Does anyone know how these images are formed?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I have recently come across a number of similar images (namely in school construction projects) at concept stage representing proposals in a sketch format with 'sketchy' characters in foreground. I have attached a good example of this image technique below.
Has anyone else come across this image type before? And further to the point does anyone know how they are produced? To my untrained eye it appears as if an archicad sketch render has been used to produce the building in form, with colour, characters and landscaping applied afterwards...but the conceptual feel achieves great effect in my view.

Can anyone enlighten me as to how this is achieved (without sitting on a drawing board creating each individual character post-render!) There must be an efficient way of producing these characters due to the likeness of each image in every case.

I look forward to any comments received,
Thanks,

James

[TMA_80]

....SKETCHUP, I guess...

[Dwight]

These look suspiciously like real analog drawings to me.
Just like the old days.

Blasphemy!

[Anonymous]

Sketchup is one possibility now that you mention it...however is it possible the characters could be from a library of some sort in sketchup?

And could you expand on what 'real analog' drawings are? Or any examples of this technique?

[Dwight]

"Real analog drawings" is simply my way of teasing you. Hence "blasphemy…"

These are the kind of drawings made with ink - probably a fountain pen - on 'flimsy.' The color might be applied digitally...... see the shadow overlap under the staircase and the shadow issue at the soffit.

You might be impressed with the consistency, but I see that aspect as high craft.

The humanity is evident in certain other irregularities.

[Anonymous]

An artist we sometime use take a simple line 3D from us, scans and puts it into Photoshop and places people, cars etc in the foreground. He then prints, traces over, adds detail, trees etc. as required and re-scans then adds colour in Photoshop. Sounds long-winded but his turn-a-round is quick. I used use a similar method myself to maintain a sketchy feel for the early days of a project- don't often have the time these days. Piranesi can give a similar effect

[Anonymous]

Printing to trace over is why I got into building modeling in the first place (over 20 years ago) and it's still the quickest way to presentable renderings in schematic phase.

I think Dwight is right. Notice also that the kids' shadows seem to be radial rather than parallel as they would with a solar light source - though I suppose it's possible that someone used a point source to render the scene.

[Anonymous]

I agree with Dwight. Notice how the ending of lines varies randomly (but quite artistically).

[Anonymous]

Krippahl wrote:
I agree with Dwight. Notice how the ending of lines varies randomly (but quite artistically).

I have seen similar results from an old program called Squiggle which would post process HPGL (vector) files to look hand drawn, but this was many years ago and there are plenty of other clues to indicate an actual hand behind this one.

[Dwight]

If you hear galloping hooves, think "horse" rather than "zebra."