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Category Archives: BlogNotes

Blogging about my adventures in woodworking. Yes, you will read it.

Why You Need to Learn SketchUp

04 May

Tools aren’t just in the shop these days, but on the computer as well. I think I spend about 1 hour on the computer designing for every 10 hours in the shop, designing either future products I’ld like to offer, or ones that current clients are requesting. I use a free product called SketchUp. SketchUp is a free 3D modeling design program for woodworkers (and architects, interior designs, mechanical engineers, etc), and is available for Mac and Windows machines. I need to have accurate drawings so I make less mistakes in the shop, and can create a better product. I enjoy the advantage of being able to create a custom project for a client, and almost build it before I build it, on the computer. That’s a huge selling point to a potential client. As someone that wants to sell something (maybe that’s you!) you need to remove any barriers to that person saying “Yes” to a sale. Not being able to visualize the product is one of those things. “Yeah, I can build you a cherry desk with two drawers” isn’t good enough; it’s too…sketchy. I can build you this cherry desk (showing the potential client a rendering) is a much better, and makes the client feel more secure. Also, learning SU (SketchUp), fosters creativity; you can mix and match woods, change any part easily, go crazy. More accuracy, better chances at a sale, fostering creativity – this is why I state You Need to Learn SketchUp!

   Learning SketchUp

The hardest part of SketcUp is learning to use it. I gave up once trying to learn it, but thankfully came back to it, and am quite proficient now. I reached out to experts like Dave Richards who has a free blog you can use at Fine Woodworking, titled Design.Click.Build. Dave has also put out a DVD and book for beginners, which you can find here. There’s also a “for dummies” book found here. And there are many videos on YouTube. Is it difficult to learn? I’d have to say yes. Is it WORTH IT to learn? A definite yes.

While in SU, you see a pretty crude model, but certainly good enough to work with. This is the model you’d work with to get where you want to be on the project.  Let me give you a real world example…

Piper's Folding Table

Piper’s Folding Table (click to enlarge)

A friend of mine had this table – it’s probably made in the 30s. It’s an interesting table in that it folds up, when you pull up at the center joint. There was just something about it that struck me. Here’s a pic of the actual table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piper's table SU model

Piper’s table SU model (click to enlarge)

Any way, I asked him if I could borrow it to make drawings – and so I went to work recreating it in SU. I took all the measurements, including the hardware, and the working model drawing came out like this. As you can see at this point, there is already a strong resemblance to the actual table. The change I made was using walnut as a texture, rather than the maple (I believe) that the original was made of. At this point, if I wanted to go ahead and build it, I would “explode” the drawing – moving the separate pieces apart and putting in ruler measurements for each piece, printing out the screen shots of the pieces, and going down to the shop to build it.

 

 

 

 

Piper table rendering

Piper table rendering (click to enlarge)

But let’s say that I’ve come up with this table on my own for a client, and wanted to present the idea to the client in the best possible light. I probably wouldn’t send the working SU model, but rather would render the project. What is a rendering? A rendering engine (program) takes a file from a CAD (computer aided design) program – in our case, SU – and “renders” a photo that looks realistic. Some CAD programs can do this from within itself, but many rely on external, third-party programs to accomplish this. I use Kerkythea (care-ka-thea) for rendering from SU.

So why would you want to go through all this trouble to render? Other than looking cool, what’s the benefit to a woodworker? Well, for one thing, it’s really not all that much trouble, and secondly, you get a much better idea of what the end product will look like – far better then the rather cartoonish rendering that SU shows you. More importantly, if you do woodworking professionally, you can show a potential client a piece that is already “built” and change woods, dimensions and scales easily. Make the mistakes in the virtual world before making big mistakes in the shop.

If you are already pretty proficient at SU – no mean feat – then you are ready for Kerkythea – it’s much easier to use then SU. It’s also free, like SU; you can get it here. I won’t rehash how to install Kerkythea – they explain it.

   SketchUp & Kerkythea = Awesomeness

If you use SketchUp for woodworking, and you really enjoy the way it helps you in the shop, you might want to take it to the next level, and get into photorealistic renderings such as Kerkythea; it’s a great tool to put the finishing touches on design idea, and getting that client to commit!

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2013 in BlogNotes, Sketchup

 

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Production: Too much or too little?

