ABOUT ME
Sunday, December 12, 2010 ;)
(Updated 2013)
I created this website in the summer of 2009 while a student at Miami University of Ohio working towards a Master of Architecture degree. The original intention was to use the website as a means to communicate to my instructors the progress I was making on my thesis work. However, the site quickly turned into a place to upload all of my thoughts, work, and experiments, whether it had to do with thesis or not.
Before college, I lived most of my life in the corn fields of Northwest Ohio in the small town of Deshler (Look it up). After grad school, my wife and I moved to Boston, MA where I am now working for Paul Lukez Architecture.
While my background has always been architecture, I'm constantly experimenting with all things visual. I still post my photography and drawings as these mediums play a large part in my understanding of proportion, layout, composition, lighting, and many other factors that directly relate to architectural illustrations. At the end of the day though, it all comes back to architecture and architecture illustrations. It's my biggest creative outlet and what I live to do.
If you have suggestions or questions, please leave a comment or email me.
Still not enough? check out: MY DRAWINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHY, MY THESIS
SOFTWARE FUND
I thought I would reach out to the large and growing community of this site in hopes of raising some money to upgrade some sorely outdate software. Its important for a site such as this that reaches out to millions of people around the world to stay current but also allows me to better experiment and explore the art of architectural illustrations. The Adobe suite is my first priority since I am still using CS3 and many of your questions involve CS6. I will always keep everything free on this site but your donations make it much easier for me to keep doing what Im doing. Thank you to all who have already donated and feel free to send me an email with any questions. Thank you again!
Reader Comments (147)
Alex,
Great stuff, you have helped me tremendously!! Keep the sight up and running...
Hello, Alex. I'm Tu, a student of architecture.
I've knew accidentally ur blog from youtube two days ago. And when i write these words, i've already read and learn so much from all ur post(from page7 to page1). All i want to say is great blog, and it inspired me so much. I bookmark ur blog and from now, i will watch ur step.
Great thanks and all the best for u, Alex!
Best regard!
From: mr.tu - Vietnam
p/s: sorry for my bad english, hope u still understand :P
Hi,
I like your work especially rendering techniques. Thanks for your sharing thoughts and impressing work for inspiration!
I' have completed my graduation in Architecture n currently doing postgraduation in Landscape.
Your photoshop skills are amazing and portfolio was very impressive. keep up the website i would very much like to have regular visits to your new work. It's really helpful for me.
All the best for you! :) :) :)
- s n e h a
I was searching for tutorials on using GIMP or Photoshop and stumbled upon your website. Great stuff! Helped be out a lot, Im a second year student at UTB, the Architecture program is new and has only been around for a coupe a years. Im hoping to transfer to UH or Texas Tech and need a really good portfolio. Thanks again and keep posting your great work.
Hello Alex,
I found Your page while I was searching for tips how to improve my projects. I was positively shocked by the amount of helpful informations, which are in Your wonderful tutorials - thank You! They're so great that I'll certainly come back to this site to learn more, because currently I'm studying architecture on Gdańsk University of Technology (Poland).
hey
what can i say, i am very inspired by your rendering techniques its the real deal. I am currently a year 2 Architecture student at Nottingham Trent University UK and your website has helped me create some great panels studio for my final project reviews.
i was wondering in my University they only teach us Vectorworks and Artlantis Studio for creating and rendering purpose's, my question is i have not seen a tutorials by those two softwares and i would like to know whether there will be some i the future?
thank you
regards
Mundu
hey
what can i say, i am very inspired by your rendering techniques its the real deal. I am currently a year 2 Architecture student at Nottingham Trent University UK and your website has helped me create some great panels studio for my final project reviews.
i was wondering in my University they only teach us Vectorworks and Artlantis Studio for creating and rendering purpose's, my question is i have not seen a tutorials by those two softwares and i would like to know whether there will be some i the future?
thank you
regards
Mundu
hey
what can i say, i am very inspired by your rendering techniques its the real deal. I am currently a year 2 Architecture student at Nottingham Trent University UK and your website has helped me create some great panels studio for my final project reviews.
i was wondering in my University they only teach us Vectorworks and Artlantis Studio for creating and rendering purpose's, my question is i have not seen a tutorials by those two softwares and i would like to know whether there will be some i the future?
thank you
regards
Mundu
Alex, your work is truly inspirational as I am a second year architecture undergrad student just beginning to learn the techniques used in the design process. Your videos are excellent tools for learning new ways to use the tools of the trade. Great Work!
keep up the good work. I use your videos for my design presentations.
