of projects now, and her drawings are amazing and fun in comparison to traditional CGI’s, where she brings our vision closer to reality. We see Katherine as a valued member of our extended team and look forward to working with her on future projects”
AN ITERATIVE AND ENGAGED PROCESS
Architectural design and interior design is an iterative process, especially in the early stages of a project. It is at this point when it is paramount that the client feels involved and listened to.
“[Katherine’s] iterative approach to producing illustrations allowed us to always stay on the same page, leading to a series of images that accurately and effectively communicated the vision for the project. ”
Feedback from several of my clients has revealed that the use of hand drawings at an early stage has proved an effective way of communicating design ideas as they do not feel too fixed.
It is easy for a range of iterations to be tested quickly and easily throughout the design process. This in turn has helped with their clients feeling comfortable requesting changes and making comments - resulting in a richer and more successful final design outcome.
Design iterations following client comments
TESTING OPTIONS
As well as convincing clients that an idea is good, designers often need to see their ideas ‘drawn up’ to satisfy themselves! Hand-drawn illustrations can be a really effective way of quickly showing a series of ideas to decipher the good from the bad. Many of my clients use my illustrations as a design tool and I work closely with them to rigorously test and develop proposals.
COMMUNICATING A DESIGN
While architects, interior designers and developers are very well versed in reading and understanding orthographic drawings, this is not always the case for those who haven’t spent years looking at them. Perspectives and aerial illustrations are a perfect way of bringing a project to life in 3D in an instantly recognisable format.
The result? Clients will immediately understand what the scheme will look like, allowing a point of conclusion to be reached more quickly. The hand drawn feel to an illustration will provide clients with a comprehensive idea of what the project will look like; this helps to avoid any large surprises later down the line, whilst maintaining a level of excitement for the final reveal.
These kinds of drawing are also helpful for communicating designs to Local Planning Authorities and are often included within pre-application presentations and planning submissions.
“The illustrations were so charming and easy to understand; they were for a domestic client who isn’t experienced in reading plans, and it really helped them visualise the spaces.”
COMMUNICATING A CONCEPT
In the early stages of a project, the design is often fast-moving and ever-changing. Static propositional drawings can sometimes become quickly out of date and need updating.
Conceptual drawings, similar to the one below, are a great way of depicting the strategic/conceptual approach of a project without being too committal to what the building will actually look like! These can then sit nicely alongside measured architectural drawings later on in the process.
MARKETING WORK
The construction process can be long and drawn out. As a trainee architect, I worked on some projects which were so big, some people in the office would spend a large proportion of their career working on them. When this is the case, or if the process is delayed, practices often lack marketing content for projects to use on their website and social media. An architectural illustration can be a great solution to this!
Marketing illustrations are also particularly useful for architecture and design practices who are just starting out and lack those glossy finished project photographs.
“Katherine has done a few jobs for PTA Developments now. Rethinking the approach on floor plans on a housing development, creating site plans for marketing and some illustration for planning. All have been received really well. ”