04 May

woodworking productionYou’re a one or two man shop; you’re doing pretty well with orders. You’re making ok money – but you want to up it a notch, because business is picking up – due to word of mouth, and advertisement you’ve been doing.

The problem? Production. Specifically, how much to do. What’s the right rate? If you’re making, for instance, mantle clocks, do you make enough for that day, a couple of days – or a huge run of, say, twenty?

They all have their good and bad points – but one is better then another…..

There is efficiency in bigger runs; it makes more sense to set up a jig once for a complicated cut, and then cut 20 pieces, instead of setting up the same jig 20 times – and risk not cutting them all the same. However, what if you do cut them all at 5″ and 6 degrees, and oops, it was suppose to be 6″ and 5 degrees? No fixing that one – like the barber says, “I can take more off, but I can’t but it back on”. You’ve wasted time and money.

On the other hand, if you go slow and cautiously, you’ll be inefficient – and still might make mistakes.

Then there is another problem – what if your parts supplier (in this case, maybe the clock movement) screws up – either the parts came and are wrong, of they come days later then you expected? Now your’e sitting on a dozen half-done clocks.

Make a little, or make a lot, each has it problems.

The answer lies in the middle, of course. Make four or six in a run. That way, if you do screw up, or you supplier messes you up, you’re not siting on a bunch of junk, or half-done inventory. You can put them away, and start on something else until the problem can be fixed. You can be both efficient and cautious.

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

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Side Project: Michigan Rummy Turntable

01 May

Rummy boardMy friend, an avid card player, asked me to make a Michigan Rummy turntable for him. Michigan Rummy is a card game played with chips. I really don’t know how to play, but I said I’d make him one, based on what I could gather from plastic “trays” found on the internet; some are just flat boards or sheets. He wanted something that could be spun from player to player for easier access.

It’s 16” across, and 1 1/2” thick, cherry top half, maple bottom half, with a lazy susan.

To give it a more professional look, I made water slide decals for the eight different card pools and the “kitty” in the middle cup. You can buy inkjet decal sheets at modeling stores; they have clear sheets, which I used here. You then give that sheet a thin spray of poly, and let it completely dry; two coats might be a good idea. Once that is dry, you cut close to the decal, wet it in a bowl of water for a few seconds, then place it where you want to transfer it to. after a minute or so, the glue has softened up, and you very gently slide the decal off it’s backing (I used a soft detail brush) and into place. Gently smooth out the bubbles, pat gently dry with a paper towel. There is a little bit of a trick to it, it’s delicate.

Finished simply with several coats of water-based satin poly.

 

 
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Posted by on May 1, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

Tips on How to Sell Your Woodworking, Part Two

29 Apr

This is part two of a three-part series on how to sell your woodworking projects; part one can be found here.