Alex,
Thank you so much for this blog! You are incredible and the amount of detail that you put into your renderings and presentations is truly inspiring! I just found your blog and it has helped me incredibly!
Again thank you and keep up the good work!
Hey, you're awesome! Love your blog so much!
The most inspring aspects about your site, is how sincerely your passion for process comes through.
In the sometimes novelty, competitive for ego sake world of architects, your site and passion for sharing process and technique with the community is a breath of fresh air in the smog of cloud some others have around their heads.
I'm sure it only pushes you to further challenge yourself, and expose how mix-media can reinforce strong concepts.
Thank you for sharing your work.
Raquel - From Toronto Can'
thanks for the tips and tutorials on your site. I am doing my m.arch your quick tips have helped so much. thanks Alex.
Thanks Everyone,
its really great to hear this kind of stuff. Its what keeps me going.
I'm on my Thesis and you are my savior Alex! keep it up!
Vitruvius, Antonio Gaudi, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Norman Foster, Zara Hadid.......Alex Hogrefe?
Your site and tips are like mana from architectural heaven, thank you for your generosity! EVERYBODY on my course knows your site and one of our tutors even devoted an entire lecture to it....
I'm a brazilian architect and graduated in 2009... Your blog was the most excited thing a friend showed me in the past 3 years!! i'm totally in love with it! Hopefuly i'll take your tips into a competition project i'm working on.
Thank you so much...
Thanks for sharing your work. I love learning from your site! Keep up the good work, you are so inspirational!
hey, wherever this site goes, just make sure it keeps going :) very useful stuff, nice job ;)
hi Alex,, again hahaa,,,
i really enjoy drawing inspiration from your work!!! i am currently trying to produce slightly interesting floor plans and something different from your average unattractive representations and i was looking through your portfolio and saw the floor plans you created for your girl scouts design, and i was wandering how you produced them??? do u produce them in auto-cad and then use post processing in Photoshop??? or are they rendered in parallel projection in kerkythea???? as i believe you have previously mentioned you render sections!?>!
any feedback on this would be very much appreciated!!!
many thanks
@ Steve,
The plans were drawn in AutoCAD. I then printed them and actually shaded the shadows with graphite. I then scanned it back in and Photoshopped a little over it. I will see if I can do a tutorial on floor plans soon. I haven't' done one yet on this site. Take care
Wow. It is so very kind of you to share your knowledge for free. You have a great talent.
Inspiring work and great use of software! As you have noticed most of the people visiting the page are really interseted in your workflow, so keep it up ;)
Your work inspired some of the images presented here back in 2009--> ( http://www.presidentsmedals.com/Project_Details.aspx?id=2361&dop=True)
Congrads and all the best with your work.
@Yiannis,
Very cool and very beautiful work. Thanks for posting.
hi alex,,,
really impressed with your architectural visualization on your thesis work!!!! how did you manage to create images from a distance of your design that don't appear flat??? mainly the grass appears as if it isn't a manipulated photo of grass as in your other tutorials.... i am finding it difficult to show grass from a distance.. any advice would be appreciated!!!
also your skills as an architect going from abstract to concept to form are unbelievable!! really really impressive...
cheers
Hi Steve,
For my thesis images, I actually went on Google earth and took screen shots of fields. It worked out that these images worked well for grassy textures. I also used some grunge textures at the end. Thanks for the kind words.
You are awesome. Thanks for sharing these excellent works with us. They help me a lot.
Alex,
I am just a simple construction manager NOT a student of any university. It can be very difficult to learn and understand the process of architecture and design.(HUGH HOBBYIST) I have limit knowledge in all areas of modelling,rendering,imaging programs. As a new user of sketch up and just became aware of rendering images i am very excited by the possibilities of such tools. Two weeks of searching various forums and tutorials I found your site! you have a gift of explaining in a "universal language" please keep up the inspiring site. Your work is beautiful.
Thanks for your time you put into this.
Simpleton of Architecture
Rick
Hi Julian and Rick,
Thanks for the kind words
congratulations, youre so good architect, thanks so much for yours workshops. Thanks frome Ecuador
Hi, Your website is helping me a lot in school, The tutorials are great...just crisp and clear...
