Tag Archives: blueprint

Quantum Graphics Aerial Perspective Cutaway

Randal was commissioned by Rich Nickel Design to create an aerial perspective cutaway illustration of a client printing facility. The client was Quantum Graphics, located in suburban Chicago, Illinois.  Randal first worked from architectural blueprint drawings to construct a 3D perspective wireframe of the building and the interior components that were to be revealed in the cutaway. Here is the final 3D wireframe aerial perspective model.

Quantum Graphics 3D Wireframe

Quantum Graphics 3D Wireframe

Once this view was approved by Quantum and Rich Nickel Design, Randal converted the 3D model to 2D line art and began rendering it using a combination of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop software tools.

Quantum Graphics - Aerial Perspective Cutaway

Quantum Graphics - Aerial Perspective Cutaway

The final digital file was supplied to the designer, and used as a 4-color fold out spread in a Quantum Graphics company capabilities brochure. The designer also created a translucent overlay that contained leader lines and captions describing the different areas of this printing plant facility.

Loft Lobby Interior

Randal was commission by a real estate development company in Chicago called Loft, to illustrate the lobby of an industrial building being converted to residential “loft” condos in the 1980′s. There was no way to take reference photos of the site, so Randal worked from architectural blueprints to construct a 3D wireframe model of the interior space. The 3D model can then be rotated and manipulated in 3 dimensions until a final view was determined. Here is the final approved viewpoint the final illustration was based upon.

Loft Lobby 3D Wireframe

Loft Lobby 3D Wireframe

Once the viewpoint is established, Randal transfers the line work to a 2D rendering software such as Painter or Photoshop, and completes the illustration as a flat 2D digital file. Any style of art is possible, this one being a combination of watercolor, line and pencil techniques.

Loft Lobby Interior

Loft Lobby Interior

1997 Black Book Ad

Randal Birkey put together this self-promotional ad for the 1997 Black Book.

It features:

  • Pharmaceutical Product Logo
  • Globe – Product Illustration
  • Retouched and digitally altered 5 dollar bill with 2 Abe Lincoln’s
  • Close-up diagram of a chain product used in a road grader
  • Watercolor boot
  • Watercolor tractor
  • Nascar line drawing sketch
  • How to measure for a swimsuit diagram
  • 3D clock tower projecting from a 2D blueprint
  • 2 whimsical vector art graphs
1997 Black Book Ad

1997 Black Book Ad

How to Build a Better Sportshirt

Randal did this catalog spread illustration and detail insets for Lands’ End, a catalog retailer located in Dodgeville, Wisconsin on “How to Build a Better Sportshirt.” The spread illustrated the superior way in which Lands’ End men’s sportshirts are constructed and designed.

How to Build a Better Sportshirt - Lands' End

How to Build a Better Sportshirt - Lands' End

Wilson Sporting Goods

Randal was contracted by Wilson Sporting Goods to do a series of illustrations for their tennis product catalog. Each racquet in the catalog featured a cutaway illustration showing the layers and materials used in its construction. Each illustration was done by hand with pencil and color pencil on 100% cotton drafting vellum for that “techie” look.

Wilson Tennis Racquet Cross-Section

Wilson Tennis Racquet Cross-Section and Cutaway