  • Ask questions. Ask potential clients what they might need. Putting them on the spot forces them to come up with some kind of answer – that might be a “nothing, really, just looking” kind of answer, or it might be a “well, a new coffee table might be nice, our new puppy was biting on ours” – or some sort of response like that. I would advise you not to do the hard sell, like a used car dealer (“What’s it going to take to get you into this car today?!”) but rather point out the good things about your product – “This coffee table is all solid quarter sawn oak….you can see I use these very strong mortise and tenon joints…and the finish is four coats of poly.” You get the idea.
  • Everybody loves a good story. If you can tie a story to a piece, all the better. Remember, you’re not selling some cheap mass-produced junk from China, and can use that to your advantage. Maybe you’re selling a Limbert coffee table replica; you could point out some of the characteristics of that style, how you researched the piece in old books, visited an original in a museum in Boston, and so on. A story adds value to the piece.
  • Good photography – a must! Nothing ruins the chance for a sale quicker (at least online) then crappy photography. A white bed sheet as a background for your custom turned cocobolo salt and pepper grinders? Really?! The reason your photos aren’t good are becuase either A) you don’t think it’s a big deal, or B) You don’t know how to do it. Well, it IS a big deal – isn’t the piece you put hours and hours into worth taking a good photo to help sell it? If you don’t know how to take a good picture – and a lot of people don’t – consider having it either professionally done, or done by a friend that knows how to do it. If you like my photos of my products on the white background, such as this one, it was done on the cheap, by myself. The white is just a piece of sheet melamine (I believe it is melamine), 2’x4′, which is very thin and flexible. It is propped up on a table outside, under a porch, curved. The lighting is natural of course, always best. Yes, I used my expensive Nikon DSLR, but results could be just as good with an iPhone, and no, I’m not kidding (I will be doing a photography how-to in the future). Some very basic tweaking in Photoshop –  just contrast and brightness, maybe a little blemish or dust removal – and that’s it. Regardless, good photography is a must.
  • Gather testimonials. I usally ask my customers for a testimonial of a few sentences. Here’s an actual one from my customers: ” I’ve been looking for a source of hand-crafted mission lamps and was delighted to discover the New Mission Workshop. My new lamp is beautiful and well made, offering a warm finish and clean lines that are a perfect match with my home.”  I intersperse these testimonials on my web and printed media. Testimonials are valuable in sales.
  • Ask for the sale. When people don’t really need something – like a new toilet, food or gas – then they can hesitate to jump for a purchase. After your pitch, you might say something like, “Do you think you might want to see this in your home? I currently have a break between jobs, so I can get this done for you in short order” or, if it’s already a built item, “I can get this shipped out as soon as tomorrow, would FedEx be ok?” I’ve read that people that ask for the sale get it 3X more then those that don’t.
  • Remove all payment barriers. This factor is often overlooked. You should be removing all barriers for people paying you (within reason, of course). The more ways people can pay you, the less chance you’ll get the “That’s the only way I can pay you” line. Some people don’t like giving you, some guy, their credit card info (and who can blame them), or they don’t like using Paypal. They just want to send you a check – even cash. With checks of course, you have to wait several days for the check to clear their bank (ask your bank about details), but let the customer know your product won’t ship until it does – they’ll understand. If you’re at a craft show, or some other remote venue, you have to be very trusting to take a check, and hand over the goods. Instead, you might want to look into a credit card service like Square, which lets you swipe credit cards right on your smart phone!

In the next installment of this series, I’ll discuss where to sell your pieces.

 
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Posted by on April 29, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

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Buying New Machinery for the Shop: What to Consider

28 Apr

Grizzly planerWe’re men; buying a new big piece of machinery for your shop is a thrill. It’s a new toy, something to awe over. I recently purchased a new table saw, and I took delight in comparing one saw to another, combing thru user reviews, looking for the best price. These tools can cost a heck of a lot of money (are you listening, Fein?), so you want to spend your money wisely.

This problem is compounded, however, if you are buying big power tools for a production shop – or, if you are just getting starting into producing pieces by the lot. At this point, the machine in question is no longer a toy so much as it is an investment in your business.

Ideally, machinery you purchase must either either increase the efficiency or the quality of the process being performed, preferably both.

You don’t necessarily have to go out and purchase the most expensive machine, either. As cool and amazing as it would be to have, Grizzly’s G03X 25″planer, at $10,350, it would be way more then I would ever anticipate using. Instead, something like their G0454 20″ Planer at $1,774 would be more appropriate. This is really a lesson in value; paying some $9,000 more wouldn’t give me more for my money then the smaller size model. If I was planning to go into kitchen cabinetry as a business…well, that might be a different story.

Of course, the flip side of this is you don’t want to buy the smallest and cheapest brand either (hello, Harbor Freight Tools). You need a dependable brand, and one with the capacity you anticipate, and the quality you require. As a general rule of thumb on these things, I make a choice on a product line (as in the Grizzly example above), taking into account the anticipated work I’ll be doing – and go one model larger (assuming that’s not a huge jump in price and capacity; I don’t want to go from a $2,000 20″ planer to a $6,000 24″ planer). This way, I figure I add a little elbow room for anticipated need.

So, some things to think about when buying a production-oriented piece of machinery:

  • What is my anticipated need for this machine? Will I ever be running a 24″ wide piece of wood through it, or will 20″ be all I’ll ever need? What kind of finish quality can this machine provide, and will that be enough?
  • Does this machine add efficiency to my operation? Is the extra cost worth that efficency?
  • Is this a quality machine? Is the maker reputable, the machine durable, the reviews on it favorable?

So get busy and start doing your homework!

