VD: Please introduce yourself and give a brief background on how you got involved in the arch viz industry.
My name is Kostas Anninos and I graduated from the Public Designers Institute in Athens, Greece ten years ago as a CG designer. Simultaneously I watched 3dstudio Viz r3 seminars and got formal training in an Autodesk authorized center. I got started in architectural visualization through following my father's profession as an architect.
VD: Which software do you use on a daily basis?
I currently use 3dstudio Max, Vray and Photoshop.
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VD: Are there any tools out there that you couldn't do without at this point in your career? Why is this tool so important to you and what made you choose it?
I chose these programs mainly because they suit the way that I think in each category. 3dstudio max’s tools are very versatile in arch viz and has a wide variety of great features. I chose VRay as my renderer of choice because of the ease of use and the render times in everyday work. If you spend a bit more time to understand the software you can accomplish amazing photo real results. Photoshop is my favorite cg program ever because you can do everything, from 3d surfaces to full color corrections.
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VD: How would you weigh the amount of work done in 3d v. post production?
I spend more time in 3D but there are so many times where post production is more important and will require more time being spent there.
VD: Are there any specific artists that have inspired you throughout your career?
I believe that without idols you can't really progress. There are so many artists that have inspired me throughout the years, two of them being Alex Roman and Viktor Fretyán.
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VD: How has this person had an influence on your work and the way that you view architectural renderings?
These artists have helped me view architectural renderings as a piece of art.
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VD: What is the most challenging thing about working in this industry?
From the beginning of my career and even currently the most challenging thing for me is creating photo realistic renderings in a unique way.
VD: How do these challenges influence your work?
My continuous “fight” with realism helps me to improve myself from day to day.
VD: Do you work in this industry as a professional or do you mostly do what you do as a hobby?
I work as a professional but always with a hobbyists' perspective.
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For this project I was provided a model by my client and my goal was to achieve a pleasant interior bedroom view. I couldn't think of anything more attractive than a Mediterranean sea view when you wake up in the morning in bed. Vray sky and sun with a few photometric lights and color correction in Photoshop was used for the final image.
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VD: What is the most satisfying part of doing what you do and what keeps you moving forward?
The most satisfying part for me is when I don't think that my finished work is that great, but my peers tell me otherwise.
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VD: Are you actively involved or do you participate in any online communities / forums?
It is very important to me as a 3D artist to participate in online communities because I can discuss everything about 3d, I make new friends and of course I learn a lot of new things. Vizdepot really has really helped me through the years because the community is very honest and provides feedback on my images. Two more of my favorite forums are 3dv.gr and evermotion.org
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This render is from Ronen Bekerman's architectural competition called GH House. When I approached the interior space, my thought was to re-create a retro photo shoot styled image. I used about 39 light sources until I finally achieved the mood I had imagined from the beginning. The carpet made with max’s hair and fur plug-in and the final render time for this image was about 35 hours at 3000x3500 pixels. |
VD: In such an artistic and creative profession / hobby, we are always looking to better ourselves and our techniques. How do you do keep up to date with new software and how do you better your techniques to keep your work competitive with your peers?
I think the best way to improve your techniques is with hard work, I have seen great works from artists that use software like Modo, Maya, Maxwell render, Fryrender, so I try to stay focused on my favorite tools to better expand knowledge. Moreover the good photographer does not make him the photographic machine.
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VD: Is there any advice that you would give to someone looking to get into the industry?
I will give the same advice that I gave in myself when I was first getting involved with arch viz, make your work your hobby.
This render is from a great house I found in a book. The architect is Rafael De La-Hoz and when I saw the photos of this project I felt inspired immediately. The specific angle was something really special for me because I “transported” myself into the location, as I discovered this house somewhere in the woods. I climb to a hil, push the shrubs aside and try to take a great shot with my camera. I used VRay, 3dsMax and for depth of field I used a z-depth channel and Photoshop
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