Let me get it straight away that this is an attempt at self-promotion.
Now that I have gotten all such scruples out of my way, I can get on with the job.
Sometime back (in 2007) I came across the software known as Sketchup (which until now is owned by Google but soon would be heading to Trimble). It is a 3D modeling software, simple and delightful to use. I have always been everybody’s (in my family) go-to girl whenever they wanted a lay-out of a new house or someone to knock on for ideas to design or renovate their houses. I have always done this with AutoCAD, a software that attaches to you early on if you are an engineer. Amazing as it was, the staid black-screen of then AutoCAD bored me and I easily switched to the real-time 3D of Sketchup.
I started with simple house designs… trying to incorporate one wacky design element in to each plan at a time. Most of them were plans for a proposed home for my folks in Kerala, India.
While looking for ways to get my models to be more presentable and eye-catching (Sketchup couldn’t provide realistic models without a plugin) I came across SU Podium… it is an absolutely easy to use plugin for Sketchup.
These two software helped me a lot in my lazy quest to do simple design work without being an expert 3D artist or even a competent 3D modeler. I found I had a lot of spare time in my hands in those early years before I moved to Kuwait and I put them to some ‘creative’ use. I have ever since been addicted to creating both architectural and interior design.
I have worked on free-lance projects as well (and earned a bit from the hours I put in)… so, this work has been satisfying in more ways than one.
I have this other design blog ‘My World In Three Dimensions‘ which is where I display my designs and ideas.
These are the first steps to what I hope is a satisfying (and lucrative) hobby which I might even consider as a career option in the near future. Fingers crossed. 🙂
Here is a sample of one of my earliest designs:
Color Quartet Lounge
Do visit my design blog and leave your comments on the designs there… that should help me improve or even get a new spin on ideas.
© Surya Murali
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