 
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Posted by on April 28, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

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Tips on How to Sell Your Woodworking, Part One

28 Apr

Pat in shopWoodworking, of course, is not always about making a buck; plenty of us are in it as a hobby, for the pure enjoyment of it. We make stuff for ourselves and others; nothing wrong with that – but for those of us who are trying to make a buck at it, it can be tough. I’ve tried a lot of different things trying to make it – big time – in woodworking. I’ve done ok, but I’m not where I want to be.

So, in the spirit of helping out others, I thought I’d pass along some tips, tactics and strategies that have helped me out – and I hope they help you too.

• Selling is about need. A good salesman doesn’t just find a need to fill – as in, “You need a new medicine cabinet? I can build that!”. If you take that tact, you have to wait for them to come to you, to have a need to be fulfilled. Good salesman create a need. You might be asking, “But how do I tell that lady she needs a new medicine cabinet, when she doesn’t?” She needs the better one you have to sell her. Your cabinet can hold more things, has a bigger mirror, is made of cherry, which matches her bathroom cabinet, and so on. You create a desire, a want. Look at car commercials – you care is probably just fine – but don’t you want that hot Lexus on TV? The luxury, the styling, the driving experience? It all looks appealing to you. Again, creating a need where none exists. So how does this work in the woodworking world? Well, you take the car company tact, and make a product that appeal’s to a women’s sense of decor (most of our customers are women, let’s face it). You’re not going to sell a clock made out of a table saw blade – though that might work for some guy’s shop – but you can sell a nice mission style clock for her mantel. Women like to attract beautiful things to themselves – whether that be adornments, like jewelry or clothes, or their surroundings, as in your beautiful table, cabinet, clock, etc.

• Sell value, not price. You’re never going to beat the big box stores on price; it’s impossible. People will look at you like you have three heads when you tell them your mission mantel clock is $475, when, by God, they can get a clock at Walmart for $20! Off hand, their point seems valid, a clock tells time – in this case, one for $20, the other for $475, so why should they spend more? The answer is in perceived value. If that’s all they value, something to tell time by, then you’ll never make the sale. However, if they value the story behind the clock – how you picked out the cherry yourself, crafted it yourself from your own plans, and how it is much more visually pleasing then the white plastic, made in China clock that won’t last for more than 5 years, and isn’t something you’ll be handing down to your heirs, like your clock will be – now you’re talking about value.

• Differentiate yourself from competitors. Why should I buy from you? What makes you better then this other guy? It’s not always about price, by the way. You could sell yourself on many traits – you have over 20 years making clocks; you have a long list of customer’s testimonials; your design is unique – yet very appealing, you use mechanical movements while others use electronic movements and so on. Of course, your product should be the number one thing that differentiates you from others – the quality, craftsmanship, styling – all need to be appreciably better then other woodworkers. You must stand out, and above.

• It’s about relationships. Not the one with your girlfriend, or your wife (!), but with the customer. People like to feel special, and they feel special when they have a relationship with someone that is special. This explains the lures of celebrities; why do people come off positively giddy when they meet Tiger Woods or Kim Kardashian? One chase balls around a country club; the other chase balls all over the country. These people are special – in that a lot of others think they are special – so when you have a moment with them, however brief, you feel sort of special too, and you run back and tell all your friends whom you just met. Well, to your customers, you are kind of the rock star, in a mild sense. People are thrilled to have stuff custom made for them, especially by someone who is percieved to be a very good craftsman. Think about it – what if Sam Maloof made you his famous rocker, or Krenov, his cabinet – just for you? Wouldn’t that make you feel great? Well, that’s how your customers should – and really do want – to feel. Once you get that customer, be personable from first contact forward. You don’t have to be their best friend, but you don’t have to an aloof cashier at 7-11 either. You hopefully can build some relationship with the person, and therefore, future sales.

Watch for my next post in this series….

 
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Posted by on April 28, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

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It’s Not All About the Money

26 Apr

smiling woman“Got it! Love it! The stain color is just what I wanted and I like the cranberry stain on the little insert pieces because there is a slight bit of that color in the wallpaper. I will send you a photo when it is decorated and up on the wall, which should be soon.”

“There are not enough superlatives to describe how beautiful and wonderfully made this clock is and what a delight the artist is. And Patrick made this just for me! Such care and craftsmanship – it is truly a work of art. All materials are exceptional and the whole is a treasure for generations. I adore it and will be a repeat customer. Enjoyed the whole process. Thanks, Patrick!”

