ANM 324 Project 2-Variations

This was a very challenging project because it demands understanding layers, closed shapes and the unique features of the pen tool.  It also requires that you understand the relationship of elements in a scene as well as how light affects the scene. In addition, you had to learn about color palettes and how to apply different colors to your interior. You all have begun to see the incredible potential of Illustrator….the possibilities are endless.  I appreciate everyone’s efforts on this project…keep up the good work!

Here’s my general grading criteria for this project:

95-100-drawing is accurate, demonstrates good control of tools and includes accurate lighting effects, used of named layers and accurate color (high level of difficulty)

90-95-drawing is accurate, shows adequate control of tools lighting and fills considered but not complete or accurate. Layers used effectively (moderately challenging interior)

85-90-drawing is accurate, fills not complete with open shapes and lighting not adequately considered. Color palettes not accurately identified. (less challenging interior)

80-85-drawing and use of tools lacks control, lighting not adequately considered. Only submitted one file instead of required two. (not as challenging in terms of shapes and lighting potential)

70-80-drawing not controlled, lighting not considered did not meet requirements

Late -10

No Group Critique -5

Anita Kunz Group

Renee-The monochromatic version is more effective in illustrating the volume of the room with the subtle lighting of the walls. You’ve done a good job applying gradients to the furniture but it’s the fireplace and vases that are especially well done. The combination of highlights and shadows on and around the fireplace really helps us understand its shape and relationship to the back wall. Cast shadows are a bit inconsistent…the long shadow off the stool is not repeated in direction or intensity anywhere else and, in looking at your original image, I think it is something like a stain on the floor rather than a shadow. (tough image to work with). In this situation, you have to go with your own judgment but be more consistent. I would also expect some slight shadow off that very cool skull on the wall. It would have added some significant challenge to include those chairs in the photo.

Patricia-I absolutely love the detail in those stairs…the steps and metal supports are outstanding and almost photorealistic. Your lighting effects along the wall really give the viewer a good sense of the light streaming in those windows. Your penchant for detail continues over to the couch and glass table. You’ve rendered those shapes beautifully and given us the illusion of transparency. The shadows of the vases and table are a bit too intense and would likely be softer due to the distance from the floor. You might also consider not using a visible stroke on shapes like the table legs and the outline of the vases. I think it would look more realistic without. Your files and layering are excellent!

Lauren-I’m very impresses with the detail you’ve included in your interior. The stools are especially well done and the island hood is perhaps the most effective element overall. I like it because you’ve applied highlights and shadows that make it look very realistic. The cast shadows appear to be consistent with a light source from the right. The treatment of the cabinet surfaces is very intense..this is where gradients can be very overpowering. I can see from your original image that you were trying to give it a wood grain look but the bands of color are a little too wide. The ovens are also quite intense due to the surrounding stroke and strong gradient. The gradient in that case is great for illustrating glass but needs to be wider. You’ve used layers very effectively and have demonstrated good control of the drawing tools…color palettes are excellent.

Steven-Wow-this is a spectacular interior. I especially like the detail in the hutch and chairs. Most impressive is the volume of the room you’ve created with consistent highlights and shadows. I feel like I could walk into the room and sink into that soft high-back. My only suggestion is to make the shadow off the tip of the stool legs a little more intense…they are not quite grounded in the front. I know, I’m being picky….One of the most effective details in the room is the transparent glass vase on the table…light is reflection off its surface and casting a subtle shadow through it onto the wall. Great detail and excellent use of named layers. This demonstrates a high level of skill with the drawing and coloring tools.

Meghan-Your interior is composed of mostly basic shapes except for that chair which is really interesting and well drawn. Your couch has excellent perspective and the gradients give it a good believable form…however, it does look rather hard for relaxing. You didn’t include the back cushions, which would definitely add a softer look. The other features in the room are pretty basic with highlights and shadow to give a consistent look. One thing that stands-out to me is the leaning lamp…I see that is exactly how it appears in the photograph. It does look like it’s floating because of the adjacent shadow, which is supposed to be from the chair but, as is could be interpreted as coming from the lamp.
A thicker lamp base with a dark edge would ground it and take away any visual confusion. I also noted that the background image was visible through the doorway and one kitchen wall…maybe you just ran out of time to resolve all the details. One color file submitted.

Rosenwald Group

Terell-Your illustration definitely has the look of a high-end architecture or furnishings magazine. It’s very dramatic and beautifully illuminated. I especially like the reflection of the lamp on the table and accessories. You’ve used gradeints very effectively to give the couch a softer shape and show how light is cast softly throughout the room. My only suggestion is to try removing the strokes that define your shapes. This will be especially noticeable on the lamp and table where the edges become softer and more realistic. Yes, in the case of the table, it may require a slight change in color tint to separate the left side with the floor. Outstanding work!

