Architectural Visualization With Sketchup and Photoshop

In this course students will learn how to depict their own architectural projects through the medium of digital collage, using two of the most basic programs within an architectural practice: SketchUp and Photoshop. The classes will cover general architectural knowledge like: floor plans, 3d modeling, dimensions, human scale, textures, context, and how to tell a story through the composition of an image. 

The course is divided into two one hour classes. In the first class after a short introduction students will learn about the digital collage technique and see how it has evolved over time. This will not only help them visualize what they are about to learn but also gain an understanding of how an architectural project works by seeing all the different ways to represent it. After, by following the teacher step by step, the students will learn how to draw a basic floor plan of a house and then make a 3d model of it using basic geometry in SketchUp.

In the second class students will learn how to transfer those images to create a collage of their projects in Adobe Photoshop by applying backgrounds, new textures, furniture, and context. Here they will learn the importance of human scale, vegetation, light, shadows, color, and all the things that help to give life to the image. 

At the end of the class each student will end up with a unique digital collage of a house.

For this course students will need their computers with the following programs installed: SketchUp (although there is an online free version) and Adobe Photoshop (free trial available online).