An In-Depth Exploration of Three Archviz Artists: Part 2 - Agustin piña

For those who love seeing impressive technical works of architectural visualization, this man will be a treat. I have been in business for a good 9 years and yet I scarcely believe that those images are not photos. The level of understanding of the craft required to make those kinds of renders is beyond the norms. What you see here is not just a 3D artist in terms of its professional category, but a real Artist who puts an incredible amount of attention into creating realistic images that mesmerize. He pairs it well with great knowledge of composition and lighting. But why am I writing so much about him? I invite you to dive in and see for yourself what can be achieved when you are at the top of your game.

Any good 3D artist will tell you that evoking emotions is their main goal when creating a memorable image. I invite you to examine for yourself what you feel by looking at each of those images and note that you rarely going to be distracted by things that take you away from your immersion. That is because those images have incredible level of polish and just look very real. In this image above the warm light touching this building's facade is incredible. It works with the geometry of the building in a way that highlights it's strongest elements, while dedicating good 1/3 of the image to the vegetation and scenery that is done with incredible detail. I could talk about this part for hours, but I prefer to let you enjoy seeing than reading about it. It is a damn awesome image.

Now this piece is a bit more ephemeral, with the scattered light it makes me feel as if I have just accidentally stumbled upon a shrine to some brutalist god in the middle of the forest. Fantastic work with materials and stunning foreground that is just incredibly beautiful. I will avoid usage of the word realistic from now on because all of the elements in the works of this guy are.

Now this image is one of my favorites. This man knows a thing or two about sexy curves because this image is elevated by its incredible composition. This is the kind of thing you see on ArchDaily of a newly built modern building photographed by some renowned architectural photographer, with the only exception that Agustin here has full control over his environment. While I believe that the hills in the background may have been on the site and are possibly even a real photo from the location, those lovely flowers in the foreground are placed there with intention, and the image would not look the way it does without them.

Now let's take a peek at the interior view looking outside. You can tell that the man has a love for the outdoors, because in nearly every interior image there’s at least one area dedicated to the exterior and surrounding vegetation. I understand you, man — I love it too, and I especially admire your work with vegetation.

I can’t ignore the elephant in the room — the condensation on the window. Now, this man clearly knows what he’s doing when it comes to details. Have you ever noticed how condensation forms in your own home? It typically starts at the bottom, which might raise questions about the realism of this image. But as you can see, this isn’t a living room — it’s a sauna. In this environment, the heated stones on the left push hot air upward, causing condensation to form at the top instead.

Truly marvelous levels of observation and understanding of how environmental factors affect materials. It also creates a beautiful effect — you can see the reflection of the beams through the misty condensation. In a way, it connects the indoors and outdoors in a poetic, harmonious way. I just love this work of art.

Here we can have a closer look at what is happening in the same courtyard, but with a stronger focus on showing how the living space is integrated within this natural environment. This is achieved through incredible work with materials that really makes you feel like you could visit this place (if the owners let you in, that is). As for another lovely detail, take a look at those steps on the left — the chipped and uneven rock feels very authentic and true to the design intent, as far as I can understand it.

For this image, I like how Agustin composed and positioned the trees. Typically, a tree centered in the image and covering the building would make architects and real estate clients start foaming at the mouth at the mere thought that something might dare to obscure their design or marketed property. But as you can see, once you build the reputation and experience of a true master, you can set your own rules — or you simply know how to convince a client that this is the best course of action. Great job!

This lovely piece of work still makes me doubt whether I’ve made a huge mistake — perhaps I’ve found a talented architectural photographer to write a blog post on the topic of archviz. But no, every work in Agustin’s profile is labeled as an architectural render in Corona, so I’ll trust him, because I certainly don’t trust my own eyes. The material work here is exceptional — those reflections on the glass and brushed metal, the plants in the foreground — all are devilishly well made. So much so, I suspect he might have signed a contract with the devil. And if you did, Agustin, I don’t blame you — in fact, share his contact with me if you don’t mind.

Now what do we have here? About 10% of the image dedicated just to the roofs of the building in question? No problem — who cares about that when you have such a richly built environment! I haven’t seen a more convincing snowy scene in a long time. I’ve attempted to create snowy environments myself in the past, and they’re incredibly hard to make look convincing, but this one wins me over completely. I want to be a mound of snow in this image.

Also, please note the lovely bit of storytelling in the center-left part of the image — the person near the car is a great touch, adding scale and grounding the image in reality.

Now let’s wrap up with this lovely interior — with the exterior, as mentioned previously, still playing a major role in grounding the living room in its context and presenting us with a beautiful lighting condition. Here, I can only note how well-composed everything is and how good every material looks. A fantastic interior.

I’m thankful to the internet for randomly recommending this man’s work, because he is truly remarkable. I wish him all the best in his career — he will be an inspiration for years to come in my own professional journey.

Cheers!Check him out here: https://pinagustin.com/