Daphine- I really like the bright glow in your room with the light streaming in from the window. The effect is intensified with the cast shadows form the vanity, light and accessories. Too compliment the wall shadows there probably should be a hint of a shadow from the vanity cast onto the floor. That window chair is beautifully rendered. It would also be casting a shadow because the window’s intense light is directly above it. The easiest way to capture this is to select the chair, copy>paste and then group and flip to make it become a shadow of the original. Fill with a gradient and adjust with direct selection tool to align as desired. I do appreciate the fact that you’ve chosen not to use a visible stroke unless it adds to the appearance of a shape or object…carpet looks very realistic. Very creative use of the rough pastels filter for the texture effect..I like a lot! One file submitted with correct complimentary palette. Demonstrates skill with tools and techniques!

Cassandra – Wow..what outstanding detail in your interior! The accessories on the table are especially striking.
I’m also impressed with the perspective you’ve captured with shapes and lighting. Overall lighting effects are exceptional…you’ve included a complex layer of shadows under the furniture that reflect the strong light from the windows. Highlights on the surfaces of the couch and chair are dramatic and show the complex light patterns. The shadow from the blinds on the couch is much more effective on the monochrome version where it’s more subtle..looks a little too strong on the complimentary. It would likely be more angular as it crossed over the back and front edge of the furniture. I would also suggest a slightly darker shadow off the chair legs to clearly ground it on the floor. I’m being picky but just wanted to point out. I appreciate your attention to detail and you’ve definitely demonstrated your skill with the tools…exceptional work!

Larysa-Another example of outstanding work by this group of over-achievers! The detail and depth you’ve created in your room is remarkable. It’s tricky to accurately illustrate angular surfaces and edges like the bookshelf on the back wall but you’ve done a superb job on it. The highlight in the room, for me, is the reflection on the floor. We are instantly shown a very smooth and glossy surface that is reflecting the interior with incredible detail. I assume you copied and pasted previously drawn shapes, which is the power of digital art. It didn’t miss my attention that the underside of the chair is also being reflected….very nice! The overall interior is just beautifully rendered. My only suggestion is that you’re still depending on visible strokes to define some shapes….try without, it’s not necessary and not how the shapes would be viewed in reality. I know it’s hard to give-up this look because it’s how we initially draw but you’ll see the difference if you give it a try. Last point, pattern fills are tricky to use because they fill as if the shape were flat and thus don’t reflect perspective. There is a technique to convert the patterns to paths and distort or, more easily, try covering with a semi transparent gradient to make it appear to fade-out. Excellent work!!

Jessica-Bedding is one of the trickiest objects to illustrate because of its soft irregular surface. Wow….You’ve done a great job of making this comforter look as realistic as possible. I think it’s my favorite element but those hanging lights are pretty impressive. Hopefully you took advantage of our ability to cut and paste as well as create a complex cast shadow with a click or two. They really look great. I’m most impressed by your decision to not use visible strokes to define your illustration. This is hard to do at first and seems unnatural but it works…your shapes are not confined and look very natural. Overall lighting effects are good and I especially like the highlights on the pillows. The bright carpet (do like the pattern) isn’t consistent with the highlights and shadows on the foot of the bed. It may just need an adjustment to the gradient on the carpet to fine-tune. Nice work!

Kroencke Group

Megan- I thought your analogous palette was most effective in showing the detail and lighting in your illustration. While not as complex as some interiors, you did a very good job, especially with the lighting from those overhead spotlights. Drawing the light pattern and filling with gradients is an excellent way of applying the subtle effect of the lights. I think it would have been even more effective if you cast the light further down on the top of the mantle. Your illustration of the artwork, plant, fireplace and chairs is also well done and shows me that you have good control of the drawing tools. I think lighting on the chairs could better define the seat cushion by using a slightly lighter or darker tint on the ends. I see your shadow at the base of the chair great technique…to me it’s floating a little . A touch less blur would ground it more firmly on the floor. Good work!

Jeremy-I really like your approach to illustrating this interior. Although it initially looked a little basic, you focused on the couch and consistent lighting effects and this made the drawing as challenging as possible. You’ve blended the techniques of visible and non-visible strokes. I prefer that you don’t use visible strokes unless they are actually depicting a visible line or path. Most of the strokes you’ve used are fine and reflect the structure of the objects. The stroke around the couch could be an upholstery feature. You’ve created a very realistic look with your shadows. Lamp would be better without the visible outline but it kind of vanishes in the background. You could pick a different color in your color palette to add contrast. One last thing I noticed was that the pillow outline is part of the couch…this makes it much more difficult to edit or move. Just draw your couch parts as if the pillow wasn’t there then stack it in a layer above. I like your drawing a lot and enjoyed clicking around to see how you created it. You have a good eye for color and details!

