Revit: Post-Revit Artistry

After the previous presentation, I wanted to explore using a combination of digital painting and image manipulation in Photoshop to create more impressionist, experiential images. I used this new method to render my elevations and perspectives for my final presentation for my design project. Every other student in my class chose to create photo-realistic images, so my project offered a counterpoint to the way that the majority of students and professional present their projects. I received a lot of positive feedback from my critics and classmates alike. When I asked what it was about the images that they preferred to the photo realistic images, I was unable to wheedle out any concrete answer—most were along the lines of ‘these images are just irresistibly pleasing to the eye’, ‘I don’t know, I just really like them’, or ‘it’s nice that your renders aren’t trying to be something they aren’t’. My hypothesis, based on my colleague’s and critic’s reactions and on the theory of impressionism is that these types of images attempt to connect to the viewer emotionally and aren’t just limited in trying to convey as much information as possible to the viewer.  Because these images are focusing on communicating emotion and experience to the viewer, the designer is free to focus on the overall quality of the space as opposed to having to detail out the entire digital model so that it will stand up to the scrutiny of photo-real, crisp images, which tends to lead to more powerful images. Also, because these images are rather vague in their detail, it allows the viewer to use their imagination to fill in the details of the space and the experience. This creates a personal connection and sense of ownership between the viewer and the image. Following are the images I used for my final presentation:

While creating these images, I found a systematic process that seems to work relatively well and can be easily adapted for each image. First, open your revit render in photoshop. Once open, use the adjustments tab located under image to modify the contrast, brightness, color, and saturation. I find that Curves and Saturation tools work best. To create a powerful and impressionistic based image, I find it best to exaggerate the light in the space and to increase the saturation of the image. It also helps to have an idea what color tone you would like for the final image. For this image I wanted more golden tones, so I started working on building up those yellows, browns, and oranges at this step in the process. It is also important to use complementary tones in the shadows of the image. For example, in this image, I tried to pull out indigo and purple tones in the shadows.

Curves

Saturation

Another easy opportunity to manipulate color and light is through digital painting. Using the eyedropper tool, select the area you would like to paint to get a base color that already exists in your image. Then manipulate the color in the upper-right of the screen. This is a good way to adjust the tones in the image. Below, I am changing a gray to incorporate more gold tones.

Color Matching

Digital painting is also very important in adding texture and contrast on large, flat surfaces that have little color or shadow variance. In this image, I needed to focus on the large white walls that frame either side of the image. When using the paint brush tool, be sure to manipulate the opacity and flow to create the desired effect. I suggest using an opacity between 15-40% and a flow between 50-80%. To manipulate the light quality, exaggerate highlights and shadows by painting in brighter highlights and deepening the color in the shadows.

Digital Painting

Once you are satisfied with your digital painting manipulation, you may start adding additional textures and entourage. I suggest using added textures in as few places as possible to maintain the simplicity of the image. Select the area where you would like to add the texture, then create a new layer and drag and drop the texture layer into your render. To make sure that the texture image is a part of your render as opposed to a sticker you just slapped on top, use the opacity setting for the layer to meld the texture image to your base image. If necessary, use the image adjustment tab or digital painting to alter the texture image.

Adding a Texture

Create entourage the same way you normally would. Be sure to alter the opacity of the figures to about 80-95% and lower the saturation of the images to avoid any lurid colors that don’t fit into color scheme of the image. Also, be sure to create shadows that follow the same direction as the shadows already present in the image. Also, use the eye dropper tool to match the color of the shadows. If you use black for your entourage shadows when the rest of the shadows in the image have more purples in them, your shadow will stand out from the image. Use the paint tool to exaggerate the highlights and shadows on the figure. Also, I find that using only a few figures keeps the emphasis on the quality of the space. Use your discretion to determine what a good balance is for your image.

Adding Entourage

Now, you should have finished manipulating the base render and have added all of the entourage and supplemental textures that you like. Now, duplicate all of the layers that you have and then merge the duplicated layers to create a “master copy” that you will use for filtering. Then make multiple copies of the master layer.

Duplicate Layers

Creating Copies of the Master Copy

Turn off all of the “copy” layers with the exception of the first one. Make sure that the first copy layer is selected, then go to filter>artistic>cut out. The filter settings should appear on the screen at this point. Alter the settings until you’re satisfied. Cut out serves as a good, non-detailed layer, so don’t be too tempted to use the maximum number of layers and maximum edge fidelity.

Filter>Artistic>Cut out

Cut Out Settings

Next, make the next copy layer visible and make sure it is selected. Repeat the process we used with cutout with other filters. Feel free to experiment with different filters. The one’s I have found that work well are cut out, dry brush, paint daubs, palette knife, posterization, and water color. Make sure you have somewhere between 4-7 different layers.

Dry Brush

Paint Daubs

Palette Knife

Posterization

Watercolor

Once you are satisfied with you different layers, you will want to organize them by the level of detail, the images with less detail to the bottom and the one’s with more detail to the top. Hide all but the lowest image (typically cut out or palette knife), then unhide the layer and manipulate the opacity until you have created a nicely layered image. Continue with all of the filter layers. I find that the more detail a layer has, the lower you want its opacity. What we are doing is mimicking the layering and depth that you would get from an actual oil painting, the medium used for most impressionist paintings. Keep in mind that when you  print and image, you will lose some of complexity and subtlety of what you see on the screen, so don’t be too tempted cover up the under layers too much.

Layer Organization and Opacity Manipulation

To finish the image, move the master copy layer you made earlier to the top of your layers and change the opacity to between 3-10%. This will help maintain the legibility of the image and helps to tie all of the layers together.

Adding the Master Copy Overlay

You should be left with a final image that connects to the viewer and emphasizes the quality of space.

Final Image