An In-Depth Exploration of Three Archviz Artists: Part 3 - Kostas Tsilivis

Today I would like to show everyone what other impressive 3D artists are up to nowadays. And since I have some experience with archviz and this is my blog, I give myself a permission to discuss and take a look at Kostas Tsilivis.

Beautiful and minimal overcast skies have always been my favorite to showcase beautiful architecture, especially loved by architects. I can see Kostas understands it's value. Beautifully reflected tree on the lightly lit interior. If you ever noticed how you are attracted to warmly lit indoor places when the weather is gloomy. Like a beautifully lit cafeteria or a cozy terrace - Basically like a moth. That is how I feel when looking at nice renders of the exterior overcast scenes and Mr. Tsilivis here definitely showcases his skills here very strongly.

This view of the same building is breathing with depth and is full of details, great sense of context thanks to reflections and vary minimal color palette. Beautiful and confident work.

Now this lovely image really stands out with it's authentic depiction of the natural environment. Just super impressive integration of a project into context, and even greatest choice of lighting for this scene. If you really want to understand the importance of creating deep image, take a look at the next image.

This is just a small corner to the right of the previous image, but it breathes life and story in every pixel. Just lovely work in addition to the previous image and as a standalone piece to help and set the beautiful scene for this project.

Interior views also speak a lot about modern preferences for designers, like in with my previous post about Agustin Piña, there was another lovely house set in the forest and well integrated with the rock formations that were in the space already. Here it is integrated more subtly, and just like on other images, the use of color and light is very laconic and gentle, especially in the bright evening scene, but a use of textures is very strategic and beautifully crafted with appreciation for the craft.

This lovely cabin in the woods is very nicely positioned in between tall conifers and some pines in the foreground. I love the composition and light that really makes the cabin stand out with balance of contrasting volumes that the building takes in the composition.

And indoors we get a sneak peek into a lovely and minimal space with a very well done sofa and a cup with a drink waiting for it to be consumed. While the wall finish is not my favorite material to evoke a sense of comfort in a space I occupy, I can understand that it looks great in this setting and as a sturdy material, but I would have been more pleased with some beautiful veneer or regular white paint. The attention to details on this carpet is great.

Damn look at these nuts! Never though I could say something like that in this blog and still be very contextually appropriate. But seriously, a quality work with light and deep background really make this image stand our and help set the scene, just beautifully done materials. Even if those nuts come from some "decor_item_set_#17", it is not about the source of the model, it is about knowledge how to apply those with the creativity and tools at your disposal. Kostas clearly knows how to use them.

Love the top views, in this composition the building have a very light presence and only stands out a bit though the lovely swimming pool on which we will zoom in in the next image. For now, it is a great moment to appreciate the way the design integrates into the environment.

This is more like a fashion magazine shot, with a great and very minimal set of objects to operate with, but the depth, gradient and textures that are done amazingly well here bring this picture to illustrative heights. Feels pleasant to look at the patterns overlap and give a sense of scale to everything and concluding the story with a woman laying on a sunny day near the pool.

All the above is topped by a lovely evening shot, which is more serene and still doesn't shy away from the elegance. I like the contrasting lights on a still warm evening with a person on the edge of the hill. Small story element, but a pleasant one.

From a different environment we come in here with an autumny mood, which makes us really absorb the surroundings and marvel at those lovely-placed dry leaves around. The bike path looks realistic because I can see a bit of wear and tear on it. That is a common pain of working with many architects and developers, every image you do - they are afraid of wear and grunge textures like fire, because of course -their constructions could never be so rough, and they are the epitome of proper, smooth, and elegant constructions and materials, because those people think that it makes it feel "clean" and, as you know, everyone likes to attend clean spaces. But an element that this type of client often forgets is that in the process of "trying to paint the grass green" they are losing a feeling of realism that only comes in the world where interplay between entropy and order is real. Obviously, there are no such things in a simulated world; therefore, artists have to fake those in the image, and understanding of wear and tear of items that surround us only comes with experience and careful observation, which clearly Kostas understands here. Lovely atmosphere in this one too.

Now, for this evening’s work, we are guided by light, narrative, and the subtle touches that illuminate the objects in the scene. Whether the two figures have just come home from late-night shopping and are about to unload new agricultural equipment into the barn, or they are simply drug dealers loading bags of cocaine for a long trip across the border, none of it is entirely clear. But that ambiguity is exactly what invites the viewer to pause, imagine, and enjoy the story unfolding in their mind. Cheers to Kostas for gifting us these beautifully crafted renders.

To conclude, there is nothing more humbling than looking at the work of others. I’m glad that in the process of analyzing, I’m also learning. And who knows—perhaps one day you’ll see a blog post about me on some website that isn’t my own (where, to be fair, there are already several posts about me and ZenViz :)).

In any case, for those who are learning - keep going. Gain insight, stay inspired by artists like this. But in the future, we also need to turn our attention to the other professions whose work forms the foundation of our inspiration as ArchViz artists. Next week, we’ll be taking a look at photographers, with a focus on architectural photography, but not exclusively.