I started by studying the available plans, they were images without precise dimensions, which makes the modeling process difficult. However, this kind of lack of information is common in day-to-day work and, together with the photos and my architectural knowledge, it was enough for the modeling to be done, taking into account the details necessary for the challenge.
I chose to focus on the mood of the final image and to reach this goal I opted for a camera near the building, where i could see its details better, as well as a bit of its inner life. I decided for an image in the winter – something that I am not accustomed to – as a personal challenge, and at dusk, for the lighting to focus on the warm feeling I want to archieve. My main reference is the kamakura lantern festivals, which will help keep the image “warm” even in the winter.
In this initial draft, I thought about the composition of the objects in the scene. The arrangement should not be random, the vegetation/people/objects positions should complement one another, creating a harmonious frame. An example of this line of thought would be the tree on the right, counterbalancing the weight of the property on the left.
With that in mind, from now on my focus will be on the setting, on complex materials like dirty snow, and lighting. Also modeling a few more details to the scene, now that I have chosen my angle. I try to get to the best result already in the raw rendering, facilitating the post production work.