I really appreciate your effort on keeping this site active and shearing things with rust of the world...
It is really inspiring. Its reminds me "Be the change that you want to see in the world" - mahatma gandhi
Keep going..
Hi Alex!
I'm a student at University of New Mexico in the School of Architecture a friend showed me your page and I have to say I am hooked on your tutorials, you make it so much easier to learn and know all these nifty tricks, I want to thank you for all the work you have put into videos and tutorials and everything. I have a question though I want to focus on a good rendering engine and have fiddled with VRay, Kerkythea and have been wanting to see what Artlantis is all about, which would you recommend me to use for the long run? I want to have good results in renders and have some time right now to learn any thoughts? Thanks again and keep up the amazing work!
Santiago
amazing work alex a real inspiration. learning a lot from you website how to do presentation drawing and learning a lot about model making as well. The quality of work is always a high standard and set the bench mark for all of us. best wishes for the future.
@ Santiago,
For the long run, I would suggest VRay. I always use Kerkythea because it is a free program and easy to start with. VRay I believe does better quality renders but takes longer. I wasn't too impressed with Artlantis.
I did not think that there might be someone as good as you. congratulations! I am a student of Italian architecture, and I love all your work! I put your site among your favorites and follow you on youtube, keep it up! (sorry for my bad English)
Greetings from Italy! ;)
I admire your work.
Alex, you've managed to put up one really great webpage! Very useful stuff!
I'm looking for help with creating illustrations for my blog - do you know of anyone who'd be interested in helping out, or where I can find such people?
I'm trying to suggest a new concept of building cities, but with roads underground instead of between the building - and I need illustrations in order to catch people's imaginations. You can read about it here: "http://wildrocketsledgeride.com/ultra-compact-city-concept/the-design-of-an-ultra-compact-city/"
Anyone who will help me? All I need is the rendered image and a permission to use it for my blog, and I'll link through to any more work on your site.
You'll find my email address on the http://wildrocketsledgeride.com/about/ page :)
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! x x x x x
T H A N K Y O U!!!!!!!!!!!! BEAUTIFUL WORK!!!!!
hello, i'm from Singapore.
...I'm at the point of considering giving up my job as an architectural asistant...think i'm not so gifted as some people like u...don't really have the eyes for architecture beauty. Maybe like wat they said, it's hard if u don't have the passion? Tot maybe i can search for some tips to improve myself on this...Accidentally came across your site today, quite inspiring. And I would say u r really a kind soul...so generous of u to share with others all the tips. Wish you all the best in life. =)
Hi Alex,
I'm a french from Belgium and I will be graduate in architecture this year. I just wanted to send you a quick note to congratulate you for your job and thank you for sparing your great tuto Thanks a lot, they were very helpfull. I wish you the best.
Regards,
Olivier
hey alex,
congrats for your work and your blog. what you do is very inspiring. i study architecture in thessaloniki,greece. it is unnecessary to tell you how much you helped me with some tricks ;-) thanx for this , and i wish you the best! here is my website www.step-architecture.com i would be glad if you take a look.
thanx again
papachristos stergios
just one word for u man..."AWSOME"...U R REALLY AN INSPIRATION....:)
i can tell you one thing for sure , this blog is worh a treasure :) thanks for great posts Alex , i mean it
Hey..u're work is amazing and very inspirational too.. 'WOW' is the least that comes out of my mouth when I see ur work everytime. I'm currently pursuing my thesis and just wanted to say that carry on the great work :)
just wanted to say, your tutorials on youtube are absolutely helpful. The detail you include into your images is what I often miss out. And the instructions you include within the tutorials are really easy to follow.
and thank you :)
Hello,
I am just writing to say that I am a big fan of Your works and the way You represent them. It can be seen that You have put a great deal of effort to understand how to create really realistic renders. Congratulations!
Hi Alex, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Your work is really stunning. Congratulations.
your blog is very inspiring! great work.! i am studying architecture third year in greece and i found your tutorials very helpful, specially since we have to learn all the design and graphic programs on our own here. :)
Amazing work - thanks so much for uploading all this, it really is interesting. Great standard of work and very clear tuts. Really, this is greatly appreciated Alex! Second year student, Australia.