Design Integration Laboratory

Architecture 410/510

Project One -- Painting Architecture

Objectives

Exercise basic painting skills with Adobe Photoshop.

Explore computer-based architectural rendering.

Procedure

Find a color architectural image you like in a book or magazine you own or can borrow which expresses something important for or about your current design studio project. Or, imagine an architectural image of your current project itself.

Using Photoshop, render this image carefully by hand on computer. Start your painting at a resolution of about 400 pixels by 500 pixels, vertical or horizontal --if the image is too big, you will not have time to render it in detail, and if it's too small, there won't be room for detail.

As you render the image you've chosen, experiment with different tools for drawing natural and man-made forms which may occur in your chosen image. Notice which tools and techniques work best for each. (Use "undo" liberally!) Explore the creative potential of Macintosh painting as you would any new media.

Note

I'd like to encourage you to print a copy of this assignment for your studio critic, and to discuss this work with them at any time. Also, please feel free to propose variations in the assignment which would increase its relevance to your current studio work. All I ask is that you clear any significant variations with me before undertaking them.

When you've completed your rendering and saved and backed-up your work, print a copy on the laserwriter printer at 283 Lawrence Hall to hand in. This printout will not capture the vividness of your painting on screen, but the image should be recognizable. Finally, you will hand in the actual color painting over the network, so your instructors can see the real thing.

To Hand In

1) Grayscale laserwriter printout with your name, the date, and the assignment printed on the front using the Caption option under Page Setup.

2) Hand in your file electronically, as will be described in class next week.