Behind every great property is an even greater concept drawing. We were stoked when Perry Reid Properties approached us to create an illustration for their latest apartment complex, The Enclave.
Referencing pre-existing blueprints and architectural drawings, we used Procreate on the Apple iPad Pro to illustrate the complex’s layout. We digitally painted the leasing office, garages and each building, arranging them to match the site plans. We also illustrated a custom asset pack of bushes, hedges and trees to dot the landscape.
With the seemingly limitless options in Procreate, it was easy to achieve the painterly look we pitched to Perry Reid. We took inspiration from classic watercolor aerial maps for their nostalgic feel. We used the watercolor brush in Procreate to illustrate most elements in the piece, pulling in the Nikko Rull brush to craft the roads and parking lots.
To best recreate the transparent qualities of watercolor, each element features multiple layers of color at varying opacities. After the initial assets were created, we threw the Procreate file into Photoshop and began assembling the illustration. This saved tons of time. It’s much easier to layer groupings of trees, rocks and shrubs when you don’t have to illustrate each and every one.
To establish a light source, we set a global drop shadow informed by the direction of the highlights in the illustration. This also helped ground the elements of the piece. After a couple rounds of client feedback, we finalized the design, toning down the orange and removing the badge elements on the lower right.
Perry Reid also opted to use the property’s original logo in favor of the hand lettered design we created.
This project was an awesome challenge, combining the best aspects of both traditional and digital art as well as the disciplines of design and illustration. Even better, Perry Reid was a true blast to work with and we can’t wait for their next project.
In the meantime, feel free to check out some more of our work!