” I’ve been looking for a source of hand-crafted mission lamps and was delighted to discover the New Mission Workshop. My new lamp is beautiful and well made, offering a warm finish and clean lines that are a perfect match with my home.”

The comments above are actual testimonials from my customers.

I think people forget just how ingratiating kind words can be from customers – wether that be a woodworker like myself, someone in an office, or a cashier. Yes, money is nice, but kind words really go along way (at least for me) and costs nothing for the person making the comment. On the flip side, making a kind comment to someone (heartfelt of course) is a great thing to do; you can really make someone’s day, and who knows, maybe their life, if they are at the end of their rope; your kind words could be the safety net that saves them from doing something stupid.

I enjoy what I do – and I get paid pretty well for it – but a big part of that pay is the kind words of appreciation that my customers bestow.

 
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Posted by on April 26, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

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Etsy and You, The Woodworker

25 Apr
  • etsy

If you haven’t heard of Etsy, and you are a creative arts person, you should look into it as a place to sell your stuff.

The basics: You open a “shop” and sell your stuff, and people find you, and buy your stuff, through Etsy, who gets a modest cut of the action, about 3.5% (you can see their fee structure here). There’s no set-up fee, and it only costs twenty cents to list an item. Your buyers can also leave feedback. It’s really a turnkey solution.

But it might not be the right venue for you, the woodworker, depending on what you make. Overwhelmingly, the clientele on Etsy is women, in the 25-34 demographic. Just landing on the home page of Etsy, where they put up popular products will confirm this. The big seller categories are jewelry, textile items, craft supplies, and home decor items. It very much reminds me of your local craft show, only much nicer. Photography is usually very good, if not borderline professional; if you can’t photograph well, and aren’t willing to learn how, you might opt out of Etsy right away – unless you hire someone to do it for you.

So, what sells – woodworking wise – on Etsy. Well, our crafty (lol) friends over at CraftCount can help us out with that, they keep tabs on the best selling sellers.

  • MRC Wood Products With over 17,000 products sold, this guy is on to something! He sells custom engraved signs, which are, admittedly, very nice, and does so cheaply, in the $35 dollar range, which puts him in the Unique / Inexpensive / Home Decor category, which is a great place to be. Obviously, it works.
  • Timber Green Woods With a distant 9,700 sales, TGW features sustainable gifts and laser cut wooden ornaments. So, for those green folks out there, this is easy. I’m a little puzzled that ornaments do a such a decent business though. Still, he’s in that more affordable price range for his product, which helps a lot.
  • Bosheree Again, another custom home decor sign company, in the $35 dollar range, with over 7,000 in sales.

Those are the top three. Here are some other woodworking shops doing well, more in the vane of the ordinary woodworker, like us:

  • Boxnmor – Bandsaw box items, also banks and gnome doors. Over 4,000 sales.
  • Andrew’s Reclaimed – Actually, one shop I like. This guy rides the reclaimed / green train, and makes all kinds of “holder” things for home decor, including planters, and again, in the $20-$30-$40 dollar range. Over 3,500 in sales.
  • BarnWood4U – Uses reclaimed wood, in it’s weathered state, to make shelving and picture frames, in the $40 range. 2,000 sales.
  • Gray Works – This guy has a live edge / plank cut / rustic theme going on here, making cutting boards and small bowls, in the $50 to $75 range, mostly. Nice stuff. 1,800 sales.
  • CircleCreekHome – Talk about an esoteric genre – vintage wood stools! $30-$50 range, 1,700 sales.
  • Canadian Wood Crafts – Made to Order Hair Forks and Sticks , Baby Rattles, Natural Teething Toys, Toddler Feeding Products Coffee Scoops, Saute Tools and other Wood Utensils, in the $15-$30 range.

My advice? If you think you can come with a novel, inexpensive home decor item geared towards women, Etsy might be for you (as a woodworker). You might sell a few bigger ticket items (highest I’ve done is $850 for one piece), but I don’t see how you can make a living doing furniture and case goods via Etsy alone. Having said that, there very well maybe guys on Etsy doing exactly that, but I haven’t come across them.

 
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Posted by on April 25, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

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Buy Local; It’s Worth Every Cent!

25 Apr

buy localLook, I’m a conservative, politically speaking, and even a year ago, if someone told me to “buy local” I would have rolled my eyes at the perceived long-haired dope-smoking liberal spewing that out to me.

