Buick Cutaway Line Illustration
Randal created this line illustration of the side view of a Buick to illustrate an computer controlled automotive fuel system. The work was commissioned by a Chicago area ad agency in the 1980′s.
The home of the world renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra is called Orchestra Hall, located on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Randal Birkey was commissioned to produce a series of architectural illustrations of the Orchestra Hall renovation project called “Symphony Center,” a new combined complex housing the auditorium, practice rooms, backstage production and staging areas, and the headquarter offices for the CSO organization.
These illustrations were commissioned for use in a high-end printed piece that went to CSO fund-raising tool. Randal worked from the architectural blueprints, in a Mac-based drawing and painting program called Fractal Painter. A Wacom tablet was required for the kind of control needed for the digital “brushes.”
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall Lobby
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall Rotunda Cutaway
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall – Concert Hall Interior
Randal Birkey put together this self-promotional ad for the 1998 Black Book.
It features:
1998 Black Book Ad
555 W. Jackson Blvd - Isometric Building Cutaway
Randal Birkey created this pen and ink line drawing in an isometric layout in order to show an office building floor plan in a three dimensional yet true to scale fashion. This image was used for self-promotion as a architectural illustration portfolio piece in the 1980′s.
The original art was produced using Rapid-o-graph ink pens on smooth, 20″ x 30″ cold press illustration board.
As a part of developing a technical illustration business in the 1980′s, Randal Birkey did many illustrations as “self-promotion.” These projects were designed to push skills and abilities further, and to show prospective customers what could be done.
This pen and ink line art illustration of a Renault Elf Formula One racing car was carefully constructed by the illustrator using a scale model as a reference. The right front and rear tires were shown transparently to reveal the brake systems. The top body panel was rendered transparent to reveal the driver cockpit area. The top rear body panels were also shown transparently to reveal engine intake and exhaust components.
Randal went on to finish this illustration in color and it was used on a number of his self-promotion ads during the 1980′s and early 1990′s.
Renault Elf Racing Car - line art
Renault Elf Racing Car - Color
Randal Birkey was commissioned to produce a series of architectural illustrations of the renovation project of “Symphony Center,” the home of the world renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Orchestra Hall, as it is also known, was undergoing an extensive renovation, as well as being connected to another building around the corner from Michigan Avenue. Together, this new combined complex was to be called “Symphony Center,” and would house not only the auditorium, but also all the practice rooms, backstage production and staging areas, and the headquarter offices for the organization.
This illustration was produced by Randal working from the architectural blueprints, in a Mac based 3D perspective wireframe application. Once the view and level of line detail was reached, the line work was transferred to a 2D drawing program called Fractal Painter.
In the Painter software, all the watercolor and color pencil texturing was added. A Wacom tablet was required for the kind of control needed for the digital “brushes.” The application and tablet ran on an Apple Macintosh computer.
Additional illustrations were completed including: a cutaway elevation, lobby view, floor plan, and auditorium views. These illustrations were all used in a high-end printed piece that went to CSO supporters to communicate the renovation project details, and also as a fund-raising tool.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall - Symphony Center
1972 Datsun 240Z - Technical Cutaway Illustration
Randal once owned a car like this (see photo below) and used his personal knowledge of the car along with his technical illustration skills to create the “transparent” style cutaway line art illustration, focused on the engine and front suspension details. The 1972 Z-car is regarded by many as the best classic year of any of the original series made by Datsun, which later changed its name to Nissan.
Randal's '72 Datsun 240Z