Q. We do a lot of our illustrations ‘in house’. Why should we call SAI to do our renderings?
A. While many firms have talented staff in house, the reality is that they are often multi-tasking; a rendering project takes them away from other important jobs. Because of this, renderings are often not what they could be. In addition, most firms that use our service not only get a superior product but are able to control costs by having a quoted price. We are accountable so you don’t have to be. The number one reason is that we are a studio of professionals, dedicated to producing the finest architectural renderings available.
Q. I’m reluctant to work with an illustrator at a distance. How does that work?
A. It’s not really hard at all. We do it a lot. We make every effort to understand your needs and work interactively, utilizing the modern communication technologies available… it’s like we are right next door.
Q. How does communication take place?
A. Phone- during our working hours
Fax – directly to our office
E-mail & FTP – documents, pictures, PDFs, annotated sketches.
Overnight Express Service
In Person, when project merits travel expenses or we are in the same town.
Q. What is ‘hybrid illustration’?
A. It’s a method of producing illustrations that we specialize in here at SAI. It combines the best of hand-drawn and computer rendering. By using accurate 3-D models combined with the years of experience of a professional, traditional illustrator trained as an architect, our studio is able to nuance your rendering in ways a computer-generated or traditional medium illustrator couldn’t.
Q. Is the hybrid approach faster?
A. It can be. It depends on what style you are after (conceptual vs. photorealistic) but as a rul it takes about the same amount of time to produce as a conventional illustration. The real difference is in the quality of the work; we can work through so many more versions and nuances than a typical CG or hand drawn image and are often able to make major adjustments to the rendering at last minute.
Q. Our time zones are separated- when do we talk?
A. Not to worry. Of course time zones overlap. We will communicate with you during your business hours.
Q. What options do we have to brief you?
A. Verbally – by phone or in person.
Hard copy – by mail or courier
Email, phone, or fax
We can recieve image and CAD files in almost all standard file-formats, via email or FTP.
Colors and materials can be scanned, communicated with universal color specification or Pantone numbers, or with approximate descriptions.
Q. How much information is need to brief you?
A. You can give us a lot or a little. Some of our best work has been done with very little information. If a more precise image is needed than it may help to have a lot of information in the brief. On the other hand, if the concept is not crystallized than a sufficient briefing is required to define the intent. Just ask if you need help.
Q. What is your turnaround time?
A. Depends on the project. 10 working days is the average for most illustrations. Shorter turnarounds are possible.
Q. Will I get to see the owrk in progress?
A. Certainly! We pride ourselves on working as closely with you as you’d like. You can begin seeing visual feedback from day one of your project.
Q. Are your renderings expensive?
A. No. Especially when you consider the value our clients receive in terms of quality, professional experience and technical expertise. Our fees are very competitive. Because SAI is located in Portland, Oregon, our fees are often less than illustrators located in larger markets.
Q. Do you charge for a quote?
A. Certainly not. Just send us a brief and we’ll fire off a written estimate, good for 30 days, usually within one businss day.
Q. Do you need a retainer?
A. Yes. We ask for 30-50% at the inception and balance upon completion.