Katrina-You’ve obviously had fun with your interior. There’s some very strong detail and I appreciate how you’ve worked hard to make the lighting as realistic as possible.

The couch, chair, side-table and music center are all drawn very precisely. You’ve filled with gradients to illustrate the light filling the room from those big windows…this looks very good. I especially like the shapes on the floor with Gaussian blur applied. This gives the floor a smooth surface that’s reflecting the light. There are a couple areas where lighting could be more precise. The big table should be defined with a modified fill on the front because the ambient light would be different on the top vs. front. Drop shadows on the hanging lights are a great way to show their relationship to the back wall but the distance setting should be different to reflect that some are closer to the wall than others. I know these are picky details but I know you want to be as accurate as possible. Nice work!

Robert-Your interior is simplified but still has some strong effects. I really like the bowls and table top with highlights and the lampshade with gradient fill. The couch is very well drawn and you’ve used a combination of stroke and no-stroke paths to define the shapes. It’s not necessary to use gradients in this project but to best show the effect of light, some surfaces could be filled with slightly lighter or darker tints. For example, the front edge of the couch would likely be a little darker than the top surfaces, which are slightly illuminated by the lamp. I do like the bright cast light from that lamp and it looks like it was modified to show how the shape would be different on the surface of the couch vs the floor. To be more accurate, the oval light shapes you’ve drawn could be moved up and down to show that the space between floor and couch are not illuminated. I would also expect to see a hint of a shadow under the couch. Some shadows under the table would also make it more grounded on the carpet and compliment the drop shadow on the tabletop. Consider depending less on black strokes to define shapes…such as table legs and pillows.

Greg-Your interior was quite challenging with all the soft furniture and detailed structure in the scene. You’ve done a good job of defining the shapes with strokes but I suspect you realized it was difficult to recolor certain shapes because they weren’t closed. For example, the top of the couch and arm are not closed rectangles but are instead being defined within larger shapes and paths are used to show detail. If you drew the arm as a rectangle on its own you would have much more control over its color and not be forced to recolor a larger area. Some of your pillows are an example of good closed shapes that can be easily modified, rearranged and re-colored to give you maximum editing capability. It’s not necessary to use gradients in this project but I would expect you to show how surfaces would be affected by light with darker or lighter tints as color fills. You’ve done this for the top of the couch but the front of the couch cushions might be slightly darker to show their relationship to the lighting in the scene. You’ve used gradients on the island (looks good)as well as in the background window fill. The next step would be to consider where visible and non-visible strokes would enhance the look of the interior. I think you’ve left too many visible like a coloring book image. What objects, in reality, would have visible outlines? As a finishing touch, why not fill the light fixtures in the ceiling with a tint or gradient that makes them glow. You have used layers very effectively to organize your drawing…lots of them. That’s great and gives you lots of control for selecting and coloring.

Frazier Group

Armin-Wow…I’m impressed with your illustration! It’s definitely one of the most successful in class. I particularly like the rich color palettes, which bring the room to life, and your use of gradients to add highlights and shadows to the surfaces. The lamps, chairs and speakers are especially well drawn. The bottle and glasses add a nice touch too. In terms of lighting, you’ve added drop shadows where needed to accurately show the relationship of objects. Consider drawing shapes like the pillows as complete closed objects so that they can be moved individually. This allows for flexibility so you can move them around and not leave voids. You’ve used layers very effectively and demonstrated skill in all aspects of the project!

Brianna-Your interior has some very nice effects….great job with the lighting effects on the floor. We have a clear sense that it’s a hard shiny surface thanks to the couch’s reflection. The table, pillows and lamp are also very effective and realistic. You chose to use a textured (spatter) effect on the couch stroke, which reminds me of the fuzzy binding used on furniture…that’s creative. However, the surfaces of the soft furniture are too flat, in terms of lighting. The alternatives are to use tints or gradients to fill those surfaces and give them a form that resonates the lighting in the room. Even a totally white or gray couch would have variations in tone. I don’t have the original image you worked from but I assume that it’s a window on the right with a similar glow as the doors along the back wall. It would be more clear that it’s a window if you include some sill or illusion that it’s recessed in the wall. The files I received didn’t have named layers but I assume this is due to your original illustration being done in an earlier version of illustrator.

Justin-There’s an amazing sense of depth in your interior. This is primarily due to the perspective and colors you’ve used to illustrate the scene. I really am impressed wit the stained glass window, back windows and sides of the room with the bookcases. Overall it looks very realistic and inviting. I especially like the fact that you’ve used a combination of gradients and tints to show the highlights and shadows. The radiator is a good example of gradient fills while the bookshelves use tints. The chair definitely looks more refined in the secondary triadic version but in both there should be a shadow under it to ground to the floor….Oh yeah, that plane is very cool too! The files I received had no named layers but this may be due to the file originated from a different version of Illustrator? Excellent work!