Ok, I’ve changed my tune on the issue, and listened. Of course, there is a self-interest served in my touting the  Buy Local mantra, but if that’s what it took to open my eyes to the issue – and the benefits to my neighbors – then so be it; mea culpa.

This is some interesting stuff I learned:

  • Local business generates 70% more local economic activity per square foot then big box retail.
  • For every $100 spent locally, $68 is returned in local economic activity, versus 48% with big box retail.
  • Money spent at a local business generates 3.5x more wealth for the local economy compared to money spent a chain store biz.
  • Each year, the US sends $2.2 trillion around the country and abroad, using about 11 billion gallons of fuel.
  • If you choose a local business, you cut down on pollution, processing, packaging and transportation waste.
  • Over 59% of local makers (like me) say they reuse or recycle “occasionally or usually”.
  • If every family in the US spent just $10 a month at a locally owned, independent business, instead of a national chain, over $9.3 billion would be directly returned to our economy.

I used to kinda chuckle when I would hear older folks talking about buying stuff in the US, lamenting how less and less is made in the US. Seems the older I get, the smarter these older folks become – and I’m 50. I’ve actually found myself trying to buy local when I can. My wood guy, or sawyer, is local; he’s a new guy, and I’m trying to give him all the business I can. I try to patronize private restaurants, and not these big box restaurants like Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory. You can never get a seat in these places on a Friday or Saturday night; but private restaurants? You can usually just walk right in, and the food is usually just as good, if not better. I like supporting the little guy…I guess, because I’m the little guy now. I like to help a family keep their restaurant, or other business. It’s worth mentioning that you’ll usually get better service in these private places because they know it’s there edge on the big box’s pricing edge, sometimes.

 
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Posted by on April 25, 2013 in BlogNotes

 

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Sketchup: Excellent Tool for Woodworkers!

24 Apr

sketchupIt all begins with an idea; then a plan is drawn up. So it goes with starting a business, so it goes with woodworking.

For many woodworkers, plans are purchased in a book or online. Some guys even go without plans, just feeling it out as they go; sometimes that works….a lot of times it doesn’t. Personally, I like to draw up my own plans, with my own ideas of projects. As in the shop, you need to the right tools to accomplish drawings that are accurate. Trimble has a free product, called “SketchUp” that is perfect for this task, available on both PC and Mac. Google formerly put it out.

Not only can you accurately design your own project, you can also “render” it photo realistically. Meaning, you can turn that drawing into a picture that looks like it’s an actual physical object. There are a couple of profound benefits from doing this:

  • You can “build” the object before actually taking the time and money to build it, and make tweaks as necessary to get the look you had envisioned.
  • Easily try different contrasting woods, and see how well they go together.
  • If you are decent with Photoshop, you can take that rendering and inset it into a picture. This would be helpful if presenting an idea to a client. Perhaps they want an armoire – you could show them very much what it would look like in their own home!
  • There are also thousands and thousands of already made models of – virtually anything – available for free at the Sketchup 3D Warehouse. I’ve used this for props. Lets say you’re sketching out a kitchen island, for example; you could go to the 3D Warehouse and import flowers, dishes, etc, right into your model.
sketchup

Mahogany Table rendering by Dave Richards

So what’s the downside to SketchUp (hereby referred to as “SU”)? Well, the learning curve, primarily. I had to attack it twice before I finally got handy with it. I still don’t know everything there is to know, but I know enough to accomplish almost all I’ll ever do. If I get stuck, I can always check Google’s help desk for SU, or go to a user community forum, such as Sketchucation. There are also plenty of good “how-to” videos on YouTube. You might want to what I did, and get “Google Sketchup 7 for Dummies”. Obviously, if you a computer geek, and I am somewhat, then it will go easier for you. Is it tricky to learn? Yes. Is it worth it? I say yes, very much so.

I should point out that the “rendering” part is done in another program, called Kerkythea. Basically, you draw up your project in SU, and render (turn it into a photorealistic picture) in Kerkythea. There’s a bit of a learning curve on that one too, but there are also tutorials for that. And no one says you have to dive into the rendering either – I often just print out sheets from SU to take down to the shop, and off I go; but if you really want to get a very good feel for what that project will look like finished, rendering can really give you a very good idea.

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2013 in BlogNotes

 
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