My latest random idea after looking at some old photos and seeing a few different ones. I might do a more complex one with a roof too…
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Like the simplicity of this illustration. It so clearly demonstrates what it is and what it does. I wish more users would post their work up here. I find examples like this very inspirational.
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WOW! That’s awesome! Are you a Disney animator? 
Just kidding.
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I’ve bitten the bullet and started to delve a little into rendering. I’m completely new to it so I have a lot of new to learn. This were rendered with Kerkythea. I’ve tried a few different backgrounds and I need to understand the lighting a little better. I thought this was getting close to the kind of look I wanted. The textures are a bit off but I think its an improvement on the original.
Any thoughts are welcome.
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Are you just using the sun for lighting? Did you use SketchUp’s sun or add it in KT?
Hi Dave, I had some fun getting to grips with this, theres so much that’s new!
I have 3 sides around and a roof with a single spotlight added in SU (via the plugin). There was another but I took it out. Then I just moved the light around in KT to get the black backdrop.
I think you could utilize the sides and ceiling to get some reflected light back in to the model. Crank the power of the light up. You can also change the fall-off angle with the sliders in the upper right corner of the KT screen to narrow down the coverage.
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Another go, turned up the light and moved it a little. I’m having trouble with the bottom edges of the back corner showing. Got rid of them eventually. Sorry if its not quite right again…suggestions welcome.
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Did you round the corners between the walls and the floor? That helps to make a seamless look. I would float the well above the floor by a few millimeters so you get a shadow line around the bottom of it.
That makes sense! but no I didn’t. I’ll do both now. I want the dark backdrop, without the lines. Its taking me some getting used to but I’ll get there.
Looking good. I see you have the light located behind the camera, which I think sometimes makes things look a little flat. I like the light at 45˚-90˚ to the left or right, closer to what you did in your first render but perhaps on the left side of camera to let the shadow play out at 90˚ to the frame. That way you get some cross light going across the faces and a clear view of the structure in the shadow on the ground. Also a grid or lined or textured floor really helps to sell the perspective.
Thanks for the tips guys, I obviously have much to learn. Lightings still off in this one, last one for now…
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Hey that’s looking great! The sidelight is really helping to highlight the relief in the stone block faces. I like the floor as well (pun), nice choice to set the grind not square with the camera, perfect.
I think the only part bugging me is the monolithic wood hand wheel. It’s such a prominent feature and It would likely not be carved out of a solid block like that but would have at least steel spokes, or a steel outer rim. At least perhaps a different grain texture than the the other woods.
And is your water reflective? I don’t’ know if Kerkythea supports mirror, but can you put some bounce on the waters surface of the inside of the bucket wall.
I’m doing rendering output all day today for a deadline, and you are inspiring me to really take a closer look at details to get things just right. Thanks.
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@endlessfix Thanks for the comments, I’m glad to get some positive feedback for it. I’ve had countless renditions of the thing so far, but It could of course be better. I’ve done some more reading trying to get to grips with everything.
Yeah, I agree with the wheel it is a bit weird. I just knocked the model up pretty quickly copying of something I saw. I think some steel would bring it along a bit further. Never really thought about that. The well needs attention at the base to to make it stand out and define the outline better.
Erm, can’t remember about the water, I’ll have to take a look!
I like the angle of the light better in this view but the image seems kind of muddy to me. It makes me think under exposure. How about adding another light so you can build some contrast in the model.
I agree with EF that the wheel needs a bit of help with the texturing although I’d leave it as all wood. The rim would be made up of sectors called felloes. You could do something like that easily enough. Add three more spokes and then make six felloes. You could put an iron band around the outside like a wagon wheel tire but I’d be inclined make the rim in three layers with the joints staggered and then peg them together. Sort of like this. And of course that’s making your model more complex.
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It looks much clearer in KT, I noticed that and turned the light up again but still a bit muddy. Something to look at.
Thanks for the comments, I’ll look into it but right now this guys gotta sleep!
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Yes. It’s kind of distorted on my phone but that’s the idea. You could also use notches on the inner felloes so that the end grain of the spokes is not exposed.
I’m kind of dragging you away from the rendering part of it. Sorry about that. Since I have, though, Have you coopered your pail, yet? 
I wondered about that end grain part, being different from your wheel, that’s a good idea. The pail probably does need a bit of coopering (just looked it up ) .
Well, this is a SketchUp forum, so I suppose I should keep going back to make some changes to the model, keep on topic and all that . This simple idea is getting a bit of a saga, but I’m enjoying the challenge.
Thanks
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