Man Vs Machine: Has computer based programs replaced skilled hand rendering?
February 7, 2010 by lindsay
Filed under Construction, How To, research
I remember being home from grade school sick and getting to watch Bob Ross on public television. In case you are a younger member of generation Y and you are not familiar, Bob Ross was a painter who specialized in landscapes and fan brushes. He had this ability to make art look easy. He would start with basic techniques while teaching about shading and highlights and before you knew it, the hour was up and he had created another riveting nature-focused awe inspiring piece of art.
I think interior designers should have that same grace and artful hand. Only instead of “little trees” and fan brushes, we focus on interiors using (most likely) Sharpie markers. However, with the influx of technology, are we losing a bit of the hand-drawn quality of solid interiors work? Are we instead doing the right thing for the client and providing more realistic computer rendered images? Are we losing an art form or moving forward with technology?
I believe this has been a long time battle between designers and especially design educators. There are many design educators out there (institutions and individuals) that have the mentality that you have to learn the basics (hand drafting and rendering) before moving onto more advance methods of visual communication. I have to agree. “Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun!” But, as we move forward daily with technology, is there really a chance that as an industry, we will really have to revert to hand drawing and rendering? Probably not, but as one of my associates once put it to me, “There is nothing more impressive or awesome than to see a talented designer just grab a pen and be able to sketch ideas right in front of the client.”
So with this in mind, I think it is safe to say that hand drawing skills are impressive and needed. Even though as an industry we may never actually need to do much by hand, it is nice to know that you can rely on your basic skills. Plus, what are you going to do if you are in front of a client and your laptop dies??
I think the answer to this question lies in asking, “What is it that I am trying to comunicate and to whom?” There is a time and place for both types/styles of renderings. I find that during the prelimnary design of a project, particularly in residential design, a hand rendered sketch communicating the emotion and feel of a room is a far better tool than a CAD rendering. Then as the design becomes developed, tighter sketches with more detail are very helpful. I have found that in our residential design work, a CAD rendering is too hard edged. Our clients feel like everything we’re showing them is “final”, that there is no room for discussion of options or for tehm to express an opinion. The hand drawn sketches encourage engagement, making any meeting more meaningful and productive for our client.