When you are dealing with exterior renders, the manner in which you frame the buildings of focus is vital in a marketing world and for general aesthetic of a composition. It is arguable what the main “focus” of a render should be; some projects are on a larger scale aerial view where the new building or design can just be blended in with the current neighborhood while still being a highlight of the skyline; Other designs are more concentrated on the buildings specifically and in detail where they want the surrounding buildings to appear realistic, but not take away from the featured area.
There are 3 main ways to build a surrounding context for your project which are. Modeling, photo-match, and Gray Blocks.
Photo-Match can be a great choice if your exterior view is in a bird-eye perspective because a google maps image can do the job in most scenarios. When the view is closer to the building but still showing a large mass of surrounding structures it is a wise decision to use a drone in order to take a higher quality image to ensure the Photoshop looks natural and realistic. The above image is done nearly entirely of photo match for the photo taken, the buildings in the center right are the proposed building to add to that are in Brooklyn. This option is one of the more cost effective choices for those who are on a budget, as it is just a quick photo shop job if the angle of the photo is accurate and the image quality is good.
If you want complete control and accuracy to a rendered surrounding outcome modeling could be the best option for you. Although it will innately cost more due to the amount of work a team will have to work on will be at times doubled, it does end up having a very solid and clear appearance at the end of a project. The above image is nearly fully modeled with the many buildings in the foreground.
Similar to the photo-match option, the Gray blocks or masses option requires less work than fully modeling all the buildings surrounding your space of interest. If used correctly they can fill in spaces to make sure a space feels alive while fading into the background and allowing your design to thrive and power a presentation. Examples above show that of a day time use of gray masses and a night time use, both hinting at the concepts of buildings while allowing the main focus to stay in the forefront. With the use of people, cars, and other effects in post work these images still maintain a beautiful realistic style.
The last option we will discuss today is the Blended option of surrounding context which can include, gray masses and photo match, photo match and modeling, or modeling and gray masses. Combining the main 3 options can be a great choice for those who have a bit more in their budget or who need to high light more than just their main building design, for example the buildings which are landmarks near that project may need to be fully realized. The above renders have a few buildings which are fully modeled and rendered and then the surrounding further buildings may be gray blocks, and skylines are photo-matched.